Effects of Melatonin Administration on Chemical Pregnancy Rates of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients Undergoing Intrauterine Insemination: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Oxidative stress as a potential cause of poor oocyte quality can influence female reproduction. This study aimed to investigate the effects of melatonin on chemical pregnancy rates of a significant number of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI). In this randomized double-blinded clinical trial, the study samples included 198 PCOS patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria and undergoing the IUI treatment. On the third day of menstruation, a 3-mg melatonin tablet or its placebo was given to the patients according to the randomized study protocol; this prescription was continued until the day of HCG administration. The current study attempted to primarily scrutinize the effect of melatonin administration on the rate of chemical pregnancy and mature follicles during the IUI treatment cycle and secondary determine the endometrial thickness on the day of IUI. The mean age of the participants in the study was 28.9 ± 5.5 years. The chemical pregnancy rate in the group receiving melatonin was about 32%, and this value was 18% in the control group (P = 0.012). Furthermore, it was concluded that the addition of melatonin to the treatment cycle of PCOS individuals could significantly improve the endometrial thickness after the treatment (P <0.001). The results of this study demonstrated that the treatment of PCOS patients undergoing IUI with melatonin significantly improved the rate of chemical pregnancy (IRCTID: IRCT2017021132489N1).