Fertility challenges: Interplay between visfatin and silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1); A cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive endocrinology and metabolism
• Oxidative stress and antioxidant research
• Obesity and fertility studies

Background:

• Normal redox balance is crucial for ovarian function and fertility.
• Reduced silent information regulator1 (SIRT1) can promote inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, potentially leading to 'low-grade oocytes' and obesity-related issues.
• A decrease in antioxidants (SIRT1, visfatin, MnSOD, GR) with increased BMI is hypothesized to be associated with reduced fertility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between obesity and oxidative stress (OS) markers.
• To compare OS marker levels in fertile versus infertile women.
• To elucidate the role of redox imbalance in subfertility associated with obesity.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 207 fertile and 135 infertile females.
• Obesity assessed by Body Mass Index (BMI) using South-Asian criteria.
• Serum levels of MnSOD, GR, visfatin, and SIRT1 measured via ELISA; statistical analysis included Pearson chi-square, ANOVA, and Spearman's correlation.

Main Results:

• Infertile females exhibited significantly higher BMI (p<0.001).
• Lower serum levels of MnSOD, GR, SIRT1, and visfatin were observed in infertile women (p<0.05).
• MnSOD and visfatin decreased with increasing BMI, and BMI was inversely correlated with SIRT1 and antioxidant levels.

Conclusions:

• Decreased antioxidant levels correlate with increased BMI, suggesting obesity contributes to oxidative stress.
• This obesity-induced oxidative stress, via reduced antioxidant capacity, may be a significant factor in female infertility.