Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Section of Histology and Embryology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Saint Camillus International, University of Health Sciences, Rome, Italy.
J Assist Reprod Genet. 2022 Apr;39(4):783-792. doi: 10.1007/s10815-022-02478-0.
Ovarian age is classically considered the main cause of female reproductive infertility. In women, the process proceeds as an ongoing decline in the primordial follicle stockpile and it is associated with reduced fertility in the mid-thirties, irregular menstruation from the mid-forties, cessation of fertility, and, eventually, menopause in the early fifties. Reproductive aging is historically associated with changes in oocyte quantity and quality. However, besides the oocyte, other cellular as well as environmental factors have been the focus of more recent investigations suggesting that ovarian decay is a complex and multifaceted process. Among these factors, we will consider mitochondria and oxidative stress as related to nutrition, changes in extracellular matrix molecules, and the associated ovarian stromal compartment where immune cells of both the native and adaptive systems seem to play an important role. Understanding such processes is crucial to design treatment strategies to slow down ovarian aging and consequently prolong reproductive lifespan and, more to this, alleviaingt side effects of menopause on the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems.
卵巢年龄通常被认为是女性生殖不孕的主要原因。在女性中，这一过程表现为原始卵泡储备的持续减少，这与三十多岁时生育能力下降、四十多岁时月经不规律、生育能力停止以及五十岁出头时绝经有关。生殖衰老与卵母细胞数量和质量的变化有关。然而，除了卵母细胞，其他细胞和环境因素也成为最近研究的焦点，这表明卵巢衰退是一个复杂和多方面的过程。在这些因素中，我们将考虑线粒体和氧化应激与营养有关，细胞外基质分子的变化，以及相关的卵巢基质隔室，其中固有和适应性免疫系统的免疫细胞似乎发挥着重要作用。了解这些过程对于设计治疗策略以减缓卵巢衰老、延长生殖寿命至关重要，此外，还可以减轻绝经对骨骼肌肉、心血管和神经系统的副作用。
