Sperm DNA damage and semen quality impairment after treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors detected using semen analysis and sperm chromatin structure assay.

PURPOSE Semen parameters and sperm DNA were evaluated in patients receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. MATERIALS AND METHODS Semen samples were obtained from 74 fertile, depressed men treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (group 1) and 44 healthy fertile volunteers who served as a control (group 2). Two semen analyses and physical examinations were completed in all participants. Sperm chromatin structure assay was used to detect sperm DNA fragmentation. RESULTS The mean +/- SE total sperm count in patients receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and in normal subjects was 61.2 +/- 11.4 million and 186.2 +/- 31.4 million, respectively (p = 0.001). Patients in group 1 had a mean motility of 48.2% +/- 4.6%, which was significantly lower than the mean of 66.2% +/- 4.4% in normal controls (p = 0.01). Normal sperm morphology was detected in 14 patients (18.9%) and 23 controls (52.3%) (p = 0.001). Patients treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors had a mean of 8.1% +/- 5.4% normal forms per ejaculate. A significant increase in the amount of denatured single strand DNA in total cellular DNA was found in patients treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors compared with that in controls (43.2% +/- 11.4% vs 21.4% +/- 10.6%, p = 0.01). Each semen analysis parameter significantly correlated with treatment duration. CONCLUSIONS Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can impair semen quality and damage sperm DNA integrity. Further studies are needed to replicate our findings.