Abstract
A majority of common metabolic diseases can result in excessive lipolysis, leading to elevated levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) in the body fluids. In females, increased NEFA levels in the follicular fluid markedly alter the functions of intrafollicular cells such as granulosa cells (GCs) and oocytes. Therefore, elevated levels of NEFAs have been suggested to be a significant player of subfertility in females of both human and economically important animal species such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, pig, chicken, and dog. However, the effects imposed by saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (SFAs and UFAs) on ovarian follicles are controversial. The present review emphasizes that SFAs induce apoptosis in granulosa and cumulus cells of ovarian follicles in different species. They further could adversely affect oocyte maturation and developmental competence. Many types of UFAs affect steroidogenesis and proliferation processes and could be detrimental for follicular cells, especially when at elevated concentrations. Interestingly, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) appear to contribute to the etiology of the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) as they were found to induce the transcription and translation of the androgenic transcription factor SOX9 while downregulating its estrogenic counterpart FOXL2 in GCs. Overall, this review presents our revised understanding of the effects of different fatty acids on the female reproductive success, which may allow other researchers and clinicians to investigate the mechanisms for treating metabolic stress-induced female infertility.
Highlights
Introduction to the follicular physiologyOvarian follicles are a large but limited pool of complex miniature structures in the ovary
The results revealed that fenofibrate could not induce apoptosis in human Granulosa cells (GC), suggesting that Fatty acid (FA) induced apoptosis may not be the result of direct interactions of FAs with Peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) in GCs
Concluding remarks A variety of metabolic conditions/diseases are characterized by elevated concentrations of Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in the blood and eventually in the follicular fluid of humans, cows, sheep, and pigs
Summary
Introduction to the follicular physiologyOvarian follicles are a large but limited pool of complex miniature structures in the ovary. One of the apparent effects of elevated NEFA levels is the induction of dramatic morphological alterations in GCs. In addition to the significant impact on the expression of critical genes and hormone production, Yenuganti et al 2016 [33] and Sharma et al 2019 [30] reported the formation of foam cell-like structures in cultured bovine GCs upon treatment with increased levels of NEFAs such as OA, PA, and SA; the formation was possibly the result of excessive lipid droplet accumulation.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
