Cigarette smoke causes follicle loss in mice ovaries at concentrations representative of human exposure

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoke is a documented reproductive toxicant associated with infertility and ovarian failure. However, the underlying mechanism(s) regulating the toxic effects of cigarette smoke are unknown. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that mainstream cigarette smoke and a cigarette smoke constituent, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), induce apoptosis in ovarian follicles. METHODS: Mice were exposed to mainstream cigarette smoke and the …