Grant: Operating Grant

The number of young women who smoke has increased in recent years posing a serious threat to their future health and reproductive capacity. Compared to non-smokers, cigarette smoking is associated with decreases in fertility, poor response to fertility treatment, decreased number of eggs in the ovaries, and an earlier age of menopause. The specific chemicals in cigarette smoke and the ways in which those chemicals injure the ovary have not been established. Furthermore, it is not known if the harmful effects of cigarette smoking on female fertility are permanent or reversible. Therefore, in this application we plan to determine the mechanisms through which cigarette smoke acts to hinder follicle growth and induce loss of ovarian follicles (eggs). It is also our goal to identify the most sensitive stage of follicle development and determine if the harmful effects of cigarette smoke are reversible and if the effects can be blocked by treatment with a protective dietary chemical. Finally, we will use a novel fractionation method to determine the chemical or chemicals responsible for the ovarian toxic effects of cigarette smoking. Results of our planned experiments will show how cigarette smoke causes follicle (egg) loss. These results will identify important processes in ovarian cells that could lead to new treatments to help preserve fertility in women who smoke or are former smokers. We also expect the results of these studies will provide physicians with much needed experimental evidence to support advice they give to patients concerning the time from smoking cessation before changes in fertility can be expected if at all.