# Edaravone Mitigates Postovulatory Aging by Preserving Oocyte and Embryo Quality in Mice

## TL;DR

Edaravone improves oocyte and embryo quality in mice by reducing oxidative stress from postovulatory aging, potentially enhancing IVF outcomes.

## Contribution

Edaravone is shown to safely mitigate postovulatory aging effects in mice, offering a novel antioxidant strategy for assisted reproductive technologies.

## Key findings

- Edaravone reduced meiotic abnormalities and oxidative stress in aged oocytes.
- Edaravone improved embryo quality and mitochondrial function without adverse effects on offspring health.
- Female offspring from EDA-treated embryos showed normal reproductive competence.

## Abstract

Postovulatory aging (POA) significantly contributes to fertility decline, primarily through oxidative stress, which impairs oocyte quality, reduces embryonic developmental competence, and may adversely affect offspring health. Edaravone (EDA), a potent free radical scavenger, is known for its cytoprotective effects in various disease models. This study aimed to evaluate whether EDA can mitigate the detrimental effects of POA on mouse oocyte and embryo quality and confirm its reproductive safety. Supplementation with 10 nM EDA significantly reduced meiotic abnormalities, restored mitochondrial distribution, enhanced mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production, and decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in aged oocytes. Although EDA did not markedly improve fertilization or blastocyst formation rates, it enhanced embryo quality, with morphokinetic parameters comparable to those of young oocytes. Moreover, F1 offspring derived from embryos produced by EDA-treated POA oocytes were healthy, and female progeny exhibited normal reproductive competence. These findings demonstrate that EDA safely improves oocyte quality by alleviating POA-induced oxidative damage, offering a potential antioxidant strategy to enhance assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes when applied to IVF clinics.