Dehydroepiandrosterone as a potential agent to slow down ovarian aging

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Endocrinology
• Cellular Senescence
• In Vitro Fertilization

Background:

• Ovarian aging diminishes ovarian reserve and oocyte quality, negatively impacting reproductive success.
• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is hypothesized to potentially mitigate ovarian aging.
• Cellular senescence is a hallmark of aging and contributes to reduced ovarian function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical benefits of DHEA in older patients undergoing IVF.
• To investigate the anti-senescence effects of DHEA on ovarian cells.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 88 IVF patients (30 younger, 58 older).
• Older patients received DHEA supplementation prior to IVF.
• Senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) measured in cumulus cells (CC) and HO23 granulosa cells.

Main Results:

• DHEA supplementation in older patients led to more transferred embryos and higher fertilization rates.
• No significant increase in clinical pregnancy rates was observed with DHEA.
• DHEA treatment significantly reduced SA-β-gal activity in CC and HO23 cells.

Conclusions:

• DHEA supplementation improved IVF outcomes in older women but did not increase pregnancy rates.
• DHEA reduced cellular senescence markers in ovarian cells.
• DHEA may be a potential intervention to slow ovarian aging.