title: High follicular fluid adenosine levels may be pivotal in the metabolism and recycling of adenosine nucleotides in the human follicle.
abstract: This study investigated the biochemical relationship between human follicular/oocyte maturity and the levels of follicular fluid purines. Intrafollicular levels of purine metabolites and creatinine are associated with oocyte presence, and the presence of such high levels of adenosine indicates a privileged site with no adenosine deaminase activity. Subgrouping according to oocyte recovery and fertilization revealed differences in correlation between the purine metabolites: Only where an oocyte was recovered and subsequently fertilized did follicular fluid adenosine, adenine, and hypoxanthine levels correlate with each other. Significantly, purines' correlation with levels of the terminal degradation product, uric acid, could only be seen in failed fertilization samples. Given the established metabolic pathways for adenosine triphosphate/adenosine diphosphate/adenosine monophosphate degradation, the results indicate maximization of 2 purine salvage pathways (from adenine and hypoxanthine) that pivot on the presence of high adenosine levels. Such optimized recovery may be necessary to build a store of salvaged adenosine phosphate for oocyte survival.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Social Science, Middlesex University, Hendon NW4 4BT, UK.
authors.forename: Xuesong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perrett
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Amanda J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Tozer
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Docherty
authors.forename: Ray K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Iles
mesh_terms: D000227:Adenine Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000241:Adenosine / Q000032:analysis*; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000502:physiology; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D019271:Hypoxanthine / Q000032:analysis; D007291:Inosine Monophosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000227:Adenine Nucleotides; D007291:Inosine Monophosphate; D014527:Uric Acid; D019271:Hypoxanthine; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase; D000241:Adenosine