Cigarette Smoke Inhibits Hamster Oocyte Pickup by Increasing Adhesion Between the Oocyte Cumulus Complex and Oviductal Cilia1

Abstract

Previous research has shown that oocyte cumulus complex (OCC) pickup rate is inhibited in hamsters when oviducts and OCCs are simultaneously exposed to cigarette smoke solutions, independent of any effect on ciliary beat frequency. The purpose of this research was to determine whether smoke solutions caused a change in adhesion between the OCC and infundibulum of the oviduct and to determine whether a change in adhesion could account for decreased OCC pickup rate. OCC pickup rate and adhesion were measured before and after infundibula or OCCs recovered from acute in vitro exposures to mainstream and sidestream whole, gas, or particulate smoke solutions. Ciliary beat frequency was also measured on infundibula. Overall, smoke solutions decreased oocyte pickup rate 40% to 80% below control levels and increased adhesion 52% to 91% above control levels when infundibula were pretreated. A change in adhesion was observed in cases for which decreased OCC pickup rate could not be explained by a change in ciliary beat frequency. OCC pickup rate decreased 20% to 35% below control levels and adhesion increased 39% to 54% above control levels when OCCs were pretreated. These data show not only that cigarette smoke causes an increase in OCC adhesion to the oviduct, but also that there is a correlation between increased adhesion and decreased OCC pickup rate. The results also show that the both the OCC and oviduct are targets of cigarette smoke. The oviduct is more sensitive to the adverse effects of smoke; however, this may be caused by a combined impact on mechanisms involved in both adhesion and ciliary function.

In vitro assessment of reproductive toxicity of tobacco smoke and its constituents

“…Relative to untreated controls, whole mainstream smoke solutions and their particulate and gas phase fractions inhibited OCC pick-up rate and increased adhesion when either the infundibulum or OCC was pretreated with smoke solution, although a stronger inhibition occurred with infundibular pretreatment (Gieseke and Talbot, 2005). Sidestream smoke produced a similar effect which was isolated to the gas phase.…”

“…Since adhesion plays a crucial role in OCC pick-up, the oviductal explant assay was developed to measure adhesion between the tips of the cilia and the OCC Gieseke and Talbot, 2005). This assay uses a small peristaltic pump that can be calibrated to measure the flow rate required to suction an OCC from the surface of the infundibulum and provides a quantitative measure of adhesion.…”

The effect of cigarette smoke on fertilization and pre-implantation development: assessment using animal models, clinical data, and stem cells

“…Although the specifi c cause of the problem was not determined in this study, fertilization was done in vitro suggesting that smoke exposure interfered with processes involved in fertilization and not factors involving the female reproductive tract (Yamamoto et al, 1998). Since nicotine and smoke exposure alter the properties of the cumulus matrix (Gieseke & Talbot, 2005;Vrsanska et al, 2003), it is possible that sperm penetration through the cumulus is affected by smoking. Exposure of Rhesus monkey sperm to environmental tobacco smoke decreased their motility and ability to undergo hyperactivation when exposed to dbcAMP or caffeine (Hung et al, 2007).…”

“…Failure of the OCC to be picked up at the normal rate could lead to ectopic implantation, which increases signifi cantly in smokers, or failure of fertilization. Pick-up rate was subsequently shown to be slowed in smoke treated groups because the components in smoke increased the adhesion between the cilia on the oviduct and the matrix between cumulus cells (Gieseke & Talbot, 2005). The oviduct was further shown to be more seriously affected by smoke treatment than the OCC.…”

Effets du tabagisme sur la reproduction : de l’ovocyte à l’embryon (Partie I)

“…Les particules de ces deux types de fumé e ont é té extraites et mé langé es ensuite au milieu de culture. Ainsi, il a é té observé que l'exposition aux mé tabolites de la fumé e du tabac é tait associé à un dé ficit des capacité s de captation ovocytaire, à une diminution de la fré quence des battements ciliaires et à une alté ration des contractions des muscles de la trompe [77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86]. De même, il a é té observé un effet dé lé tè re plus important de la fumé e issue de la combustion donc correspondant au tabagisme passif, sur la captation ovocytaire, la fré quence des battements ciliaires et les contractions musculaires [86].…”