In vitro exposure to benzo[a]pyrene damages the developing mouse ovary
Females are born with a finite number of oocytes, collectively termed the ovarian reserve, established within the developing fetal ovary. Consequently, maternal exposure to reproductive toxicants can have harmful effects on the future fertility of her unborn female fetus. The chemical benzo[a]pyrene...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Bioscientifica
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Reproduction and Fertility |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://raf.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/raf/4/2/RAF-22-0071.xml |
| _version_ | 1797843522461630464 |
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| author | Agnes Stefansdottir Magda Marečková Magdalena Matkovic Caroline M Allen Norah Spears |
| author_facet | Agnes Stefansdottir Magda Marečková Magdalena Matkovic Caroline M Allen Norah Spears |
| author_sort | Agnes Stefansdottir |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Females are born with a finite number of oocytes, collectively termed the ovarian reserve, established within the developing fetal ovary. Consequently, maternal exposure to reproductive toxicants can have harmful effects on the future fertility of her unborn female fetus. The chemical benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a prominent component of cigarette smoke. Despite it being a known ovotoxicant, around 8% of women in Europe smoke during pregnancy.
The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of B[a]P on the developing ovary, using the mouse as a model and with experiments carried out in vitro. B[a]P-exposure to the fetal ovary prior to follicle formation reduced the number of germ cells and subsequently, the number of healthy primordial follicles, by up to 76%; however, while proliferation of germ cells was not affected, the germ cells contained higher levels of DNA double-strand breaks. Exposure to B[a]P also affected the proportion of oocytes progressing through prophase I of meiosis. B[a]P exposure to neonatal mouse ovaries, after follicle formation, resulted in an 85% reduction in the number of healthy follicles, with a corresponding increase in apoptotic cell death and reduction in somatic cell proliferation. Although there was a trend towards a higher level of oxidative stress in B[a]P-exposed ovaries, this was not statistically significant; likewise, the antioxidant melatonin failed to protect against the B[a]P-induced ovarian damage. Together, the results here demonstrate that B[a]P-exposure damages the developing ovary, both before and shortly after follicle formation, an effect that could lead to a subsequent decrease in fertility. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:07:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-958b718688d246549105af84959bb711 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2633-8386 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:07:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Bioscientifica |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Reproduction and Fertility |
| spelling | doaj.art-958b718688d246549105af84959bb7112023-04-20T12:14:14ZengBioscientificaReproduction and Fertility2633-83862023-04-0142119https://doi.org/10.1530/RAF-22-0071In vitro exposure to benzo[a]pyrene damages the developing mouse ovaryAgnes Stefansdottir0Magda Marečková1Magdalena Matkovic2Caroline M Allen3Norah Spears4Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKBiomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKBiomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKSchool of Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UKBiomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKFemales are born with a finite number of oocytes, collectively termed the ovarian reserve, established within the developing fetal ovary. Consequently, maternal exposure to reproductive toxicants can have harmful effects on the future fertility of her unborn female fetus. The chemical benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a prominent component of cigarette smoke. Despite it being a known ovotoxicant, around 8% of women in Europe smoke during pregnancy. The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of B[a]P on the developing ovary, using the mouse as a model and with experiments carried out in vitro. B[a]P-exposure to the fetal ovary prior to follicle formation reduced the number of germ cells and subsequently, the number of healthy primordial follicles, by up to 76%; however, while proliferation of germ cells was not affected, the germ cells contained higher levels of DNA double-strand breaks. Exposure to B[a]P also affected the proportion of oocytes progressing through prophase I of meiosis. B[a]P exposure to neonatal mouse ovaries, after follicle formation, resulted in an 85% reduction in the number of healthy follicles, with a corresponding increase in apoptotic cell death and reduction in somatic cell proliferation. Although there was a trend towards a higher level of oxidative stress in B[a]P-exposed ovaries, this was not statistically significant; likewise, the antioxidant melatonin failed to protect against the B[a]P-induced ovarian damage. Together, the results here demonstrate that B[a]P-exposure damages the developing ovary, both before and shortly after follicle formation, an effect that could lead to a subsequent decrease in fertility.https://raf.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/raf/4/2/RAF-22-0071.xmlbenzo[a]pyreneovaryfolliclein vitrogerm cell |
| spellingShingle | Agnes Stefansdottir Magda Marečková Magdalena Matkovic Caroline M Allen Norah Spears In vitro exposure to benzo[a]pyrene damages the developing mouse ovary Reproduction and Fertility benzo[a]pyrene ovary follicle in vitro germ cell |
| title | In vitro exposure to benzo[a]pyrene damages the developing mouse ovary |
| title_full | In vitro exposure to benzo[a]pyrene damages the developing mouse ovary |
| title_fullStr | In vitro exposure to benzo[a]pyrene damages the developing mouse ovary |
| title_full_unstemmed | In vitro exposure to benzo[a]pyrene damages the developing mouse ovary |
| title_short | In vitro exposure to benzo[a]pyrene damages the developing mouse ovary |
| title_sort | in vitro exposure to benzo a pyrene damages the developing mouse ovary |
| topic | benzo[a]pyrene ovary follicle in vitro germ cell |
| url | https://raf.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/raf/4/2/RAF-22-0071.xml |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT agnesstefansdottir invitroexposuretobenzoapyrenedamagesthedevelopingmouseovary AT magdamareckova invitroexposuretobenzoapyrenedamagesthedevelopingmouseovary AT magdalenamatkovic invitroexposuretobenzoapyrenedamagesthedevelopingmouseovary AT carolinemallen invitroexposuretobenzoapyrenedamagesthedevelopingmouseovary AT norahspears invitroexposuretobenzoapyrenedamagesthedevelopingmouseovary |