HORMONAL EFFECTS OF TAMOXIFEN IN OLIGOSPERMIC MEN

9 male patients suffering with oligospermia and 5 controls were treated with tamoxifen (10 mg daily for 6 months and 1 week respectively) to determine changes in levels of luteinizing hormone (LH follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) androgens serum estradiol-17beta and response to LH-releasing hormone (RH). In patients basal concentrations of LH (1.7 + or - .1 IU/1) increase to 4.1 + or - 1.3 IU/1 after 6 months and FSH rose from 4.9 + or - 1 to 7.7 + or - 1.3 IU/1 after 4 months ( p less than .01). Response to LH-RH at monthly intervals showed sums of increments of serum LH increased from 35 + or - 4 to 92 + or - 17 IU/1 at 4 months (p less than .001) and FSH from 14 + or - 3.4 to 23 + or - 3.5 IU/1 at 4 months (p less than .01). Basal serum androgens increased from 25 + or - 2.7 to 38 + or - 2.4 nmol/1 at 4 months and serum estradiol-17beta increased from 185 + or - 25 to 631 + or - 90 pmol/1 by 6 months (p less than .001). Sperm counts were unchanged. In controls LH FSH or the release of these hormones following administration of LH-RH were unchanged. Androgens and estrogen increased significantly by Day 4 of treatment (p less than .05).