Effects of hyperhomocysteinemia on follicular development and oocytes quality
In patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the concentration of homocysteine (Hcy) in follicular fluid is inversely correlated with oocyte and embryo quality. Nevertheless, other metabolic abnormalities associated with PCOS may also impact oocyte and early embryo quality. Therefore, it remains uncertain whether reproductive function is affected in patients without PCOS with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy). Here, we observed reduced fertility, increased ovarian atretic follicles, and reduced oocyte maturation rates in HHcy mice. Proteomic analyses revealed that HHcy causes mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced expression of zona pellucida proteins (ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3) in oocytes. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed abnormal formation of the zona pellucida and microvilli in oocytes from HHcy mice. Additionally, <i>in vitro</i> fertilization (IVF) demonstrated a reduction in the rate of 2-cell embryo formation in HHcy mice. These findings reveal that HHcy reduces female reproductive longevity by affecting follicular development and oocyte quality.
Authors
- Luo Jia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8469-274X)
- Zhaoyang Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6412-5799)
- Yajie Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3404-3319)
- Hui Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5300-8661)
- Jialing Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7390-9739)
- Jie Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8828-2695)
- Danyu Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3775-4435)
- Rong Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4859-6945)
- Jun Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7369-7871)
- Jinmei Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9292-0028)
- Jinfang Wang
- Lu Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9833-7450)
Institutions
- Women’s Health Care (US)
- Ningxia Medical University (CN)
- Ningxia Medical University General Hospital (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- iScience
- Published
- 2024-10-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.111241
- Citations
- 8
- Primary Topic
- Reproductive Biology and Fertility
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.34
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- China Agricultural University
- Ningxia Medical University
- Natural Science Foundation of Ningxia Province
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology
- Directorate for Biological Sciences
- Key Research and Development Program of Ningxia