Ketone bodies determine the female reproductive lifespan

<正>In a recent study published in Life Metabolism,Wang and colleagues reported that the ketone body was elevated during the neonatal stage to regulate the formation of the primordial follicle pool and affect the subsequent ovarian aging through coordinating ROS-induced follicle apoptosis.Female reproduction and health are highly dependent on ovarian function.The critical indicator of ovarian function is the ovarian reserve [1],which refers to the stockpile of dormant primordial follicles (primordial follicle pool) residing in the ovarian cortex [2].The initial size of the primordial follicle pool and the rate of primordial follicle consumption determine the extent and the speed of reproductive aging [3].Extensive studies have reported multiple mechanisms whereby the formation of primordial follicle pool is regulated [4].Furthermore,increasing evidence reveals that environmental chemicals contribute to the ovarian reservoir and the reproductive lifespan [5].However,the association between surroundings and ovarian activities remains poorly understood.