Human Reproduction Update Advance Access first published online on August 21, 2009
This version published online on August 28, 2009
Human Reproduction Update, doi:10.1093/humupd/dmp029
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
High-density lipoprotein metabolism and the human embryo
1 Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, 2356 Sutter Street, J707, San Francisco, CA 94115-0916, USA 2 Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA 3 Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, USA 4 Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
To whom correspondence should be addressed at: 5 Correspondence address. Fax: +1-415-353-3065; E-mail: fujimotov{at}obgyn.ucsf.edu
BACKGROUND: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) appears to be the dominant lipoprotein particle in human follicular fluid (FF). The reported anti-atherogenic properties of HDL have been attributed in part to reverse cholesterol transport. The discoveries of the scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) and the ATP-binding cassette A1 lipid (ABCA1) transporter have generated studies aimed at unraveling the pathways of HDL biogenesis, remodeling and catabolism. The production of SR-BI and ABCA1 knockout mice as well as other lipoprotein metabolism-associated mutants has resulted in reduced or absent fertility, leading us to postulate the existence of a human hepatic-ovarian HDL-associated axis of fertility. Here, we review an evolving literature on the role of HDL metabolism on mammalian fertility and oocyte development.
METHODS: An extensive online search was conducted of published articles relevant to the section topics discussed. All relevant English language articles contained in Pubmed/Medline, with no specific time frame for publication, were considered for this narrative review. Cardiovascular literature was highly cited due to the wealth of relevant knowledge on HDL metabolism, and the dearth thereof in the reproductive field.
RESULTS: Various vertebrate models demonstrate a role for HDL in embryo development and fertility. In our clinical studies, FF levels of HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein AI levels were negatively associated with embryo fragmentation, but not with embryo cell cleavage rate. However, the HDL component, paraoxonase 1 arylesterase activity, was positively associated with embryo cell cleavage rate.
CONCLUSIONS: HDL contributes to intra-follicular cholesterol homeostasis which appears to be important for successful oocyte and embryo development.
Key words: Embryo quality / Oocyte quality / Female infertility / Follicular fluid / Embryo development
‘The original version of this paper had a duplicated sentence at the end of page 4’.
Received on February 8, 2009; revised July 16, 2009; accepted on July 22, 2009