P-791 Supplementation of mitochondria from endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (EnMSCs) improves oocyte quality in aged mice
Authors: Zhang Q , Jian-Xiu H , Bo-wen L , Ying-chun O Y , JIa-ni G , Ming-zhe D , Zhen-bo W , Fei G , Yuan-qing Y 
Published: June 2023

Study question

To improve the quality of aging oocytes by supplementing the mitochondria from endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (EnMSCs) via microinjection.

Summary answer

Supplementation with EnMSC-derived mitochondria can improve the quality of oocytes and promote embryo development in aging mice.

What is known already

Maternal aging is one of the major causes of reduced ovarian reserve and low oocyte quality in elderly women. Decreased oocyte quality is the main cause of age-related infertility. Mitochondria are multifunctional energy stations that determine the oocyte quality. The mitochondria in aging oocytes display functional impairments with mtDNA damage, which leads to reduced competence and developmental potential of oocytes. To improve oocyte quality, mitochondrial supplementation is carried out as a potential therapeutic approach. However, the selection of suitable cells as the source of mitochondria remains controversial.

Study design, size, duration

Study design: Eight-month-old ICR mice were purchased and then were further raised to ten months of age for use in the experiments. EnMSCs were stably cultivated and oocytes were extracted from ten-month-old ICR mice.

Study size: About 300 GV oocytes and 134 MII oocytes were counted . 80 fertilized oocytes were transplanted into the fallopian tubes of surrogate mothers.

Study duraton: About one half a year.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Participants:ten-month-old ICR mice.

Setting and methods: We cultivated EnMSCs from aged mice and extracted mitochondria from EnMSCs. And then GV oocytes were supplemented with mitochondria via microinjection. To further assess the effects of mitochondrial supplementation on embryo development, MII oocytes from aging mice were fertilized by ICSI combining EnMSCs mitochondria microinjection.To test whether mitochondrial supplementation could improve in vivo embryo development in aging mice, embryo transplantation was performed after mitochondrial microinjection combined with ICSI.

Main results and the role of chance

In this study, we found that the mitochondria derived from EnMSCs could significantly improve the quality of aging oocytes.Supplementation with EnMSC mitochondria significantly increased the blastocyst ratio of MII oocytes from aging mice after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). We also found that the birth rate of mitochondria-injected aging oocytes was significantly increased after embryo transplantation.

Limitations, reasons for caution

Microinjection into oocytes was invasive and some oocytes died after microinjection. The ability of this method to improve oocyte quality was limited because the MII rate of oocytes after mitochondria supplementation was 35.65±1.75% while the rate of oocytes from 6–8 weeks of mice in a previous study was nearly 80%.

Wider implications of the findings

For clinical treatment, the EnMSCs can be obtained from the patient's own menstrual blood as the sources of mitochondrial supplementation. A noninvasive procedure for cell extraction ensures safety, and the findings of this work might provide a valuable strategy for patients with declining oocyte quality due to aging.

Trial registration number

Not applicable