1. Academic Validation
  2. 1-Nitropyrene exposure induces mitochondria dysfunction and impairs oocyte maturation in mice

1-Nitropyrene exposure induces mitochondria dysfunction and impairs oocyte maturation in mice

  • Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Sep 1;242:113921. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113921.
Xiaoxia Yu 1 Fei Meng 1 Ju Huang 1 Weidong Li 2 Jiaming Zhang 1 Shen Yin 3 Liangran Zhang 4 Shunxin Wang 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
  • 2 Advanced Medical Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
  • 3 College of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China.
  • 4 Advanced Medical Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
  • 5 Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
Abstract

Oocyte quality is essential for a successful pregnancy. 1-Nitropyrene (1-NP) is a widely distributed pollutant in the environment and is well-known for its mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. However, whether 1-NP has toxic effects on mammalian oocyte quality remains unknown. In the present study, we focused on the effect of 1-NP on oocyte maturation using mouse oocytes as an in vitro model. Our study showed that 1-NP exposure disrupted the meiotic spindle assembly and caused chromosome misalignment, further impaired first polar body extrusion, and significantly decreased the fertilization capability in mouse oocytes. Further investigation showed that the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ATP levels were decreased, and the expression of genes encoding components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain was inhibited in 1-NP exposed oocytes. Meanwhile, 1-NP exposure increased the levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), inhibited the expression of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes, and increased the frequency of early apoptotic oocytes. Overall, our data suggest that 1-NP exposure disrupts mitochondrial function and intracellular redox balance, ultimately impairing oocyte maturation. These findings reveal the adverse effect of 1-NP exposure on oocyte quality.

Keywords

Apoptosis; In vitro fertilization; Mitochondria; Oocyte maturation; Oxidative stress.

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