Maternal benzo[a]pyrene exposure is correlated with the meiotic arrest and quality deterioration of offspring oocytes in mice

Publication date: Available online 23 December 2019Source: Reproductive ToxicologyAuthor(s): Lumin Sui, Junyu Nie, Peng Xiao, Ke Yan, Huiting Zhang, Jiahao Liu, Hengye Zhang, Kexin Cui, Kehuan Lu, Xingwei LiangAbstractBenzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in particulate matter that has a diameter of ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5). Studies have demonstrated that BaP exposure causes oocyte meiotic arrest in mice. However, whether BaP exposure also affects oocyte maturation in offspring remains unclear. To test this, female mice were administered BaP before pregnancy to generate BaP-exposed offspring. Our findings showed that BaP exposure reduced the in vitro maturation and increased the abnormalities of meiotic apparatus in offspring oocytes. In addition, BaP exposure reduced the mitochondrial content and intracellular ATP generation, induced early apoptosis, increased reactive oxidative species accumulation and the genomic DNA 5-methylcytosine (5mc) level in offspring oocytes. Along with the abovementioned defective parameters, maternal BaP exposure further compromised the embryo developmental competence of offspring oocytes. In summary, our study demonstrated that maternal BaP exposure compromised offspring oocyte maturation and quality.

Source: Reproductive Toxicology - December 24, 2019 Category: Toxicology Source Type: research