Nicotine exposure is associated with targeted impairments in primordial follicle phenotype in cultured neonatal mouse ovaries

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 2024-12, Vol.288, p.117302, Article 117302
• Main Authors: Idrees, Sara M., Waite, Sarah L., Granados Aparici, Sofia, Fenwick, Mark A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Apoptosis - drug effects; Cotinine - blood; Female; Granulosa cells; Granulosa Cells - drug effects; Mice; Nicotine; Nicotine - toxicity; Oocyte; Oocytes - drug effects; Ovarian Follicle - drug effects; Ovarian reserve; Ovary; Ovary - drug effects; Phenotype; Primordial follicle
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117302

The ovarian reserve consists of a limited supply of primordial follicles (PFs), each containing an oocyte surrounded by a layer of granulosa cells (GCs). PFs are relatively quiescent and must remain viable for a long period, thereby making them susceptible to environmental and lifestyle influences. Given the widespread prevalence of e-cigarette use, this study aimed to investigate the effects of nicotine and its metabolite cotinine in a mouse model and to elucidate the mechanisms by which nicotine influences the ovarian reserve. Neonatal ovaries were cultured for 7-days in nicotine or cotinine reflective of concentrations in plasma of e-cigarette users. From histological evaluation, nicotine or cotinine had no impact on the number of PFs or early growing follicles; however, the medium (15 ng/ml) and high (45 ng/ml) concentrations of nicotine (but not cotinine) caused a small reduction in oocyte and GC size within PFs relative to controls (0 ng/ml; both P