Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the efficacy of Wuziyanzong prescription combined with levocarnitine in the treatment of male infertility.
METHODS Searched PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, EBSCO, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang and CBM databases to collect randomized controlled clinical trials(RCTs) on the treatment of male infertility with Wuziyanzong prescription and levocarnitine. The data were extracted and the quality of the included RCTs literature were evaluated according to Cochrane 5.1 handbook, and meta-analysis was conducted using the Rev Man 5.3 software.
RESULTS Five trials involving 441 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that effectiveness rate(
P=0.000 4), Dsperm density(
P<0.000 01), Dsperm motility(
P=0.005), Dgrade a sperm rate(
P=0.002) and Dgrade a+b sperm rate(
P=0.003) of Wuziyanzong prescription combined with levocarnitine were better than levocarnitine, but Dsemen volume(
P=0.40)was not inferior to levocarnitine.
CONCLUSION Wuziyanzong prescription combined with levocarnitine in the treatment of male infertility is effective. However, due to the limitations of the included study, a well-designed large-scale clinical randomized controlled study is still needed to verify the efficacy.