Chronic gestational hypoxia accelerates ovarian aging and lowers ovarian reserve in next-generation adult rats.

ABSTRACT: Chronic fetal hypoxia is a common complication observed in human pregnancy, impacting pregnancies across global contexts. Exposure to chronic intrauterine hypoxia has major short- and long-term consequences for offspring health. However, the impact of chronic gestational hypoxia on female reproductive system development is unknown. We aimed to understand the impact of exposure to chronic fetal hypoxia on the developing female reproductive system. Wistar rat dams underwent normoxia (21%) or hypoxia (13%) during pregnancy. Postnatally, all female offspring were maintained in normoxic conditions into early adulthood. Female rats exposed to chronic gestational hypoxia (13%) during their intrauterine development had decreased ovarian primordial follicular reserve compared to controls (P

SUBMITTER: Aiken CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6529349 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature