High follicular fluid adenosine levels may be pivotal in the metabolism and recycling of adenosine nucleotides in the human follicle

Wen, Xuesong; Perrett, David; Jones, Nicola; Tozer, Amanda J.; Docherty, Suzanne M.; Iles, Ray K.

doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2009.09.037

« Previous Next »Metabolism - Clinical and Experimental
Volume 59, Issue 8 , Pages 1145-1155, August 2010

High follicular fluid adenosine levels may be pivotal in the metabolism and recycling of adenosine nucleotides in the human follicle

Xuesong Wen
- Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Social Science, Middlesex University, Hendon NW4 4BT, UK
- Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
- The First Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
David Perrett
- Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
Nicola Jones
- Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
Amanda J. Tozer
- Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
Suzanne M. Docherty
- Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Social Science, Middlesex University, Hendon NW4 4BT, UK
Ray K. Iles
- Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Social Science, Middlesex University, Hendon NW4 4BT, UK
- Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
- Corresponding author. Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Social Science, Middlesex University, Hendon NW4 4BT, UK. Tel.: +44 208 411 5440; fax: +44 208 411 5440.

Received 26 December 2008; accepted 2 September 2009. published online 04 January 2010.

Abstract

This study investigated the biochemical relationship between human follicular/oocyte maturity and the levels of follicular fluid purines. Intrafollicular levels of purine metabolites and creatinine are associated with oocyte presence, and the presence of such high levels of adenosine indicates a privileged site with no adenosine deaminase activity. Subgrouping according to oocyte recovery and fertilization revealed differences in correlation between the purine metabolites: Only where an oocyte was recovered and subsequently fertilized did follicular fluid adenosine, adenine, and hypoxanthine levels correlate with each other. Significantly, purines' correlation with levels of the terminal degradation product, uric acid, could only be seen in failed fertilization samples. Given the established metabolic pathways for adenosine triphosphate/adenosine diphosphate/adenosine monophosphate degradation, the results indicate maximization of 2 purine salvage pathways (from adenine and hypoxanthine) that pivot on the presence of high adenosine levels. Such optimized recovery may be necessary to build a store of salvaged adenosine phosphate for oocyte survival.