EFFECT OF ANTIOXIDANTS ON OOCYTE MORPHOLOGY AND FUNCTION IN RATS IN SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY PROCESS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61751/ijmmr/2.2024.65Keywords:
post-ovulatory ageing; egg, antioxidant;, oxidative imbalance, citrus nutrientsAbstract
Abstract. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of antioxidants on the morphological and functional properties of oocytes in rats under conditions of systemic inflammation, focusing on their potential to reduce oxidative stress and improve reproductive health. A female rats at three weeks of age were used as experimental models and divided into three groups: control, systemic inflammation-induced, and antioxidant-treated groups. Human chorionic gonadotropin was administered to stimulate superovulation, and oocytes were isolated for analysis. Morphological changes in oocytes were assessed using immunofluorescence staining, while mitochondrial function and oxidative stress were evaluated using JC-1 dye detection kit. Fertilisation rates and oocyte maturation stages were compared among the groups. All experiments adhered to international ethical standards for animal research. Systemic inflammation led to ovarian atrophy, decreasing ovarian weight to 0.3 g, which reflects a reduction in follicle number and oocyte quality. This resulted in a 30% reduction in fertilisation rates. Antioxidant therapy helped restore ovarian weight to 0.4 g, improving oocyte morphology and increasing the proportion of oocytes achieving metaphase to 75%, demonstrating the protective effect of antioxidants. The fertilisation rate improved to 65% in the antioxidant-treated group, indicating a protective effect against oxidative damage and inflammation. The findings highlight the potential of antioxidants in modulating apoptosis pathways, reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing mitochondrial function, which collectively improved oocyte quality and reproductive outcomes. Antioxidant therapy demonstrated substantial benefits in mitigating the effects of oxidative stress and inflammation on oocytes, promoting normal maturation and increasing fertilisation success. These results underscore the therapeutic potential of antioxidants for treating infertility associated with inflammatory conditions
References
Bibak B, Shakeri F, Barreto GE, Keshavarzi Z, Sathyapalan T, Sahebkar A. A review of the pharmacological and therapeutic effects of auraptene. BioFactors. 2019;45(6):867–79. DOI: 10.1002/biof.1550
Askari VR, Rahimi VB, Rezaee SA, Boskabady MH. Auraptene regulates Th1/Th2/TReg balances, NF-kappaB nuclear localization and nitric oxide production in normal and Th2 provoked situations in human isolated lymphocytes. Phytomedicine. 2018;43:1–10. DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2018.03.049
Askari VR, Rahimi VB, Zargarani R, Ghodsi R, Boskabady M, Boskabady MH. Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of auraptene on phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced inflammation in human lymphocytes. Pharmacol Rep. 2021;73(1):154–62. DOI: 10.1007/s43440-020-00083-5
Fiorito S, Epifano F, Palumbo L, Genovese S. A novel auraptene-enriched citrus peels-based blend with enhanced antioxidant activity. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2021;76:397–8. DOI: 10.1007/s11130-021-00911-w
Keshavarzi Z, Amiresmaili S, Shahrokhi N, Bibak B, Shakeri F. Neuroprotective effects of auraptene following traumatic brain injury in male rats: The role of oxidative stress. Brain Res Bull. 2021;177:203–9. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.09.021
Tayarani-Najaran Z, Tayarani-Najaran N, Eghbali S. A review of auraptene as an anticancer agent. Front Pharmacol. 2021;12:698352. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.698352
Kobayashi H, Shigetomi H, Matsubara S, Yoshimoto C, Imanaka S. Role of the mitophagy‐apoptosis axis in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovarian syndrome. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2024;50(5):775–92. DOI: 10.1111/jog.15916
Igase M, Okada Y, Ochi M, Igase K, Ochi H, Okuyama S, et al. Auraptene in the peels of citrus Kawachiensis (Kawachibankan) contributes to the preservation of cognitive function: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study in healthy volunteers. J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2018;5(3):197–201. DOI: 10.14283/jpad.2017.47
Galluzzi S, Zanardini R, Ferrari C, Gipponi S, Passeggia I, Rampini M, et al. Cognitive and biological effects of citrus phytochemicals in subjective cognitive decline: A 36-week, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Nutr J. 2022;21(1):64. DOI: 10.1186/s12937-022-00817-6
Di Nisio V, Antonouli S, Damdimopoulou P, Salumets A, Cecconi S. In vivo and in vitro postovulatory aging: When time works against oocyte quality? J Assist Reprod Genet. 2022;39:905–18. DOI: 10.1007/s10815-022-02418-y
