Equine maternal aging affects the metabolomic profile of oocytes and follicular cells during different maturation time points

Introduction: Oocyte quality and fertility decline with advanced maternal age. During maturation within the ovarian follicle, oocyte relies on associated somatic cells, specifically cumulus granulosa to acquire essential components for developmental capacity. Methods: A nontargeted metabolomics approach was used investigate effects of mare age different cell types dominant, follicular-phase follicle at three time points during maturation. Metabolomic analyses from single oocytes cells allowed correlations metabolite abundance among types. Results Discussion: Overall, many age-related changes in point Impaired mitochondrial metabolic function oxidative stress follicular cells. Supporting findings include a higher glutamic acid triglycerides lower ceramides old than young mares. Lower alanine all mares, suggests limited anaerobic energy metabolism. The results also indicate impaired transfer carbohydrate free fatty substrates potentially related disruption transzonal projections between identification age-associated alterations specific metabolites their contribute our understanding dysfunction aging.