Iron metabolism disorder promotes postovulatory oocyte aging by inducing oxidative stress damage.

ABSTRACT: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) involve in oocyte postovulatory aging, yet the mechanism of ROS accumulation is not fully understood. We explored iron metabolic status and its relationship with ROS in mouse oocytes during postovulatory aging in vivo. We found that heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) expression was increased in oviduct and iron metabolism was disordered in oocytes with time post-ovulation. The aging oocytes were manifested with high iron content and disturbed expressions of iron metabolic proteins, including ferritin heavy chain (FHC), mitochondrial ferritin (FtMT), divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), ferroportin1 (FPN1), iron regulatory protein 2 (IRP2) and transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1), along with increased cytosolic free Fe²⁺, lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, mitocho

SUBMITTER: Huang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12732666 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature