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Case Reports
. 2025 May;17(Suppl 1):S1038-S1041.
doi: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_256_25. Epub 2025 Apr 12.

L-Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine: A Novel Approach to Treating Male Infertility with Abnormal Sperm Morphology

Lakhan Parsharam Padwal  1 , Akash More  1 , Namrata Choudhary  1 , Ganesh Laxman Kalasakar  1 , Tejaswini Wadhe  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

L-Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine: A Novel Approach to Treating Male Infertility with Abnormal Sperm Morphology

Lakhan Parsharam Padwal et al. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2025 May.

Abstract

This case report presents a 36-year-old man with elongated sperm morphology, a specific type of teratozoospermia, associated with oxidative stress and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage. Six months of supplementation of L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine, CoQ10, zinc, and vitamins, combined with lifestyle modifications enhanced sperm motility, morphology, and quality significantly. Posttreatment semen analysis showed improved concentration (13-20 million/mL), progressive motility (25%-40%), and normal morphology (2%-7%). The couple underwent intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI), leading to successful fertilization, production of high-quality embryos, and confirmed pregnancy. This case illuminates the therapeutic potential of L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation, in combination with IMSI, in treating male infertility associated with abnormal sperm morphology and improving outcomes of assisted reproductive technology.

Keywords: Acetyl-l-carnitine; IMSI; embryo; infertility; l-carnitine; sperm; teratozoospermia.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Graph 1
Graph 1
Graphical representation of effect of L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation on semen parameters
Figure 1
Figure 1
A good-quality blastocyst was chosen for transfer
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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