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Pregnancy and post-partum are times of great metabolic disturbance, and the mouse studies show that maintaining NAD levels has an extraordinary impact not only on fertility and egg health before pregnancy, but also a long-term benefit for the pups of nursing moms that had adequate NAD. Whether these studies translate to humans remains to be seen.

Here are the studies:

Dec 26, 2022

Reproduction - Fertility

Free Radical Biology and Medicine

Intermittent fasting reverses the declining quality of aged oocytes

Li, Chan

Summary

Just one month of every-other-day fasting was sufficient to improve oocyte quality [in mice]...Positive impact of intermittent fasting on aged oocytes was mediated by restoration of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)/Sirt1-mediated antioxidant defense system, which eliminated excessive accumulated ROS to suppress DNA damage and apoptosis.

Oct 1, 2022

Reproduction - Fertility

Reproduction

Nicotinamide Riboside supplementation ameliorated postovulatory oocyte quality decline

Li, Hui

Summary

NR treatment not only restored MII oocyte quality but also enhanced early embryonic development potential of postovulatory oocytes via alleviating mitochondrial dysfunction and maintaining normal spindle/chromosome structure. ...NR supplementation increases the oocyte quality and early embryonic development potential in post-ovulatory oocytes which could potentially increase the successful rate in assisted reproductive technology.

Sep 4, 2022

Reproduction - Fertility

Biomedicines

Methods for Assessing Oocyte Quality: A Review of Literature

Lemseffer, Yassir

Summary

The rate of infertility continues to rise in the world for several reasons, including the age of conception and current lifestyle. We list in this paper potential non-invasive and invasive techniques to assess oocyte quality. We searched the database PubMed using the terms “oocytes AND quality AND evaluation”. In the first part, we study the morphological criteria, compartment by compartment, to then focus in a second part on more objective techniques such as genetics, molecular, apoptosis, or human follicular fluid that contain biologically active molecules. The main criteria used to assess oocyte quality are morphological; however, several other techniques have been studied in women to improve oocyte quality assessment, but most of them are invasive and not usable in routine.

Apr 21, 2022

Reproduction - Fertility

Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology

Effects of nicotinamide on follicular development and the quality of oocytes

Guo, Ziyu

Summary

The level of NAM in large follicles was significantly higher than that in small follicles. In mature FF, the NAM concentration was positively correlated with the rates of oocyte maturation and fertilization. Five mM NAM treatment during IVM increased maturation rate and fertilization rate in the oxidative stress model, and significantly reduced the increase of ROS levels induced by H2O2 in mice oocytes. Higher levels of NAM in FF are associated with larger follicle development. The supplement of 5 mM NAM during IVM may improve mice oocyte quality, reducing damage caused by oxidative stress...However, we found that an excessive NAM concentration inhibited the maturation and fertilization of oocytes.

Jan 1, 2022

Reproduction - Fertility

JBRA Assisted Reproduction

Oocyte quality and aging

Moghadam, ARE

Summary

It is well known that female reproduction ability decreases during the forth decade of life due to age-related changes in oocyte quality and quantity; although the number of women trying to conceive has today increased remarkably between the ages of 36 to 44. The causes of reproductive aging and physiological aspects of this phenomenon are still elusive. With increase in the women’s age, during Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) we have perceived a significant decline in the number and quality of retrieved oocytes, as well as in ovarian follicle reserves. This is because of increased aneuploidy due to factors such as spindle apparatus disruption; oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage. The aim of this review paper is to study data on the potential role of the aging process impacting oocyte quality and female reproductive ability. We present the current evidence that show the decreased oocyte quality with age, related to reductions in female reproductive outcome...

Aug 6, 2021

Reproduction - Fertility

Human Reproduction

P–230 The NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside protects against postovulatary aging in vitro

Tianjie, L

Summary

The NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside can protect against postovulatary aging in vitro…

Aug 20, 2020

Reproduction - Fertility

Free Radical Biology and Medicine

Increasing ovarian NAD+ levels improve mitochondrial functions and reverse ovarian aging

Yang, Quingling

Summary

Loss of follicles together with decreased oocyte quality and quantity contribute to age-associated ovarian senescence and infertility. Although underlying mechanisms for ovarian senescence are still unknown, mitochondrial dysfunctions have been reported. Here, we showed age-dependent decreases in ovarian Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) levels in mice whereas supplementing aging mice with nicotinamide riboside (NR), an NAD+ precursor, increased ovarian NAD+ content. We found that increases in ovarian NAD+ levels in aging mice led to increased number of ovarian follicles and ovulatory potential as well as increased live birth rate...Our data suggested that supplementation with NAD+ precursors in vivo and in vitro could be potential therapeutic approaches for treating age-related ovarian infertility.

May 7, 2020

Reproduction - Fertility

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA

Oocytes can efficiently repair DNA double-strand breaks to restore genetic integrity and protect offspring health

Stringer, Jessica M.

Summary

An adequate supply of healthy oocytes is essential for female fertility. Oocytes that sustain even very low levels of DNA damage are killed, presumably because the damage is irreparable. Surprisingly, however, we show that when apoptosis is inhibited, oocytes can repair severe DNA damage via homologous recombination repair. The repair is highly efficient; it protects fertility and ensures the health and genetic integrity of offspring. These data implicate DNA repair as an additional quality control mechanism available within the female germ line.

Feb 11, 2020

Reproduction - Fertility - Pregnancy

Cell Reports

NAD+ Repletion Rescues Female Fertility during Reproductive Aging

Bertoldo, Michael J.

Summary

Declining oocyte quality is considered an irreversible feature of aging and is rate limiting for human fertility. Reversing an age-dependent decline in NAD(P)H restores oocyte quality, embryo development, and functional fertility in aged mice.

Dec 1, 2019

Reproduction - Fertility

Annals of Translational Medicine

Mitochondria: the panacea to improve oocyte quality?

Qi, Lingbin

Summary

Oocyte quality is one of the most important factors involving in female reproduction. The number of compromised oocytes will increase with maternal age, while mitochondrial dysfunction has implicated in age-related poor oocyte...In this review, we summarize the potential mechanism of mitochondria in oocyte and embryo development and discuss the next step for mitochondrial transfer therapy.

Nov 22, 2019

Reproduction - Fertility

Frontiers in Endocrinology

Impact of Oxidative Stress on Age-Associated Decline in Oocyte Developmental Competence

Sasaki, Hiroyuki

Summary

In this review, using the latest literature, we discuss the pathophysiology in which oocytes are more exposed and vulnerable to oxidative stress as they age, and the mechanisms by which oocyte quality is degraded.

Jun 29, 2018

Reproduction - Fertility

Frontiers in Endocrinology

Impact of Maternal Age on Oocyte and Embryo Competence

Cimadomo, Danilo

Summary

In this review, we provide a summary of the main putative causes for the age-related decrease in oocyte/embryo competence, along with the mechanisms underlying aging and the main clinical strategies proposed to prevent/limit the impact of advanced maternal age upon in vitro fertilization (IVF) success.

NAD Research - Fertility

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