It’s as if low levels of oxygen caused the female’s ovarian tissue to age faster
Catherine Aiken
The research, led by scientists at the University of Cambridge, 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.
To investigate the effects of hypoxia, researchers from the Metabolic Research Laboratories at the University of Cambridge placed pregnant female rats in reduced levels of oxygen (13%, compared to the standard 21% found in air) from day six to day 20 of their pregnancy. They then examined the reproductive tract of their female pups at age four months.
Rats are a useful model for studying pregnancy. As a mammal, their bodies and underlying biology share some key similarities with those of humans. However, their gestation period and lifecycles are much shorter than those of humans, making them an ideal animal model in which to study pregnancy and fetal development.
Image: Hand Smoking Woman
Credit: dife88
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge