Antioxidant activities and lipid peroxidation status in human follicular fluid: age-dependent change
Maternal age is a significant factor influencing in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Oxidative
stress (OS) is one of the major causes of age-related cellular and molecular damage. The purpose
of this work was to investigate the correlation between maternal age with intrafollicular antioxidants
and OS markers in follicular fluid (FF), and also to determine the OS status in patients
of advanced age. This study was a prospective study including 201 women undergoing IVF
whose age was between 24 and 45 years old. FF samples were obtained from mature follicles
at the time of oocyte retrieval. After treatment of FF, lipid peroxidation levels (MDA) and
enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase
(GR) and glutathione (GSH) level were evaluated using spectrophotometry. The results indicated
that the age cutoff point for increasing the MDA level was fixed at 37 years, allowing the
study to be differentiated into two age groups. Group I included patients whose age was less than
37 years, and group II included patients whose age was greater than or equal 37 years. Statistical
analysis revealed thatMDAand GSH levels and GR activity were significantly higher in group II
compared with group I. The SOD and CAT activities were significantly less in group II compared
with group I. We concluded that from 37 years old a reproductive ageing was accompanied
by a change in the antioxidant pattern in FF that impaired reactive oxygen species
scavenging efficiency.