Ovulation, Like Inflammation, May Be Reduced by Antioxidants

Antioxidants, which are sold in most countries in an unrestricted fashion, may seriously interfere with the molecular pathways leading to ovulation and thereby reduce a woman's chances of becoming pregnant.

Investigators at the Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel) were operating within the framework of the theory suggesting that the process of ovulation contains elements that are present in inflammation. In particular, they wondered if antioxidants – used to scavenge inflammatory reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduce inflammation - would have an effect on ovulation.

They reported in the January 10, 2011, online edition of the journal Proceedings of the [US] National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that in a mouse model, ovulation, usually triggered by a surge of the pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH), could be induced by exposure to the oxidant hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, onset of ovulation was delayed and the number of eggs released from the ovarian follicles was reduced when ovarian tissue was treated with antioxidants. This observation was confirmed at the genomic level, since LH-stimulation that normally upregulated genes crucial for ovulation was substantially attenuated upon antioxidant removal of ROS.

The findings in this report have implications relating to both fertility and contraception. "On the one hand, these findings could prove useful to women who are having trouble getting pregnant. On the other, further studies might show that certain antioxidants might be effective means of birth control that could be safer than today's hormone-based prevention,” said senior author Dr. Nava Dekel, professor of biological regulation at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

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Weizmann Institute of Science