Can we manipulate the ovary's own metabolism to protect it from chemotherapy-induced damage?

Some chemotherapy treatments induce female infertility through accelerated ovarian ageing, including due to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) depletion. Using various mouse models, Ho et al (2024) demonstrate that exposure to two such chemotherapy drugs, cisplatin or doxorubicin, deplete ovarian NAD, with levels restored by administrating the exogenous NAD precursor nicotinamide mononucleotide, ameliorating the drugs’ damaging effects on fertility.

In vitro exposure to benzo[a]pyrene damages the developing mouse ovary.

Females are born with a finite number of oocytes, collectively termed the ovarian reserve, established within the developing fetal ovary. Consequently, maternal exposure to reproductive toxicants can have harmful effects on the future fertility of her unborn female fetus. The chemical benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a prominent component of cigarette smoke.

The fetal ovary exhibits temporal sensitivity to a 'real-life' mixture of environmental chemicals.

The development of fetal ovarian follicles is a critical determinant of adult female reproductive competence. Prolonged exposure to environmental chemicals (ECs) can perturb this process with detrimental consequences for offspring. Here we report on the exposure of pregnant ewes to an environmental mixture of ECs derived from pastures fertilized with sewage sludge (biosolids): a common global agricultural practice.

Use of ovary culture techniques in reproductive toxicology.

There is increasing evidence to indicate that a substantial number of both man-made and naturally occurring chemicals are disruptive to human and wildlife reproductive health. Currently, reproductive toxicology testing is primarily carried out in vivo, however, in the past 50 years, various culture methods have been developed with the aim of growing ovarian follicles in vitro. These culture systems have become a widely used tool in reproductive biology and toxicology.