BACKGROUND Reproductive aging is a robust phenotype that occurs in all females and is characterized by a significant reduction in gamete quantity and quality, which can have negative consequences on both endocrine function and fertility. Age-associated differences in the oocyte, follicle, and ovary have been well-documented, but how the broader environment changes with age is less well understood. Fat is one of the largest organs in the body, and peri-gonadal adipose tissue surrounds the rodent ovary and comprises a local ovarian environment. The goal of this study was to characterize how peri-ovarian adipose tissue changes with advanced reproductive age. METHODS We isolated peri-gonadal adipose tissue from two cohorts of CB6F1 mice: reproductively young (6-12 weeks) and reproductively old (14-17 months). A comparative histological analysis was performed to evaluate adipocyte architecture. We then extracted lipids from the tissue and performed multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-profiling, a mass spectrometry-based method of metabolite profiling, to compare the lipid profiles of peri-gonadal adipose tissue in these age cohorts. RESULTS We found that advanced reproductive age was associated with adipocyte hypertrophy and a corresponding decrease in the number of adipocytes per area. Of the 10 lipid classes examined, triacylglycerols (TAGs) had significantly different profiles between young and old cohorts, despite quantitative analysis revealing a decrease in the total amount of TAGs per weight of peri-gonadal adipose tissue with age. CONCLUSIONS These findings pinpoint age-associated physiological changes in peri-gonadal adipose tissue with respect to adipocyte morphology and lipid profiles and lay the foundation for future studies to examine how these alterations may influence both adipocyte and ovarian function.

中文翻译：

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组织学分析和脂质分布图揭示了卵巢周围脂肪组织中与年龄相关的生殖变化。

背景技术生殖衰老是一种在所有雌性动物中都表现出的强健的表型，其特征是配子的数量和质量显着降低，这可能对内分泌功能和生育能力都产生负面影响。卵母细胞，卵泡和卵巢中与年龄相关的差异已得到充分记录，但更广泛的环境如何随年龄变化却鲜为人知。脂肪是人体最大的器官之一，而性腺周围的脂肪组织围绕啮齿动物的卵巢，并具有局部的卵巢环境。这项研究的目的是表征卵巢周围脂肪组织如何随着晚期生殖年龄的变化而变化。方法我们从两个队列的CB6F1小鼠中分离了性腺周围脂肪组织：生殖年轻（6-12周）和生殖老（14-17个月）。进行了比较组织学分析以评估脂肪细胞结构。然后，我们从组织中提取脂质，并进行了多反应监测（MRM）分析，这是一种基于质谱的代谢物分析方法，以比较这些年龄队列中性腺周围脂肪组织的脂质分布。结果我们发现，晚期生殖年龄与脂肪细胞肥大有关，并且每单位面积的脂肪细胞数量相应减少。尽管定量分析显示，性腺周围脂肪组织每单位重量的TAG总量随着年龄的增长而下降，但在所研究的10种脂质类别中，三酰基甘油（TAG）在年轻和老龄人群之间具有显着不同的特征。