Electroacupuncture May Inhibit Oxidative Stress of Premature Ovarian Failure Mice by Regulating Intestinal Microbiota

Abstract

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is the leading cause of female infertility, and there is no optimal treatment or medication available currently. For POF, electroacupuncture (EA) has been considered a promising therapeutic approach, but the mechanism for this is not clear. In this study, we explored the effects of EA (CV4, ST36, and SP6) on oxidative stress and intestinal microbiota of high-fat and high-sugar- (HFHS-) induced POF mice. The development of mice follicles was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. The serum levels of estrone (E1), estrogen (E2), estriol (E3), and 21-deoxycortisol (21D) were measured by the HPLC-MS/MS method. The concentrations of Fe2+, superoxide dismutase (SOD), hydroxyl radical (·OH), glutathione (GSH), superoxide anion, and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured by spectrophotometry. The 16S-rDNA sequencing was used to measure many parameters related to the host gut bacteriome and mycobiome composition, relative abundance, and diversity. mRNA expression levels of ferroptosis-related genes were determined by RT-qPCR. After 4 weeks of EA intervention in POF mice, mature follicles were increased and the levels of the sex hormone were improved. SOD activities, antisuperoxide activities, and GSH increased while MDA, ·OH, and Fe2+ decreased. In addition, EA also altered the intestinal microbiota. These results reveal that EA can effectively inhibit ovarian oxidative stress and the accumulation of Fe2+ in POF mice. It may be that the alteration in the intestinal microbiota is one of the potential mechanisms of EA treatment. These findings suggest that EA has clinical potential as a safe treatment for POF.

Endometrial stem cells alleviate cisplatin-induced ferroptosis of granulosa cells by regulating Nrf2 expression

“…Ferroptosis has been acknowledged to take part in the pathogenesis of many diseases such as cancers [ 36 – 38 ] and neurodegenerative diseases [ 39 , 40 ], but there are few reports in the field of POF. Geng et al reported electroacupuncture can efficiently suppress ovarian oxidative stress and Fe 2+ accumulation in POF mice, which offers a possibility that ferroptosis may be linked to POF [ 17 ]. There are even more straightforward experiments to state ferroptosis is associated with chemotherapy-induced POF.…”

Determination of tryptophan and its indole metabolites in follicular fluid of women with diminished ovarian reserve

“…The main bacteria involved in the production of IPA include L. reuteri 47 and Clostridium genus 48 , while the major IAA-producing bacteria are Bacteroides, Clostridium and Bifidobacterium genus 49 . Both previous animal experiments and clinical studies have demonstrated that abnormal ovarian function such as premature ovarian failure (POF) and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can alter the composition of the intestinal flora compared to controls with normal ovarian function 50 , 51 . With this in mind, we hypothesized that ovarian senescence may lead to a decrease in the intestinal flora that degrades indole metabolites, which in turn reduces the levels of indole metabolites such as IPA, and IAA in the FF and thus diminishes the protective effect on the ovary.…”

Mechanisms of probiotic modulation of ovarian sex hormone production and metabolism: a review

“…40,41 Interventions such as electroacupuncture and resveratrol have demonstrated potential in mitigating ovarian oxidative stress and inflammation by regulating the gut microbiota. 42,43 Furthermore, acetate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), has been shown to alleviate ovarian inflammation in type 2 diabetic (T2D) and PCOS rats by reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, increasing glutathione, and restoring ovarian steroid secretion. 55,56 Both in vitro and in vivo experiments using pigs and rats have revealed that medium-and short-chain fatty acids (MSFAs) enhance the expression of key genes involved in ovarian steroidogenesis and granulosa cell luteinisation.…”