Supporting data for "Studies on ovarian follicle development translating basic research to female infertility treatment"

This study evaluated three anti-inflammatory drugs—curcumin, loteprednol etabonate (LE), and ibuprofen—to explore their effects on primordial follicle activation. Curcumin and LE promoted the development of small ovarian follicles in neonatal mouse ovaries <em>in vitro</em>, which greatly potentiated these follicles for subsequent <em>in vivo </em>development into antral follicles after transplantation into the recipient mice. Furthermore, curcumin has been shown to promote the survival and development of small follicles in human ovaries, suggesting its potential use in IVA treatments. Conversely, ibuprofen did not affect the development of ovarian follicles in mice, both <em>in vivo</em> and <em>in vitro</em>.
Further mechanistic studies aimed at elucidating how curcumin and LE promote small follicle development revealed that both drugs can activate the PI3K signaling pathway. They stimulated granulosa cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis in ovarian cells. RNA sequencing of LE-treated neonatal mice ovaries provided additional insights into how LE might facilitate follicular development.