Melatonin stimulates aromatase expression and estradiol production in human granulosa-lutein cells: relevance for high serum estradiol levels in patients with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

• Main Authors: Jung-Chien Cheng, Lanlan Fang, Yiran Li, Sijia Wang, Yuxi Li, Yang Yan, Qiongqiong Jia, Ze Wu, Zhen Wang, Xiaoyu Han, Ying-Pu Sun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group 2020-08-01
• Series: Experimental and Molecular Medicine
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s12276-020-00491-w

Reproductive medicine: Melatonin implicated in complication of assisted fertilization Blocking the activity of melatonin helps prevent female mice from developing swollen ovaries, a potentially life-threatening complication of assisted fertilization techniques. A research team from China’s First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, led by Jung-Chien Cheng and Ying-Pu Sun, demonstrated that melatonin, a hormone found in the fluid that surrounds developing eggs, can induce ovarian cells to boost expression of aromatase. This enzyme is responsible for synthesizing estradiol, a hormone involved in female reproduction. Women whose ovaries became over-stimulated in response to fertility medications showed elevated levels of melatonin, aromatase and estradiol. Inhibiting the function of melatonin reduced symptoms in mouse models of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The findings reveal an important role of melatonin in ovarian enlargement and point to new therapeutic strategies for women undergoing in vitro fertilization.