Resveratrol increases resistance of mouse oocytes to postovulatory aging in vivo

Abstract

After ovulation, metaphase II oocytes undergo a time-dependent deterioration in vivo or in vitro, which is referred to as postovulatory oocyte aging, a process during which a series of deleterious molecular and cellular changes occur. In this study, we found that short-term injection of resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) effectively ameliorated oxidative stress-induced damage in postovulatory oocyte aging of middle-aged mice in vivo. Resveratrol induced changes that delayed the aging-induced oocyte deterioration including the elevated expression of the anti-aging molecule Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1); it reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and improved mitochondria function. In addition, these beneficial changes may also help to prevent apoptosis. Taken together, our data suggest that resveratrol can effectively protect against postovulatory oocyte aging in vivo primarily by preventing ROS production.

Oxidative homeostasis in oocyte competence for in vitro embryo development

“…However, as already mentioned, the oocyte competence is determined by several factors and among these, ROS and GSH seem to be of fundamental importance for the optimization of in vitro production of embryos (Luberda, ; Sovernigo et al, ). Since ROS and GSH play important roles in maturation, fertilization, and oocyte development, (Liang et al, ; Luberda, ; Sovernigo et al, ) another relevant point for oocyte competence appears to be oxidative homeostasis. We believe that the in vitro embryo production system may alter this balance due to manipulation, light exposure, oxygen concentration, and other factors (Leite et al, ; Nguyen et al, ; Sovernigo et al, ).…”

“…In addition, the change in oxidative homeostasis may be more prominent in a given oocyte group, due to its initial levels of ROS and GSH, further increasing the difference in oocyte competence between groups. The significance of oxidative homeostasis has been demonstrated in studies that analyzed ROS and GSH levels with the addition of exogenous antioxidants in in vitro maturation, thereby improving the results of the in vitro produced embryos (Keshavarzi et al, ; Liang et al, ; Pang et al, ; Sovernigo et al, ). In addition, according to the results of these studies, the addition of exogenous antioxidants probably leads to optimization in oxidative homeostasis levels, similar to those found in oocytes soon after follicular removal.…”

“…Oxidative stress in oocytes results from unbalanced amounts of ROS and antioxidants, mainly caused by excessive ROS production (Agarwal, Gupta, & Sharma, 2005;Sovernigo et al, 2017;Wang et al, 2017). This stress is one of the main causes for inefficiency in oocyte development and in vitro produced embryos (Liang et al, 2018;Luberda, 2005). In the present study, it was identified that oocytes from the large follicle group showed higher levels of ROS and GSH.…”

“…In the bovine species, this in vitro production technique of embryos has been applied on a large scale, aiming at the genetic improvement of the herd (Baldassarre et al, ; Zacarias et al, ). Despite its wide applicability since its inception, in vitro fertilization is not fully established and several issues still need to be resolved and procedures need to be optimized (Adona et al, ; Liang et al, ; Sirard, ).…”

Preconception resveratrol intake against infertility: Friend or foe?

“…Moreover, during IVF treatments, minimization of the time‐dependent deterioration after ovulation (postovulatory oocyte aging) is a key for successful pregnancies. Resveratrol treatment can protect against postovulatory oocyte aging in vivo in middle‐aged mice . This effect is attributed to the intracellular ROS level reduction and mitochondrial function improvement by resveratrol via SIRT1 activation.…”