Equine Aging and the Oocyte: A Potential Model for Reproductive Aging in Women.
Abstract: Numerous similarities in reproductive aging have been documented between the mare and woman. Aging is associated with a decline in fertility. In mares and women, oocyte transfer procedures were initially used to establish that oocyte donor age is associated with oocyte quality. Age-associated differences in oocytes include altered morphology, gene expression, and developmental potential. Reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction are thought to be important contributors to loss of oocyte quality. In the woman, aneuploidy is a primary consideration with maternal aging. Although misalignment of chromosomes during meiosis has been observed in the mare, less is known in this area. Reproductive aging will be reviewed in the mare and compared with the woman with emphasis on factors that affect oocyte quality and developmental potential. Areas in which the mare could be used as a research model to study reproductive aging in women will be highlighted.
Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Publication Date: 2020-04-15 PubMed ID: 32563447DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103022Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research article explores the similarities between the aging processes of horses and humans, with a particular emphasis on the effect of aging on female fertility and oocyte (egg cell) quality. The study emphasizes the potential of using horses as a model to further research and understanding of reproductive aging in women.
Similarities in Reproductive Aging between Mares and Women
- The research states that numerous similarities have been found in how mares (female horses) and human women experience reproductive aging.
- For both species, aging is associated with a significant decline in fertility. This decline in fertility is believed to be connected with the age of the oocyte donor.
- Research shows age-associated differences in the oocytes of mares and women, including alterations in morphology, gene expression, and developmental potential. The nature of these alterations and how they impact fertility are topics of further study.
Oocyte Quality and Aging
- The quality of oocytes is a key concern in the study of reproductive aging. The researchers note that reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction are potentially significant factors contributing to a decrease in oocyte quality with age.
- In human women, aneuploidy (presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes) becomes a primary concern with maternal aging. Although the misalignment of chromosomes during meiosis has been observed in mares, more research is needed in this area.
The Mare as a Research Model for Human Reproductive Aging
- The research suggests that mares could serve as good models for further studies on reproductive aging in women.
- Studies on mares could potentially shed more light on how aging affects oocyte quality, fertility, and reproductive health in general. Extending this understanding could then contribute to a deeper comprehension of, and perhaps better treatments for, reproductive aging and fertility issues in women.
Cite This Article
APA
Carnevale EM, Catandi GD, Fresa K.
(2020).
Equine Aging and the Oocyte: A Potential Model for Reproductive Aging in Women.
J Equine Vet Sci, 89, 103022.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103022 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Reproduction Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. Electronic address: Elaine.Carnevale@colostate.edu.
- Equine Reproduction Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
- Equine Reproduction Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
MeSH Terms
- Aging
- Animals
- Female
- Fertility
- Horses
- Meiosis
- Oocytes
- Reproduction
Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Hyde KA, Aguiar FLN, Alves BG, Alves KA, Gastal GDA, Gastal MO, Gastal EL. Preantral follicle population and distribution in the horse ovary. Reprod Fertil 2022 Apr 1;3(2):90-102.
- Pollard CL, Gibb Z, Clulow J, Ruiz A, Sheridan A, Bahrami M, Swegen A, Grupen CG. Supplemental Nicotinic Acid Elevates NAD(+) Precursors in the Follicular Fluid of Mares. Animals (Basel) 2022 May 27;12(11).
- Benammar A, Derisoud E, Vialard F, Palmer E, Ayoubi JM, Poulain M, Chavatte-Palmer P. The Mare: A Pertinent Model for Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies?. Animals (Basel) 2021 Aug 4;11(8).
- Comizzoli P, Ottinger MA. Understanding Reproductive Aging in Wildlife to Improve Animal Conservation and Human Reproductive Health. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021;9:680471.
- Swegen A. Maternal recognition of pregnancy in the mare: does it exist and why do we care?. Reproduction 2021 May 5;161(6):R139-R155.
- Fakhar-I-Adil M, Angel-Velez D, Araftpoor E, Amin QA, Hedia M, Bühler M, Gevaert K, Menten B, Van Soom A, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, Stoop D, De Roo C, Smits K, Heindryckx B. Biphasic CAPA-IVM Improves Equine Oocyte Quality and Subsequent Embryo Development Without Inducing Genetic Aberrations. Int J Mol Sci 2025 Jun 8;26(12).
- Aboelmaaty AM, Elgharieb AEA, El-Debaky HA, Alkhadrawy JMH, Abou-Ahmed MM, Ghallab AM. Fluctuations of antimüllerian hormone, ovarian follicular reserve, and antioxidant status throughout the estrous cycle in aged mares. Open Vet J 2024 Nov;14(11):3132-3143.
- Catandi GD, Fresa KJ, Cheng MH, Whitcomb LA, Broeckling CD, Chen TW, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM. Follicular metabolic alterations are associated with obesity in mares and can be mitigated by dietary supplementation. Sci Rep 2024 Mar 30;14(1):7571.
- Bresnahan DR, Catandi GD, Peters SO, Maclellan LJ, Broeckling CD, Carnevale EM. Maturation and culture affect the metabolomic profile of oocytes and follicular cells in young and old mares. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023;11:1280998.
- Catandi GD, Bresnahan DR, Peters SO, Fresa KJ, Maclellan LJ, Broeckling CD, Carnevale EM. Equine maternal aging affects the metabolomic profile of oocytes and follicular cells during different maturation time points. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023;11:1239154.
- Catandi GD, LiPuma L, Obeidat YM, Maclellan LJ, Broeckling CD, Chen T, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM. Oocyte metabolic function, lipid composition, and developmental potential are altered by diet in older mares. Reproduction 2022 Apr 1;163(4):183-198.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
