Mechanisms of primordial follicle activation and new pregnancy opportunity for premature ovarian failure patients

Tuo Zhang; Meina He; Jingjing Zhang; Yuntong Tong; Tengxiang Chen; Chao Wang; Wei Pan; Ziwen Xiao

doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1113684

Mechanisms of primordial follicle activation and new pregnancy opportunity for premature ovarian failure patients

Front Physiol. 2023 Feb 28:14:1113684. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1113684. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Tuo Zhang^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, Meina He^{4

6}, Jingjing Zhang², Yuntong Tong², Tengxiang Chen^{2

4

5

6}, Chao Wang⁷, Wei Pan³, Ziwen Xiao¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
² Transformation Engineering Research Center of Chronic Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
³ Prenatal Diagnosis Center in Guizhou Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
⁴ College of Basic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
⁵ Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Drug Research on Common Chronic Diseases, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
⁶ Guizhou Institute of Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Primordial follicles are the starting point of follicular development and the basic functional unit of female reproduction. Primordial follicles are formed around birth, and most of the primordial follicles then enter a dormant state. Since primordial follicles are limited in number and can't be renewed, dormant primordial follicles cannot be reversed once they enter the growing state. Thus, the orderly occurrence of primordial follicles selective activation directly affects the rate of follicle consumption and thus determines the length of female reproductive lifespan. Studies have found that appropriately inhibiting the activation rate of primordial follicles can effectively slow down the rate of follicle consumption, maintain fertility and delay ovarian aging. Based on the known mechanisms of primordial follicle activation, primordial follicle in vitro activation (IVA) technique has been clinically developed. IVA can help patients with premature ovarian failure, middle-aged infertile women, or infertile women due to gynecological surgery treatment to solve infertility problems. The study of the mechanism of selective activation of primordial follicles can contribute to the development of more efficient and safe IVA techniques. In this paper, recent mechanisms of primordial follicle activation and its clinical application are reviewed.

Keywords: In vitro activation; follicle; ovary; premature ovarian failure; primordial follicle activation.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This study is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32100686 to TZ, 32100913 to MH and 82260291 to TZ), Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Projects [ZK (2022)346 to MH], Science and Technology Fund Project of Guizhou Provincial Health Commission (gzwkj 2021-299 to TZ, gzwkj 2021-527 to MH), China postdoctoral science foundation (2021M700972 to MH and 2022M710919 to TZ), Doctoral Startup Foundation of Guizhou Medical University [(2020)038 to TZ (2020)039 to MH], the National Natural Science Foundation cultivation project of Guizhou Medical University (20NSP031 to TZ, 20NSP008 to MH), innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for College Students in Guizhou Province (S202210660136, S202210660093, 202210660090 202110660058), the Continuous Support Fund for Excellent Scientific Research Platform of Colleges and Universities in Guizhou Province [QJJ (2022) 020 to TC], Guizhou Provincial Natural Science Foundation [No (2021)4029 and (2022)4017].