Yu C, Xiao JH. The Keap1-Nrf2 system: A mediator between oxidative stress and aging. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2021;2021:6635460. DOI: 10.1155/2021/6635460
Kim KH, Kim EY, Lee KA. GAS6 ameliorates advanced age-associated meiotic defects in mouse oocytes by modulating mitochondrial function. Aging. 2021;13(14):18018–32. DOI: 10.18632/aging.203328
Almansa-Ordonez A, Bellido R, Vassena R, Barragan M, Zambelli F. Oxidative stress in reproduction: A mitochondrial perspective. Biol. 2020;9(9):269. DOI: 10.3390/biology9090269
Khazaei M, Aghaz F. Reactive oxygen species generation and use of antioxidants during in vitro maturation of oocytes. Int J Fertil Steril. 2017;11(2):63–70. DOI: 10.22074/ijfs.2017.4995
Cecchele A, Cermisoni GC, Giacomini E, Pinna M, Vigano P. Cellular and molecular nature of fragmentation of human embryos. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(3):1349. DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031349
Abizadeh M, Novin MG, Amidi F, Ziaei SA, Abdollahifar MA, Nazarian H. Potential of auraptene in improvement of oocyte maturation, fertilization rate, and inflammation in polycystic ovary syndrome mouse model. Reprod Sci. 2020;27(9):1742–51. DOI: 10.1007/s43032-020-00168-9
Jang Y, Choo H, Lee MJ, Han J, Kim SJ, Ju X, et al. Auraptene mitigates Parkinson’s disease-like behavior by protecting inhibition of mitochondrial respiration and scavenging reactive oxygen species. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(14):3409. DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143409
Lee MJ, Jang Y, Zhu J, Namgung E, Go D, Seo C, et al. Auraptene enhances junction assembly in cerebrovascular endothelial cells by promoting resilience to mitochondrial stress through activation of antioxidant enzymes and mtUPR. Antioxidants. 2021;10(3):475. DOI: 10.3390/antiox10030475
Hassanein EHM, Sayed AM, Hussein OE, Mahmoud AM. Coumarins as modulators of the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2020;2020:1675957. DOI: 10.1155/2020/1675957
Akino N, Wada-Hiraike O, Isono W, Terao H, Honjo H, Miyamoto Y, et al. Activation of Nrf2/Keap1 pathway by oral Dimethylfumarate administration alleviates oxidative stress and age-associated infertility might be delayed in the mouse ovary. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2019;17(1):23. DOI: 10.1186/s12958-019-0466-y
Fonseca E, Marques CC, Pimenta J, Jorge J, Baptista MC, Goncalves AC, et al. Anti-aging effect of urolithin a on bovine oocytes in vitro. Animals. 2021;11(7):2048. DOI: 10.3390/ani11072048
Furukawa Y, Washimi YS, Hara RI, Yamaoka M, Okuyama S, Sawamoto A, et al. Citrus auraptene induces expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in Neuro2a cells. Molecules. 2020;25(5):1117. DOI: 10.3390/molecules25051117
Shimoi G, Tomita M, Kataoka M, Kameyama Y. Destabilization of spindle assembly checkpoint causes aneuploidy during meiosis II in murine post-ovulatory aged oocytes. J Reprod Dev. 2019;65(1):57–66. DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2018-056
Zhang D, Keilty D, Zhang ZF, Chian RC. Mitochondria in oocyte aging: Current understanding. Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2017;9(1):29–38.
Van der Reest J, Cecchino GN, Haigis MC., Kordowitzki P. Mitochondria: Their relevance during oocyte ageing. Ageing Res Rev. 2021;70:101378. DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101378
Lu J, Wang Z, Cao J, Chen Y, Dong Y. A novel and compact review on the role of oxidative stress in female reproduction. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2018;16(1):80. DOI: 10.1186/s12958-018-0391-5
Perkins AT, Greig MM, Sontakke AA, Peloquin AS, McPeek MA, Bickel SE. Increased levels of superoxide dismutase suppress meiotic segregation errors in aging oocytes. Chromosoma. 2019;128(3):215–22. DOI: 10.1007/s00412-019-00702-y
Armstrong S, Bhide P, Jordan V, Pacey A, Marjoribanks J, Farquhar C. Time-lapse systems for embryo incubation and assessment in assisted reproduction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;5:CD011320. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011320.pub4
Lagalla C, Coticchio G, Sciajno R, Tarozzi N, Zaca C, Borini A. Alternative patterns of partial embryo compaction: Prevalence, morphokinetic history and possible implications. Reprod Biomed Online. 2020;40(3):347–54. DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2019.11.011
ARRIVE guidelines [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 2]. Available from: https://arriveguidelines.org/
Cha University Bioethics Committee [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 2]. Available from: https://www.cha.ac.kr/bioethics-committee/
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Angelina Stewart
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
