Xiao Sai, Peng Ke, Chen Rui, Liu Xinxin, Zhou Benliang, He Rijing, Yan Yujun, Wan Runtian, Yin Ye-Shi, Lu Shengsheng, Liang Xingwei
College of Animal Science & Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding & Disease Control and Prevention, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, China.
College of Animal Science & Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding & Disease Control and Prevention, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, China.
Theriogenology. 2025 Feb;233:70-79. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.11.015. Epub 2024 Nov 22.
In vitro maturation (IVM) plays a critical role in embryo production. However, the quality of IVM oocytes often suffers from oxidative stress due to the excessive accumulation of ROS. Equol, a metabolite of soybean flavonoids, exhibits potent antioxidant activity. This study investigated the effects of equol on porcine oocyte IVM. Our findings showed that treatment with 5 μM equol significantly enhanced cumulus cell expansion and the first polar body extrusion in porcine oocytes. Moreover, equol also improved the subsequent embryonic development capacity of the oocytes after parthenogenetic activation. Additionally, equol improved mitochondrial function by increasing mitochondrial content, membrane potential, and ATP levels, while promoting lipid droplet accumulation in oocytes. Equol also reduced DNA damage and early apoptosis, with an associated upregulation of BCL2 and downregulation of BAX expression. Notably, equol decreased ROS levels, likely through activation of the NRF2/KEAP1 antioxidant pathway, leading to increased expression of HO-1, CAT, GPX1, and SOD. In conclusion, equol improves porcine oocyte IVM by mitigating oxidative stress via activation of the NRF2/KEAP1 pathway, offering a potential strategy for optimizing the IVM system in porcine oocytes.
体外成熟（IVM）在胚胎生产中起着关键作用。然而，由于活性氧（ROS）的过度积累，IVM卵母细胞的质量常常受到氧化应激的影响。大豆黄酮的代谢产物雌马酚具有强大的抗氧化活性。本研究调查了雌马酚对猪卵母细胞IVM的影响。我们的研究结果表明，用5μM雌马酚处理可显著增强猪卵母细胞的卵丘细胞扩展和第一极体排出。此外，雌马酚还提高了孤雌激活后卵母细胞的后续胚胎发育能力。此外，雌马酚通过增加线粒体含量、膜电位和ATP水平改善线粒体功能，同时促进卵母细胞中脂滴的积累。雌马酚还减少了DNA损伤和早期凋亡，同时上调了BCL2表达并下调了BAX表达。值得注意的是，雌马酚可能通过激活NRF2/KEAP1抗氧化途径降低了ROS水平，导致HO-1、CAT、GPX1和SOD的表达增加。总之，雌马酚通过激活NRF2/KEAP1途径减轻氧化应激来改善猪卵母细胞IVM，为优化猪卵母细胞IVM系统提供了一种潜在策略。
