Metagenomic analysis revealed the association between gut microbiota and different ovary responses to controlled ovarian stimulationOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
Researchers compared gut microbiota in 47 IVF cycles split by follicle to oocyte index (FOI), a marker of ovarian response to stimulation. Twenty two cycles had FOI below 0.5 (poor response) and 25 had FOI 0.5 or above.
How was it studied?
Fecal samples taken before pituitary downregulation underwent metagenomic sequencing to profile bacterial species. Mice then received daily Bifidobacterium longum gavage for 30 days before ovarian hyperstimulation, and mature oocyte counts were compared to controls.
What did they find?
The FOI below 0.5 group had significantly more Prevotella copri, Bacteroides vulgatus, Escherichia coli and Bacteroides stercoris, and significantly fewer oocytes retrieved. The FOI 0.5 or above group had more Bifidobacterium longum, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Ruminococcus gnavus and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum. Gut microbiome shifts correlated with serum estradiol, FSH, oocyte count and clinical pregnancy rate. Mice given Bifidobacterium longum produced 239 mature oocytes versus 180 in controls, a rate of 79.67 percent versus 65.45 percent.
Why it matters
The findings suggest gut Bacteroidetes and Prevotella copri track with poor ovarian responsiveness while Bifidobacterium longum tracks with better response. This points to gut microbiome modulation, including Bifidobacterium longum supplementation, as a possible strategy against ovarian hypo-responsiveness.