The Aftermath of Long-Term Cigarette Smoking on Telomere Length and Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number in Human Cumulus Cells Prior to In Vitro Fertilization-A Pilot Study.

ABSTRACT: Cigarette smoking among women of reproductive age is known to take a toll on systemic health and fertility potential by severely impacting ovarian tissues and cells, such as granulosa and cumulus cells (CCs). The purpose of this study was to determine the potential damage caused by tobacco smoke at a molecular level in the CCs of females who had undergone in vitro fertilization. The level of intracellular damage was determined by estimating the average telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN), as well as the expression profile of telomere maintenance genes TERF1, TERF2, POT1 and microRNAs miR-155, miR-23a and miR-185. Western blotting analysis was performed to detect consequent protein levels of TERF1, TERF2 and POT1. Our results evidenced sign

SUBMITTER: Konstantinidou F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9495883 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature