Molecular Human Reproduction, Vol. 9, No. 11, 639-643,
November 2003
© 2003 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
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Antioxidant enzymatic defences in human follicular fluid: characterization and age-dependent changes
Submitted on May 28, 2003; resubmitted on July 14, 2003. accepted on July 28, 2003
1 Department of Basic and Applied Biology, 2 Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, 3 Department of Experimental Medicine, University of L’Aquila, via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila and 4 Centre for Assisted Reproduction, University of L’Aquila, Italy
5 To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail fernanda.amicarelli{at}univaq.it
The aim of this work was to study the antioxidant enzymatic defences in human follicular fluid and investigate their possible changes during reproductive ageing. To this end, we tested the specific activities and protein expression of enzymes involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and in detoxification of ROS byproducts in follicular fluid from young (range 27–32 years, n = 12) and older (range 39–45 years, n = 12) women participating in an IVF programme. Results show that all the tested enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione transferase, glutathione reductase] were significantly expressed in human follicular fluid. However, when the two age groups were compared, we found that follicular fluid from older women exhibited a reduced level of glutathione transferase and catalase activities and a higher level of SOD activity. Immunoblot analysis revealed that ageing was associated with decreased protein expression of GST Pi isoform and did not affect SOD and catalase protein expression. Taken together, these findings indicate that reproductive ageing is accompanied by a change in the antioxidant enzymatic pattern that could impair ROS scavenging efficiency in the follicular environment.
Key words: ageing/antioxidant enzymes/follicular fluid/oxidative stress/reproductive potential
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