title: Protective effect of quercetin on the development of preimplantation mouse embryos against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative injury.
abstract: Quercetin, a plant-derived flavonoid in Chinese herbs, fruits and wine, displays antioxidant properties in many pathological processes associated with oxidative stress. However, the effect of quercetin on the development of preimplantation embryos under oxidative stress is unclear. The present study sought to determine the protective effect and underlying mechanism of action of quercetin against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative injury in mouse zygotes. H2O2 treatment impaired the development of mouse zygotes in vitro, decreasing the rates of blastocyst formation and hatched, and increasing the fragmentation, apoptosis and retardation in blastocysts. Quercetin strongly protected zygotes from H2O2-induced oxidative injury by decreasing the reactive oxygen species level, maintaining mitochondrial function and modulating total antioxidant capability, the activity of the enzymatic antioxidants, including glutathione peroxidase and catalase activity to keep the cellular redox environment. Additionally, quercetin had no effect on the level of glutathione, the main non-enzymatic antioxidant in embryos.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qi-feng
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qin-hua
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhi-guang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hong-xing
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei-ran
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.affiliation: Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yan-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; D051379:Mice; D016877:Oxidants / Q000633:toxicity*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015053:Zygote / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016877:Oxidants; D011794:Quercetin; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005978:Glutathione