Abstract
Both mainstream (MS) and sidestream (SS) smoke exposure has been associated with reduced fertility. Sub-fertility may be due in part to a male effect, female effect or both. Our interest is in the mechanisms that lead to impaired folliculogenesis. We propose that exposure to an environmental toxicant, such as benzo-[a]-pyrene (B[a]P) which is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) found in cigarette smoke, disrupts normal follicle growth. Therefore our aims were: to quantify the levels of B[a]P and metabolites in the serum (S) and follicular fluid (FF) of MS, SS and non-smoking (NS) women undergoing IVF treatment; determine the effect of B[a]P exposure on stimulation parameters and IVF outcomes; and to measure the effect of physiologically relevant concentrations of B[a]P on follicle growth using a novel isolated follicle culture assay (IFCA).
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