Abstract:
Zinc (Zn) is a crucial trace element essential for human growth and development, particularly for reproductive health. Previous research has shown a decrease in serum zinc concentration with age and individuals with conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and diabetes mellitus. However, the specific effects of zinc deficiency on the female reproductive system, especially ovarian function, are not fully understood. In our study, we observed a significant reduction in the total number of follicles and mature follicles in the zinc deficiency group. This reduction correlated with decreased level of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and abnormal gene expression affecting hormone secretion regulation. Furthermore, we found that zinc deficiency disrupted mitochondrial dynamics, leading to oxidative stress in the ovaries, which further inhibited autophagy and increased ovarian apoptosis. These changes ultimately resulted in the failure of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and reduced oocyte quality. Meanwhile, administration of zinc glycine effectively alleviated the oocyte meiotic arrest caused by dietary zinc deficiency. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that dietary zinc deficiency can affect hormone secretion and follicle maturation by impairing mitochondrial function and autophagy.
摘要:
锌(Zn)是人体生长发育所必需的重要微量元素,尤其是生殖健康。先前的研究表明,随着年龄和患有多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)和糖尿病等疾病的个体,血清锌浓度会降低。然而,缺锌对女性生殖系统的具体影响,尤其是卵巢功能,没有完全理解。在我们的研究中,我们观察到锌缺乏组的卵泡总数和成熟卵泡数显著减少.这种减少与抗苗勒管激素(AMH)水平降低和影响激素分泌调节的基因表达异常相关。此外,我们发现锌缺乏破坏了线粒体动力学,导致卵巢的氧化应激,进一步抑制自噬,增加卵巢细胞凋亡。这些变化最终导致胚泡破裂(GVBD)失败并降低卵母细胞质量。同时,服用甘氨酸锌可有效缓解饮食中锌缺乏引起的卵母细胞减数分裂停滞。总之,我们的研究结果表明,饮食锌缺乏可通过损害线粒体功能和自噬影响激素分泌和卵泡成熟。