Gong Ling, Fan Ruo-Nan, Peng Jia, Ni Xin-Yi, Liu Yu-Qing, Zhang Dan-Ni, Yan Xiang-Zhu, Wang Shui-Lian, Wang Hai-Long
Reproduction. 2025 Jun 25;170(1). doi: 10.1530/REP-25-0125. Print 2025 Jul 1.
Postovulatory oocyte aging significantly compromises oocyte quality, resulting in fertilization failure, abnormal embryonic development, and unfavorable outcomes in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenolic compound found in green tea, demonstrates the ability to effectively reduce excessive oxidative stress in oocytes and improve the quality of aged oocytes both in vitro and in vivo, offering promising potential for enhancing the success of ART and efficiency in livestock breeding.
Oxidative stress-mediated postovulatory aging (POA) significantly compromises oocyte quality and impairs subsequent embryonic developmental competence, thereby reducing the efficiency of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and livestock breeding. As the most abundant polyphenolic compound in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has demonstrated notable antioxidant activity. However, the mechanisms by which EGCG modulates POA remain largely unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether EGCG delays POA both in vitro and in vivo by alleviating oxidative stress. During in vitro aging, metaphase II (MII) stage mouse oocytes were treated with various concentrations of EGCG for 12 h. EGCG treatment attenuated abnormal spindle formation and restored mitochondrial function. Furthermore, EGCG reduced reactive oxygen species levels and apoptosis, thereby mitigating oxidative damage associated with postovulatory aging. Notably, these improvements led to significantly enhanced embryonic developmental potential. In the in vivo experiments, mice received daily EGCG injections for 6 consecutive days. The results demonstrated that EGCG significantly improved oocyte quality during POA and alleviated adverse pregnancy outcomes. Taken together, our findings suggest that EGCG is a promising agent for preventing postovulatory oocyte aging and provides a basis for further strategies aimed at improving the success of ART and livestock breeding.
排卵后卵母细胞老化会显著损害卵母细胞质量，导致受精失败、胚胎发育异常以及辅助生殖技术（ART）中出现不良结局。表没食子儿茶素-3-没食子酸酯（EGCG）是绿茶中的一种多酚类化合物，在体外和体内均显示出有效降低卵母细胞中过度氧化应激并改善老化卵母细胞质量的能力，为提高ART成功率和家畜育种效率提供了有前景的潜力。
氧化应激介导的排卵后老化（POA）显著损害卵母细胞质量并损害随后的胚胎发育能力，从而降低辅助生殖技术（ART）和家畜育种的效率。作为绿茶中最丰富的多酚类化合物，表没食子儿茶素-3-没食子酸酯（EGCG）已显示出显著的抗氧化活性。然而，EGCG调节POA的机制在很大程度上仍不清楚。本研究旨在调查EGCG是否通过减轻氧化应激在体外和体内延缓POA。在体外老化过程中，用不同浓度的EGCG处理中期II（MII）期小鼠卵母细胞12小时。EGCG处理减轻了异常纺锤体形成并恢复了线粒体功能。此外，EGCG降低了活性氧水平和细胞凋亡，从而减轻了与排卵后老化相关的氧化损伤。值得注意的是，这些改善导致胚胎发育潜力显著增强。在体内实验中，小鼠连续6天每天接受EGCG注射。结果表明，EGCG在POA期间显著改善了卵母细胞质量并减轻了不良妊娠结局。综上所述，我们的研究结果表明，EGCG是预防排卵后卵母细胞老化的有前景的药物，并为旨在提高ART成功率和家畜育种的进一步策略提供了基础。
