A recent study published last week in
Nature Scientific report revealed that infertility related to endometriosis may be due to oocyte
(egg) DNA damages induced by oxidative stress.
Most importantly, the study further suggested that
oxidative stress (the main cause of oocyte DNA damage) could be reversed
using anti-oxidants such as melatonin and resveratrol thus rescuing the oocyte and leading to its development and maturation
to give rise to a
fertilizable egg.
Oxidative stress disrupts oocyte maturation and blocks its development
Endometriosis is a benign gynecologic disorder that affects 5–10%
of women of reproductive age worldwide and is characterized by the presence
of endometrial cells outside the endometrium.
During its maturation, the oocyte (egg) is exposed to follicular fluid
filling the antral cavity as seen in the Figure 1 below.
In patients with endometriosis, follicular fluid (FF) is characterized
by pro-inflammatory factors such as IL-6 or TNF-α (1), with increased
levels of oxidative stress as seen by higher levels of reactive oxygen
species or
ROS (2). This leads to poor egg quality (DNA damage) and lower mature oocyte
and fertilization rate in these patients (3).

Figure 1: Mature follicle
To assess the effects of oxidative stress on oocyte development, the authors
of the study exposed
in vitro, immature healthy mouse oocyte to follicular fluid from women affected
by endometriosis (ENDO-FF). They monitored the oocyte development and
compared it to immature mouse oocyte cultured with follicular fluid from
healthy women (controls patients not affected by endometriosis).
Results showed that Endo-FF induced:
- Higher levels of ROS in the mouse oocyte
- Higher levels of DNA damage in the mouse oocyte
- Decrease or a delay in oocyte maturation as compared to controls
Oocyte maturation was impaired by Endo-FF and the oocytes’ development
was blocked.
Interestingly, the oocyte maturation was blocked at a very specific development
stage (metaphase I arrest) where a
sensor for DNA damage (Spindle Assembly Check point/Dna Damage Response) assesses the DNA integrity
and blocks the oocyte maturation through the activation of a protein (ATM kinase).
The study showed that ROS directly activates this blocking protein to
stop oocyte development.
Further, the authors showed that
oocyte maturation could be rescued by inhibiting or lowering ROS levels using
resveratrol and melatonin in the culture medium.
It is very important to note that the noxious effects of ROS and pro-inflammatory
factors presents in the follicular fluid of ENDO patients would be
even more accentuated
in
human ovary where oocytes are exposed to follicular fluid at higher concentrations
and for longer periods of time than in the current study.
Therefore,
the pathway is highly susceptible to diseases such as
endometriosis, but also to any other diseases that could elevate ROS levels such as in
PCOS patients (4).
Endo-Optimize supplement: the best solution to counteract oxidative stress
induced-DNA damage and optimize your egg quality
Reducing oxidative stress in the oocyte is of clinical importance when
treating sub-fertility in
endometriosis patients or in any patients whose oocyte quality is affected by high levels of
oxidative stress such as in
PCOS or Correctible Reoccurring Aneuploid Conversion Syndrome or
CRACS patients (For more information,
read our blog on CRACS).
To this end, we developed a dietary supplement “The Endo-Optimize” containing many ingredients with beneficial actions on
reducing ROS and free-radicals’ production and
enhancing oocyte maturation such as
melatonin (5)
and resveratrol (6).
In addition, this
all in one pill contains many other ingredients
enhancing
mitochondrial activity (a key component in oocyte development) and reducing inflammation thus allowing
optimal microenvironment for the oocyte development and maturation (For more information read our blog on the
“Endo-Optimize supplement” ).
Over the years, we have seen tremendous improvement in oocyte and embryo
quality as well as great success in women with endometriosis who have
used the supplements contained in the Endo-Optimize.
As pioneer in the field of Reproductive Immunology, we are consistently
developing cutting-edge and innovative strategies based on the latest
advances in clinical and basic research to better address your fertility
issues and help you achieve a healthy pregnancy.
References