2. Academic Validation
  3. Aldosterone regulates in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes derived from small follicles via Wnt/ β-catenin

Aldosterone regulates in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes derived from small follicles via Wnt/ β-catenin

  • Theriogenology. 2026 Apr 15:255:117836. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2026.117836.
Wen-Jie Jiang 1,  Chang Lu 2,  Zhong-Le Liu 2,  Xu-Ting Song 2,  Shi-Yu Xiao 2,  Juan Ma 2,  Mei-Yu Qi 3,  Di Liu 4,  Yu-Chang Yao 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China; Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Breeding and Feeding of Pig in Northern Cold Region, Ministry of Education, PR China.
  • 2 College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China.
  • 3 Institute of Animal Husbandry, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, PR China.
  • 4 Institute of Animal Husbandry, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 5 College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China; Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Breeding and Feeding of Pig in Northern Cold Region, Ministry of Education, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 41564797 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2026.117836
Abstract

Aldosterone (ALD) is a mineralocorticoid, an active component of the renin-angiotensin system. It has been reported that the concentration of ALD in large follicles is higher than that in small follicles. However, whether it has a beneficial effect on the maturation and development of oocytes from small follicles is currently unclear. Here, we showed that ALD supplementation during in vitro maturation promotes the maturation and development of oocytes from small follicles. Specifically, we found that 1 μg/mL ALD significantly enhanced oocyte quality by promoting cumulus expansion and polar body extrusion, increasing mitochondrial membrane potential and blastocyst rate, and reducing oxidative stress and early Apoptosis. Notably, ALD supplementation enhanced the maturation and development of small follicle oocytes by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway rather than the Mineralocorticoid Receptor (MR). Altogether, our findings demonstrate that ALD represents a viable strategy to enhance the quality of oocytes derived from small follicles, thereby providing a scientific basis for optimizing the in vitro maturation system for porcine oocytes.

Keywords

Aldosterone; Embryo development; Oocyte maturation; Small follicles; Wnt/β-catenin.

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