Trial reportChinese journal of integrative medicine2020
Effectiveness and Safety Evaluation of Qixiong Zhongzi Decoction () in Idiopathic Asthenozoospermia Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Trial report in Chinese journal of integrative medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review on the effectiveness of herbal interventions for the treatment of male infertility.Frontiers in physiology · 2022Pooled it
- Linggui Yangyuan Paste for Male Infertility with Shen (Kidney) Deficiency and Blood Stasis Syndrome: A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Double-Dummy, Randomized Controlled Trial.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2026Trial
- Efficacy and safety of oral pentoxifylline on semen parameters and reproductive hormones in idiopathic male infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Translational andrology and urology · 2026Article
- Quercetin Alleviates Triptolide-Induced Spermatogenic Dysfunction by Reducing Apoptosis and Preserving Blood-Testis Barrier Integrity in Mice.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2026Article
- Efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of asthenospermia in obese men: study protocol for a randomized control trial.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Efficacy of Lingji Formula in the Treatment of Male Infertility in Obese Men: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of general medicine · 2026Article
- Treatment Options for Improving The Semen Quality in Obese Men: A Scoping Review.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2026Review
- Epigenetic effects of Qixiong Formula on sperm DNA methylation in a rat model of asthenozoospermia.Translational andrology and urology · 2025Article
- Therapeutic mechanisms of Lycii Fructus in male infertility: a comprehensive review.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Review
- Treatment progress of cryptozoospermia with Western Medicine and traditional Chinese medicine: A literature review.Health science reports · 2023Article
- Exploring the pharmacological mechanism of Shengjing capsule on male infertility by a network pharmacology approach.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of the Chinese medicine (CM) Qixiong Zhongzi Decoction (, QZD) in the treatment of patients with idiopathic asthenozoospermia.
methodsA total number of 66 patients with idiopathic asthenozoospermia were included and randomly divided into treatment and control groups by SAS-generated code from January 2015 to August 2016, 33 patients in each group. Patients in the treatment group were administered with 150 mL of QZD twice a day, whereas those in the control group were given 1 g of levocarnitine oral liquid twice a day. The two groups received the indicated medication for 12 weeks and were then followed up for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was sperm motility, and the secondary therapeutic indices were sperm volume, density, pregnancy probability, and CM syndrome score. The comparison between groups was carried out at 4, 8 and 12 weeks, respectively. The safety was determined before and after treatment.
results(1) Drop-off: 5 cases (7.58%) were lost after treatment (2 from the treatment group and 3 from the control group). (2) Primary outcomes: after 8- and 12-week treatment, the progressive sperms in the two groups were significantly higher than the baseline (all P<0.05); however, the treatment group showed greater improvement compared with the control group at 12-week treatment (22.7% ± 9.0% vs. 14.1% ±8.8%, P<0.05). The increasement of non-progressive grade sperms at both groups was observed at 8- and 12-week treatment with statistical difference (all P<0.05), however, the treatment group showed remarkable improvement compared with the control group at 12-week treatment (38.7% ±14.1% vs. 26.2% ±15.4%, P<0.05). (3) Secondary outcomes: no significant statistical differences were found in semen volume and density (4, 8, and 12-week treatment) and pregnancy probability of patients' wives (12-week treatment) between two groups (all P>0.05), however, the CM syndrome score of the treatment group significantly declined compared with baseline level at each time points (all P<0.05). (4) Safety: no obvious side reactions were found during the treatment in both groups.
conclusionQZD could improve the progressive and non-progressive grade sperm in the treatment of idiopathic asthenozoospermia. It is safe with no obvious side effects.
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