The PARP inhibitor, olaparib, depletes the ovarian reserve in mice: Implications for fertility preservation

Abstract

STUDY QUESTION: What is the impact of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, olaparib, alone or in combination with chemotherapy on the ovary in mice? SUMMARY ANSWER: Olaparib treatment, when administered alone, depletes primordial follicle oocytes, but olaparib does not exacerbate chemotherapy-mediated ovarian follicle loss in mice. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The ovary contains a finite number of oocytes stored within primordial follicles, which give rise to all mature ovulatory oocytes. Unfortunately, they are highly sensitive to exogenous DNA damaging insults, such as cytotoxic cancer treatments. Members of the PARP family of enzymes are central to the repair of single-strand DNA b..