The mare model for follicular maturation and reproductive aging in the woman.
Abstract: Reproductive aging and assisted reproduction are becoming progressively more relevant in human medicine. Research with human subjects is limited in many aspects, and consequently animal models may have considerable utility. Such models have provided insight into follicular function, oocyte maturation, and reproductive aging. However, models are often selected based on factors other than physiological or functional similarities. Although the mare has received limited attention as a model for reproduction in women, comparisons between these species indicate that the mare has many attributes of a good model. As the mare ages, cyclic and hormonal changes parallel those of older women. The initial sign of reproductive aging in both species is a shortening of the reproductive cycle with elevated concentrations of FSH. Subsequently, cycles become longer with intermittent ovulations and elevated concentrations of FSH and LH. Reproduction ceases with failure of follicular growth and elevated gonadotropins, apparently because of ovarian failure. In the older woman and mare, oocytes have been maintained in meiotic arrest for decades -- approximately four to five for the woman and two to three for the mare; in both species, reduced oocyte quality is the end factor identified in age-associated infertility. After induction of oocyte maturation in vivo, the timeline to ovulation is the same for the mare and woman, suggesting a comparable sequence of events. The mare's anatomy, long follicular phase and single dominant follicle provide a foundation for studies in oocyte and follicular development. The aim of this review is to evaluate the mare as an animal model to study age-associated changes in reproduction and to improve our understanding of oocyte and follicular maturation in vivo.
Publication Date: 2007-10-31 PubMed ID: 17976712DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.09.011Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
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The research article talks about studying the process of follicular maturation and reproductive aging in women using the mare (a female horse) as a model. The researchers note that as the mare ages, cyclic and hormonal changes in its body parallel those occurring in older women, making it a promising model for studying these aspects of human reproduction.
Why use the mare as a model?
- The research highlights limitations in studying human subjects directly for investigating reproductive aging and associated aspects of reproduction, thus necessitating the use of animal models.
- While different animal models have been used in the past, the paper argues that the mare has several features that make it an appropriate model for studying reproduction in women.
- One of the main similarities between mares and women arises from how they age reproductively. Both experience changes in their reproductive cycles marked by elevated FSH levels, intermittent ovulations, and eventually the cessation of reproduction due to ovarian failure.
Insights from the mare model
- With aging, both mares and women maintain their oocytes in a state of meiotic arrest – for about four to five decades in women and two to three in mares. This prolonged stasis is identified as a major factor behind reduced oocyte quality and age-associated infertility in both species.
- A promising observation is that the timeline for the induction of oocyte maturation, leading to ovulation, remains consistent between mares and women. This suggests a similar sequence of biological events in both species.
- The anatomical structure of mares, characterised by a long follicular phase and a single dominant follicle, makes them a suitable model for studying oocyte and follicular development.
Aims of the review
- The objective of this review is to appreciate the utility of the mare as a model for understanding changes associated with aging in human reproduction.
- It also intends to enhance our understanding of the maturation of oocytes and follicles in a living organism (in vivo).
Cite This Article
APA
Carnevale EM.
(2007).
The mare model for follicular maturation and reproductive aging in the woman.
Theriogenology, 69(1), 23-30.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.09.011 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1683, USA. emc@colostate.edu
MeSH Terms
- Aging / physiology
- Animals
- Female
- Horses / physiology
- Humans
- Models, Animal
- Oocytes / physiology
- Ovarian Follicle / physiology
- Reproduction / physiology
Citations
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