Low levels of oxygen in the womb – which can be caused by smoking or conditions such as pre-eclampsia – may cause problems with fertility later in life. New study published by Professor Ozanne's lab in collaboration with Professor Giussani's lab.

12 April 2019

"It’s as if low levels of oxygen caused the female’s ovarian tissue to age faster"-

Catherine Aiken

smokingsmall

Low levels of oxygen in the womb – which can be caused by smoking or conditions such as pre-eclampsia – may cause problems with fertility later in life, a study carried out in rats suggests.

The research, led by members of the Ozanne and Giussani labs, both CTR members, found that exposing fetuses to chronic hypoxia (low oxygen levels) during development led to them having advanced ageing of the ovaries and fewer eggs available.

Hypoxia in the womb can be caused by a number of factors, including smoking, pre-eclampsia, maternal obesity, and living at high altitude. The condition is already known to have potential long term effects on the health of offspring, including increased risk of heart disease. However, this study, published in The FASEB Journal, is the first time it has been shown to affect fertility.

Read the full review on the Cambridge University Research Website: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/smoking-and-pre-eclampsia-may-cause…

Reference
Aiken, CE et al. Chronic gestational hypoxia accelerates ovarian ageing and lowers ovarian reserve in next-generation adult rats. FASEB; 27 March 2019; DOI: 10.1096/fj.201802772R

Acknowledgment: text copied from the Cambridge University Research website- reference as above.