title: Potential effects of age-associated oxidative stress on mammalian oocytes/embryos.
abstract: This bioessay aims to explain the different effects of maternal ageing and postovulatory oocyte ageing on mammalian oocytes/embryos under the scope of 'the oxygen radical-mitochondrial injury hypothesis of ageing'. This hypothesis assumes a key role in the senescent process of oxygen radical damage to mitochondrial DNA, proteins and lipids. It is proposed that a decrease in intracellular ATP concentrations and glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulphide (GSSG) ratio together with a concomitant increase in cytosolic Ca2+ are major factors causing the observed detrimental effects of ageing on cytoskeletal fibres, fertilization and embryo development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tarín
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000209:etiology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000378:metabolism; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D005298:Fertility; D005306:Fertilization; D005326:Fetal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals / Q000196:embryology; D008423:Maternal Age; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004527:Egg Proteins; D005326:Fetal Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D005978:Glutathione