d‐Leucine protects oocytes from chronic psychological stress in mice

PURPOSE: Psychological stress could negatively influence female reproductive ability. d‐Leucine (d‐Leu) is a d‐type amino acid found in foods and mammalian tissues. We have examined the protective effects of d‐Leu on oocyte abnormality induced by psychological stress. METHODS: Female mice (6‐week‐old) were divided into three groups: control, restraint stress (RS), and RS/d‐Leu. The RS and RS/d‐Leu mice were holed for 3 hours daily during 14 days. RS/d‐Leu mice were fed 0.3% d‐Leu diet. The oocyte maturation failure was analyzed by shapes of spindles and chromosomes. In addition, levels of heme‐oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression in the ovaries were also examined. Whether d‐Leu reduces the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cultured cells, K562 cells were treated with d‐Leu, and then ROS in K562 were analyzed. RESULTS: Oocyte maturation failure was increased in RS mice. d‐Leu reduced abnormal oocytes to control level. The expression levels of HO‐1 and SOD2 increased in RS/d‐Leu mice compared to those of RS mice. ROS levels were decreased in K562 cells with d‐Leu in a dose‐dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that d‐Leu protects oocytes from psychological stress through the induction of HO‐1 and SOD2 expression then by reducing oxidative stress.