Resveratrol performs a variety of biological activities, including the potential regulation of autophagy. However, it is unclear whether resveratrol protects against luteal dysfunction and whether autophagy involves the regulation of resveratrol. This study aims to investigate whether resveratrol can regulate autophagy to resist H2O2-induced luteinized granulosa cell dysfunction in vitro. Our results showed that resveratrol can enhance cell viability, stimulate the secretion of progesterone and estradiol, and resist cell apoptosis in H2O2-induced luteinized granulosa cell dysfunction. Resveratrol can activate autophagy by stimulating the expression of autophagy-related genes at the transcriptional and translational levels and increasing the formation of autophagosomes and autophagolysosomes. Rapamycin, 3-methyladenine, and bafilomycin A1 regulated the levels of autophagy-related genes in H2O2-induced luteinized granulosa cell dysfunction and further confirmed the protective role of autophagy activated by resveratrol. In conclusion, resveratrol activates autophagy to resist H2O2-induced oxidative dysfunction, which is crucial for stabilizing the secretory function of luteinized granulosa cells and inhibiting apoptosis. This study may contribute to revealing the protective effects of resveratrol on resisting luteal dysfunction from the perspective of regulating autophagy.
Keywords: autophagy; corpus luteum; luteinized granulosa cell; resveratrol.