Two supplements delayed ovarian aging and improved fertility in mice
Female mice received spermidine or S-adenosylmethionine from 8 to 12 months of age in experiments that found improved fertility and delayed ovarian aging.
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Experiments in female mice and a human granulosa-like tumor cell line examined the vitamin D receptor, a protein that controls gene activity. Granulosa cells support developing eggs. Receptor levels declined with age in mouse granulosa cells. Removing the receptor accelerated cell aging in both systems and disrupted ovarian function in mice.
In the human cell line, receptor loss reduced spermidine production and the activity of enzymes that add chemical tags to DNA. This reduced tagging of the control region of p53, a gene that helps control cell division. Both spermidine and S-adenosylmethionine delayed ovarian aging and improved fertility in naturally aged mice. From 8 to 12 months of age, mice received spermidine at 3 millimoles per liter in drinking water or S-adenosylmethionine at 10 milligrams per kilogram by abdominal injection three times weekly.
Why it matters
As ovaries age, their egg-containing follicles decline in number and quality. The authors highlight the two supplements as candidates for addressing age-related female infertility.
Caveats
These were mouse and lab-cell experiments, and the human cells came from a tumor cell line. The findings do not establish whether either supplement benefits fertility in women.
The paper
Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital
International Journal of Biological Sciences, May 18, 2026, Open access
