Follicle aging: a question of stress?

Abstract

SummaryMore than a decade after the free-radical-theory of ovarian aging, researchers confirmed the importance of age-related oxidative threat to female fertility and moved to investigate the stress adaptive response in the ovarian follicle components. In this context a potential role for SIRT1, a NAD + -dependent deacetylase and key antiaging molecule, has arisen as guardian of the redox state and regulator of hormone secretion in the follicle. This review summarizes current knowledge on the role of this sirtuin in the ovarian follicle with particular emphasis to its relevance to the stress adaptive response during aging and potential implication in fertility preservation strategies.