Recent progress in metabolomics for analyzing common infertility conditions that affect ovarian function

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• Biochemistry
• Metabolomics

Background:

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates can be improved by identifying biomarkers for embryo and oocyte quality.
• Metabolomics offers a powerful approach to detect real-time biological changes and generate comprehensive metabolite profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent findings on metabolomic analysis of follicular fluid (FF) in infertility.
• To focus on energy metabolism dynamics and oocyte quality.
• To discuss future research directions in reproductive metabolomics.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted without time restrictions.

Main Results:

• Follicular fluid metabolites originate from key pathways: glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, lipid metabolism, nucleic acid synthesis, and ketogenesis.
• Metabolomic profiling differentiates infertile women into groups based on aging/endometriosis or PCOS/obesity.
• Upregulated glycolysis and lipid metabolism in aging/endometriosis contrast with the opposite trend in PCOS/obesity, linked to mitochondrial function.
• FF levels of glucose, pyruvate, lactate, and plasmalogens are potential indicators of oocyte quality.

Conclusions:

• Metabolomic analysis of FF, especially energy metabolism, shows significant promise for predicting female reproductive outcomes.
• This approach may enhance the evaluation of oocyte quality and IVF success.