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Increased zona pellucida thickness and meiotic spindle disruption in oocytes from cigarette smoking mice

Increased zona pellucida thickness and meiotic spindle disruption in oocytes from cigarette smoking mice
Increased zona pellucida thickness and meiotic spindle disruption in oocytes from cigarette smoking mice
BACKGROUND The precise effects of cigarette smoking on female fertility have not yet been clearly defined. We have used a mouse model that mimics human smoking and is able to control for variables that may confound clinical studies to assess the impact of chronic smoking on the quality of mouse oocytes. METHODS Mice received cigarette smoke directly to their lungs for 12 weeks. Lung tissue was analyzed for emphysematous changes and cumulus enclosed oocytes (CEOs) were recovered to study their quality. CEOs were in vitro matured, fixed and stained for chromatin and tubulin. Meiotic spindles, chromatin and the zona pellucida were all examined using confocal microscopy. RESULTS After 12 weeks of cigarette smoking, mice developed alveolar tissue damage that was determined by an increase in destructive index of the lung parenchyma. The numbers of oocytes recovered and the rates of oocyte maturation were not significantly different from non-smoking mice. However, oocytes from smoking mice had a significantly thicker zona pellucida along with shorter and wider meiotic spindles. Furthermore in total, almost a quarter of oocytes from smoking mice were abnormal as assessed by either errors in chromosomal congression or spindle shape. CONCLUSIONS We have used a novel model of inhalational cigarette smoking to show that chronic smoking has a detrimental effect on oocyte quality, and this can be observed even though oocytes are removed from the ovary and cultured in vitro.
oocyte quality, zona pellucida, meiosis, environmental effects, smoking
878-884
Jennings, PC
fba9ff1d-c590-4715-b2d9-174bcb4c1678
Merriman, JA
252e23f3-b63f-46ed-9904-7986642b4afa
Beckett, EL
7231aceb-904d-4c77-82ff-6ae40c237c27
Hansbro, PM
f9eeaf92-1f43-455c-a0c3-575bb0de3469
Jones, KT
73e8e2b5-cd67-4691-b1a9-4e7bc9066af4
Jennings, PC
fba9ff1d-c590-4715-b2d9-174bcb4c1678
Merriman, JA
252e23f3-b63f-46ed-9904-7986642b4afa
Beckett, EL
7231aceb-904d-4c77-82ff-6ae40c237c27
Hansbro, PM
f9eeaf92-1f43-455c-a0c3-575bb0de3469
Jones, KT
73e8e2b5-cd67-4691-b1a9-4e7bc9066af4

Jennings, PC, Merriman, JA, Beckett, EL, Hansbro, PM and Jones, KT (2011) Increased zona pellucida thickness and meiotic spindle disruption in oocytes from cigarette smoking mice. Human Reproduction, 26 (4), 878-884. (doi:10.1093/humrep/deq393). (PMID:21233109)

Record type: Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND The precise effects of cigarette smoking on female fertility have not yet been clearly defined. We have used a mouse model that mimics human smoking and is able to control for variables that may confound clinical studies to assess the impact of chronic smoking on the quality of mouse oocytes. METHODS Mice received cigarette smoke directly to their lungs for 12 weeks. Lung tissue was analyzed for emphysematous changes and cumulus enclosed oocytes (CEOs) were recovered to study their quality. CEOs were in vitro matured, fixed and stained for chromatin and tubulin. Meiotic spindles, chromatin and the zona pellucida were all examined using confocal microscopy. RESULTS After 12 weeks of cigarette smoking, mice developed alveolar tissue damage that was determined by an increase in destructive index of the lung parenchyma. The numbers of oocytes recovered and the rates of oocyte maturation were not significantly different from non-smoking mice. However, oocytes from smoking mice had a significantly thicker zona pellucida along with shorter and wider meiotic spindles. Furthermore in total, almost a quarter of oocytes from smoking mice were abnormal as assessed by either errors in chromosomal congression or spindle shape. CONCLUSIONS We have used a novel model of inhalational cigarette smoking to show that chronic smoking has a detrimental effect on oocyte quality, and this can be observed even though oocytes are removed from the ovary and cultured in vitro.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 12 January 2011
Published date: April 2011
Keywords: oocyte quality, zona pellucida, meiosis, environmental effects, smoking
Organisations: Centre for Biological Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 349649
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/349649
PURE UUID: d838a26c-d945-4ce0-bbbb-cd7ee7d48d50
ORCID for KT Jones: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0294-0851

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Date deposited: 07 Mar 2013 16:18
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 13:16

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Contributors

Author: PC Jennings
Author: JA Merriman
Author: EL Beckett
Author: PM Hansbro
Author: KT Jones ORCID iD

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