Accutane, the notorious vitamin A analog for acne, can treat even severe male infertility
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Yet another study that would likely aggravate the vitamin A opponents. Especially considering that it is about the infamous Accutane – a drug they claim is pure “poison” and a much more potent one than the natural active vitamin A known as retinoic acid. Accutane has numerous reports of side effects, mostly related to teratogenesis, but also mood disorders, headaches, bone pain, etc. Well, the role of vitamin A in male fertility is already established and multiple studies have demonstrated that vitamin A deficiency in human males reliably leads to infertility with virtually no sperm production. The study below demonstrates that Accutane may help even completely azoospermic males become fertile again and beget a child. Since Accutane’s sole known mechanism of action is as an agonist of the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoic X receptor (RXR), there is little doubt that vitamin A is anything but poison and is indispensable for male fertility.
“…For men with infertility caused by extremely low sperm counts or a complete lack of sperm, the only medical option is to undergo surgery to collect sperm directly from the testicles to then use for in vitro fertilization (IVF). But this is a significant surgery that involves discomfort; potential risks, such as infection; and a prolonged recovery period. Moreover, the surgery only yields sperm about half the time. Now, researchers are exploring an alternative: isotretinoin, better known as Accutane, a drug that has been used for decades to treat severe acne. In a small study published in July in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, the drug stimulated sperm production in some men who at baseline had no or very few sperm in their ejaculate.”