News | Study finds male pheromones may delay oocyte aging and offer new hope for female fertility
A new Northwestern University study found that pheromones released by male animals may have a “fountain of youth” effect: they can slow egg-cell aging in females, improve egg quality, and ultimately improve offspring health.
Using C. elegans as a model, researchers found that egg cells aged significantly more slowly in female worms exposed to male pheromones. Embryonic mortality fell by more than half, and the rate of chromosomal abnormalities was also halved.
“By every measure, male pheromones made the egg cells healthier,” said study leader Ilya Ruvinsky, PhD, research associate professor of molecular biosciences.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on May 16, 2022.
How pheromones “trick” the body into prioritizing resources for eggs
Pheromones are chemicals released by animals that trigger social behavioral responses in members of the same species. In this experiment, scientists exposed female worms to male pheromones over an extended period. The females directed more energy to their reproductive systems rather than maintaining the health of muscles, nerves, or intestines.
“The male pheromones essentially send a misleading message to females: it is time to reproduce,” Ruvinsky explained. “In response, female worms reallocate their energy budget and direct more resources toward producing and maintaining egg cells.”
The study also noted that even brief pheromone exposure produced benefits, although continuous exposure led to the greatest improvement.
Remaking egg cells: most die so some can improve
Stimulated by male pheromones, female worms generated large numbers of oocyte precursors from stem cells. Although most of these cells died quickly, their components were recycled to create higher-quality egg cells.
Ruvinsky said: “It looks wasteful, but it is actually a sophisticated strategy. We believe the components of the dead cells are recycled to produce fewer but higher-quality eggs.”
However, any resource reallocation has a cost. Female worms often had shorter lifespans because they sacrificed maintenance of other organs.
Next step: finding a fertility switch in humans
Although humans do not release the same pheromones as worms, Ruvinsky said the neurons they activate are highly similar. This may support the future development of related drug interventions in humans.
“We are studying how drugs might activate these neural circuits to improve egg quality while reducing side effects. Further validation is needed, but the approach is worth exploring.”
News | Study finds male pheromones may delay oocyte aging and offer new hope for female fertility
News | Study finds male pheromones may delay oocyte aging and offer new hope for female fertility
A new Northwestern University study found that pheromones released by male animals may have a “fountain of youth” effect: they can slow egg-cell aging in females, improve egg quality, and ultimately improve offspring health.
Using C. elegans as a model, researchers found that egg cells aged significantly more slowly in female worms exposed to male pheromones. Embryonic mortality fell by more than half, and the rate of chromosomal abnormalities was also halved.
“By every measure, male pheromones made the egg cells healthier,” said study leader Ilya Ruvinsky, PhD, research associate professor of molecular biosciences.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on May 16, 2022.
How pheromones “trick” the body into prioritizing resources for eggs
Pheromones are chemicals released by animals that trigger social behavioral responses in members of the same species. In this experiment, scientists exposed female worms to male pheromones over an extended period. The females directed more energy to their reproductive systems rather than maintaining the health of muscles, nerves, or intestines.
“The male pheromones essentially send a misleading message to females: it is time to reproduce,” Ruvinsky explained. “In response, female worms reallocate their energy budget and direct more resources toward producing and maintaining egg cells.”
The study also noted that even brief pheromone exposure produced benefits, although continuous exposure led to the greatest improvement.
Remaking egg cells: most die so some can improve
Stimulated by male pheromones, female worms generated large numbers of oocyte precursors from stem cells. Although most of these cells died quickly, their components were recycled to create higher-quality egg cells.
Ruvinsky said: “It looks wasteful, but it is actually a sophisticated strategy. We believe the components of the dead cells are recycled to produce fewer but higher-quality eggs.”
However, any resource reallocation has a cost. Female worms often had shorter lifespans because they sacrificed maintenance of other organs.
Next step: finding a fertility switch in humans
Although humans do not release the same pheromones as worms, Ruvinsky said the neurons they activate are highly similar. This may support the future development of related drug interventions in humans.
“We are studying how drugs might activate these neural circuits to improve egg quality while reducing side effects. Further validation is needed, but the approach is worth exploring.”
Source:
Collected online