Open AccessAge‐associated events in bovine oocytes and possible countermeasures
Author(s) -
Iwata Hisataka
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
reproductive medicine and biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.005
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1447-0578
pISSN - 1445-5781
DOI - 10.1007/s12522-015-0233-5
Subject(s) - reproductive medicine , chemistry , andrology , medicine , biology , genetics , pregnancy
Maternal aging profoundly affects oocyte quality. This has become common knowledge in industrialized countries and extensive studies addressing the causes and possible countermeasures against age‐associated deterioration of oocytes suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction is a causal factor in infertility. However, almost all studies addressing age‐associated events in oocytes have used mice as an animal model, and the reproductive life of mice is very short, making it difficult to study the gradual decline in fertility observed in humans. In the present review, age‐associated changes in the quality and quantity of bovine oocytes and possible countermeasures related to mitochondrial quality control are introduced.