Follicular sterol composition in gonadotrophin stimulated women with polycystic ovarian syndrome

This is the first study evaluating whether oocyte development and fertilization competence are related to intrafollicular concentration of cholesterol, meiosis-activating sterols and progesterone, after human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The concentration of follicular fluid meiosis-activating sterol (FF-MAS) significantly increased in the periovulatory period from 10–14 to 34–38h after HCG administration, while the concentration of testis meiosis-activating sterol (T-MAS) decreased, suggesting a HCG-dependent inhibition of sterol Δ14-reductase. There was no correlation between follicular lanosterol, FF-MAS, T-MAS, and progesterone concentrations and the presence or absence of MII oocytes. Interestingly, free cholesterol level was significantly lower and FF-MAS/cholesterol and progesterone/cholesterol ratios significantly higher in follicles containing MII oocytes compared to follicles from which oocytes were not retrieved. Yet, fertilization and embryo quality did not correlate with follicular sterols. This knowledge should be beneficial for the implementation of protocols for in vitro maturation process, usually used in PCOS patients.