MP01-15 THE IN-VIVO EFFICACY OF LOW-INTENSITY SHOCKWAVE THERAPY ON SPERM PARAMETERS IN AN AGED RAT MODEL
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:
Low-intensity shockwave therapy (LIST) is a safe, non-invasive therapy and an effective treatment option for erectile dysfunction (ED) and many other etiologies by stimulating angiogenesis in the target tissue. It has been theorized that a similar effect could be observed in infertile patients by stimulating spermatogenesis though very little data exists to determine the in-vivo efficacy thereof. This study seeks to investigate the efficacy of LIST on semen parameters in a rat model with age-induced infertility.
METHODS:
In this primary experiment, 8 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at age 6-months were divided into 2 arms: control (N=4) and treatment (N=4). The treatment group received 600 shocks on the testis (3 site on each side, 100 shocks on each site) per session at 0.10 mJ/mm2 3 times a week for 4 weeks and the control group received placebo shocks. One month after the treatment was complete, the rats were euthanized, and semen samples obtained from the epididymis and analyzed using computer assisted sperm analysis. Statistical analysis was done using non-parametric Wilcoxon testing.
RESULTS:
Testis weights and testosterone levels were not statistically significantly different between the two groups and semen parameters in the treatment group were not statistically significantly improved from the control group. The only notable improvement was in linearity of the average path of the sperm (p=.0239), though this parameter is not a clinically significant one. Histological analysis of the testes and epididymis is ongoing.
CONCLUSIONS:
This study suggests that LIST does not have an appreciable effect on semen parameters in a SD rat model. This contradicts a prior study that shows an improvement in semen parameters after LIST using a slightly different energy level of 0.05 mJ/mm2. More work needs to be done to determine if LIST is an effective treatment for male infertility.
Source of Funding:
McNair Foundation
