Background: Theophylline is recently used to improve viable sperm quality for assisted reproductive technology (ART). Zinc as a strong antioxidant is commonly prescribed in treatment of male subfertility. We investigated the effect of co-administra- tion of theophylline and zinc on hormonal changes in men with asthenoteratozoospermia. Materials and Methods: 22–55 year-old subfertile men with asthenoteratozoospermia participated in this study and were divided into four groups. All of the groups were randomly as- signed to receive one of four treatments for 12 weeks: Placebo, theophylline (200 mg/day), zinc (220 mg/day) and theophylline + zinc. The serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were measured by immunoradiometric assay with riakey kits, Korea at the begin- ning and the end of treatment. Data was analyzed statistically using the repeated measurements ANOVA and the means were considered significantly different at P<0.05. Results: The serum testosterone level increased significantly in all three groups compared to the placebo group but this increase was significantly higher in the theophylline + zinc group than the theophylline and zinc groups. The serum LH level increased significantly in all three groups compared to the placebo group but this increase was significantly higher in the theophylline group than the theophylline + zinc and zinc groups. The serum FSH level increased significantly in all three groups compared to the placebo group but this increase was significantly higher in the zinc group than the theophylline + zinc and theophylline groups. Conclusion: Co-administration of theophylline and zinc could modify the changes in the hormonal profile of asthenoterato- zoospermic men. Therefore, this drug combination can be pre- scribed in cases of infertile men with asthenoteratozoospermia.
