Oxidative Stress and Oocyte Cryopreservation: Recent Advances in Mitigation Strategies Involving Antioxidants

Beijia Cao; Jianpeng Qin; Bo Pan; Izhar Hyder Qazi; Jiangfeng Ye; Yi Fang; Guangbin Zhou

doi:10.3390/cells11223573

Oxidative Stress and Oocyte Cryopreservation: Recent Advances in Mitigation Strategies Involving Antioxidants

Cells. 2022 Nov 11;11(22):3573. doi: 10.3390/cells11223573.

Authors

Beijia Cao¹, Jianpeng Qin¹, Bo Pan¹, Izhar Hyder Qazi², Jiangfeng Ye¹, Yi Fang³, Guangbin Zhou¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Animal Science and Technology (Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
² Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sakrand 67210, Pakistan.
³ Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Grassland Farming, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China.

Abstract

Oocyte cryopreservation is widely used in assisted-reproductive technology and animal production. However, cryopreservation not only induces a massive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in oocytes, but also leads to oxidative-stress-inflicted damage to mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum. These stresses lead to damage to the spindle, DNA, proteins, and lipids, ultimately reducing the developmental potential of oocytes both in vitro and in vivo. Although oocytes can mitigate oxidative stress via intrinsic antioxidant systems, the formation of ribonucleoprotein granules, mitophagy, and the cryopreservation-inflicted oxidative damage cannot be completely eliminated. Therefore, exogenous antioxidants such as melatonin and resveratrol are widely used in oocyte cryopreservation to reduce oxidative damage through direct or indirect scavenging of ROS. In this review, we discuss analysis of various oxidative stresses induced by oocyte cryopreservation, the impact of antioxidants against oxidative damage, and their underlying mechanisms. We hope that this literature review can provide a reference for improving the efficiency of oocyte cryopreservation.

Keywords: ROS; antioxidants; cryopreservation; mitophagy; oocyte; oxidative stress.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Antioxidants* / pharmacology
Cryopreservation
Oocytes
Oxidative Stress*
Reactive Oxygen Species

Substances

Antioxidants
Reactive Oxygen Species

Grants and funding

This study was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2021YFD1200403), the Natural Science Found of Qinghai Province (2020-ZJ-902), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 32072735).