New study: smoking can disrupt the fertility of women and men by changing the activity of genes

This study can help researchers to understand the relationship between smoking and infertility. The post New study: Smoking can disrupt the fertility of women and men by changing the activity of genes appeared first on Safir Arjan.

This study can help researchers to understand the relationship between smoking and infertility.

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A new study has shown that smoking can affect male and female fertility by changing the biological processes involved in reproduction.

Researchers from the Universities of Nottingham and Sheffield identified a set of gene changes in male and female mice exposed to cigarette smoke. These changes could help explain how cigarette smoke affects the ovaries and testes.

According to the World Health Organization, about one in six people around the world faces infertility at some point in their lives. Although the link between smoking and reduced fertility is well known, how it affects the ovaries and testes is still not fully understood.

This study, published in the journal Frontiers, examined the structure of the ovaries and testes and the activity of genes in mice that were exposed to low or high doses of cigarette smoke extract for 12 weeks. The researchers found that in female rats, the number and structure of ovarian follicles did not change much even after exposure to cigarette smoke.

However, researchers identified changes in gene activity that were similar to changes in biological processes associated with ovarian aging and reduced function. In male rats, more exposure to cigarette smoke was associated with changes in the internal structures of the testes; including the enlargement of the spermatic tubes, which are the place of sperm production. The researchers also identified changes in the activity of genes involved in sperm production, immune responses and cellular messaging.

The activity of some genes related to sperm production was increased, while the activity of some other genes involved in the function of the immune system was decreased. According to the researchers, these findings indicate that exposure to cigarette smoke may alter biological processes important for normal testicular function and sperm development.

Professor Lucy Fairclough from the University of Nottingham and one of the authors of the study said the research "identified potential biological mechanisms that could help explain the association between smoking and reproductive health in men and women".