State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Cell Prolif. 2024 Apr;57(4):e13575. doi: 10.1111/cpr.13575. Epub 2023 Nov 27.
The decline in female fertility as age advances is intricately linked to the diminished developmental potential of oocytes. Despite this challenge, the strategies available to enhance the quality of aged oocytes remain limited. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), characterised by its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and tissue protective properties, holds promise as a candidate for improving the quality of maternally aged oocytes. In this study, we explored the precise impact and underlying mechanisms of EGCG on aged oocytes. EGCG exhibited the capacity to enhance the quality of aged oocytes both in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, the application of EGCG in vitro resulted in noteworthy improvements, including an increased rate of first polar body extrusion, enhanced mitochondrial function, refined spindle morphology and a reduction in oxidative stress. These beneficial effects were further validated by the improved fertility observed among aged mice. In addition, our findings propose that EGCG might augment the expression of Arf6. This augmentation, in turn, contributes to the assembly of spindle-associated F-actin, which can contribute to mitigate the aneuploidy induced by the disruption of spindle F-actin within aged oocytes. This work thus contributes not only to understanding the role of EGCG in bolstering oocyte health, but also underscores its potential as a therapeutic intervention to address fertility challenges associated with advanced age.
随着年龄的增长，女性生育能力的下降与卵母细胞发育潜力的降低密切相关。尽管面临这一挑战，但提高老年卵母细胞质量的策略仍然有限。表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯（EGCG）具有抗炎、抗氧化和组织保护特性，有望成为改善母体老化卵母细胞质量的候选药物。在这项研究中，我们探讨了 EGCG 对老年卵母细胞的具体影响和潜在机制。EGCG 能够在体外和体内提高老年卵母细胞的质量。具体来说，EGCG 在体外的应用导致了显著的改善，包括第一极体排出率增加、线粒体功能增强、纺锤体形态改善和氧化应激减少。这些有益的效果在老年小鼠中观察到的生育力提高中得到了进一步验证。此外，我们的研究结果表明，EGCG 可能会增加 Arf6 的表达。这种增加反过来有助于纺锤体相关 F-肌动蛋白的组装，这有助于减轻老年卵母细胞中纺锤体 F-肌动蛋白破坏引起的非整倍体。因此，这项工作不仅有助于理解 EGCG 在增强卵母细胞健康方面的作用，还强调了其作为一种治疗干预措施，以解决与年龄相关的生育挑战的潜力。
