Role of pyroglutamic acid in cumulus cells of women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Purpose: Polycystic ovary syndrome is a complex heterogeneous endocrine disorder associated with established metabolic abnormalities and is a common cause of infertility in females. Glutathione metabolism in the cumulus cells (CCs) of women with PCOS may be correlated to the quality of oocytes for infertility treatment; therefore, we used a metabolomics approach to examine changes in CCs from women with PCOS and oocyte quality.

Methods: Among 135 women undergoing fertility treatment in the present study, there were 43 women with PCOS and 92 without. CCs were collected from the two groups and levels of pyroglutamic acid were measured using LC-MS/MS followed by qPCR and Western blot analysis to examine genes and proteins involved in pyroglutamic acid metabolism related to glutathione synthesis.

Results: Women with PCOS showed increased levels of L-pyroglutamic acid, L-glutamate, and L-phenylalanine and decreased levels of Cys-Gly and N-acetyl-L-methionine. Gene expression of OPLAH, involved in pyroglutamic synthesis, was significantly increased in women with PCOS compared with those without. Gene expression of GSS was significantly decreased in women with PCOS and synthesis of glutathione synthetase protein was decreased. Expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, involved in resistance to oxidative stress, was significantly increased in women with PCOS.

Conclusions: CCs of women with PCOS showed high concentrations of pyroglutamic acid and reduced glutathione synthesis, which causes oxidative stress in CCs, suggesting that decreased glutathione synthesis due to high levels of pyroglutamic acid in CCs may be related to the quality of oocytes in women with PCOS.