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Can Coenzyme Q10 supplementation protect the ovarian reserve against oxidative damage?

Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics volume 33, pages 1223–1230 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

We investigated antioxidant effects of CoQ10 supplementation on the prevention of OS-induced ovarian damage and to evaluate the protective effect of such supplementation against OS-related DNA damage.

Methods

Twenty-four adult female Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups (8 rats per group): group 1 (control): saline, ip, and orally; group 2 (cisplatin group): cisplatin, 4.5 mg/kg ip, two times with an interval of 7 days; and group 3 (cisplatin + CoQ10 group): cisplatin, 4.5 mg/kg ip, two times with an interval of 7 days, and 24 h before cisplatin, 150 mg/kg/day orally in 1 mL of saline daily for 14 days. Serum concentrations of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), number of AMH-positive follicles, the assessment of the intensity of 8'OHdG immunoreactivity, the primordial, antral and atretic follicle counts in the ovary were assessed.

Result(s)

The mean serum AMH concentrations were 1.3 ± 0.19, 0.16 ± 0.03, and 0.27 ± 0.20 ng/mL in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p < 0.01). Serum AMH levels were significantly higher in group 1 compared to groups 2 and 3 (p < 0.01 and p = 0.01, respectively). There was a statistically significant difference in AMH-positive follicle count between the groups (p < 0.01). Group 1 showed higher numbers of AMH-positive granulosa cells compared to group 2 (p = 0.01). A significant difference was found in the primordial, the atretic, and antral follicle counts between the three groups (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, and p < 0.01, respectively). The atretic follicle count was significantly lower in the cisplatin plus CoQ10 group compared to the cisplatin group (p < 0.01). The antral follicle counts were significantly higher in the cisplatin plus CoQ10 group compared with the cisplatin group (p < 0.01). There was a statistically significant difference in the intensity of staining of the follicles that were positive for anti-8'OHdG between the groups (p = 0.02). Group 1 showed a significant lower intensity of staining of the follicles positive for anti-8'OHdG compared with group 2 (p = 0.03).

Conclusion(s)

CoQ10 supplementation may protect ovarian reserve by counteracting both mitochondrial ovarian ageing and physiological programmed ovarian ageing although the certain effect of OS in female infertility is not clearly known.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bezmialem University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey

    Pınar Özcan

  2. Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Pınar Özcan

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Cem Fıçıcıoğlu, Ozge Kizilkale & Mert Yesiladali

  4. Department of Histology and Embryology, Bezmialem University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey

    Olgu Enis Tok & Mukaddes Esrefoglu

  5. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ferda Ozkan

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  1. Pınar Özcan
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  2. Cem Fıçıcıoğlu
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  3. Ozge Kizilkale
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  4. Mert Yesiladali
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  7. Mukaddes Esrefoglu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pınar Özcan.

Ethics declarations

The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Yeditepe University. All procedures were performed in accordance with the National Academy of Science’s Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (1996).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Capsule CoQ10 supplementation may protect ovarian reserve by counteracting both mitochondrial ovarian ageing and physiological programmed ovarian ageing.

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Özcan, P., Fıçıcıoğlu, C., Kizilkale, O. et al. Can Coenzyme Q10 supplementation protect the ovarian reserve against oxidative damage?. J Assist Reprod Genet 33, 1223–1230 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-016-0751-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-016-0751-z

Keywords

  • AMH
  • Ovarian reserve
  • Oxidative damage
  • 8'OHdG
  • Coenzyme Q10