Assessment of follicular-fluid neurotrophin levels as predictor for ovarian reserve in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology for different etiologies of infertility

Abstract

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a27-kDa polypeptide that belongs to the neurotrophin family binding with high-affinity protein kinase receptors (Trk) and the unselective p75NGFR receptor. The BDNF gene has a complex structure with multiple regulatory elements and four promoters that are differentially expressed in central or peripheral tissue. It is well known to play an important role in the survival, differentiation, and outgrowth of select peripheral and central neurons during development and in adulthood. BDNF, a member of the neurotrophin family, is initially recognized to be important for neuronal survival and differentiation in central and peripheral nervous system, and is also found in non-neuronal tissues. Growing evidence showed BDNF was essential for the oocyte maturation had observed that BDNF enhanced the first polar body emission and promoted oocyte development into preimplantation embryos. Treatment with BDNF during the in vitro maturation (IVM) of bovine oocytes could produce more parthenogenetic embryos, and the authors speculated BDNF could improve oocyte cytoplasm maturation.