Cigarette Smoke Exposure Leads to Follicle Loss via an Alternative Ovarian Cell Death Pathway in a Mouse Model

Cigarette smoking among reproductive-aged women is increasing worldwide. Cigarette smoking is a lifestyle behavior associated with important adverse health effects including subfertility and premature ovarian failure. We previously demonstrated that cigarette smoke (CS) exposure in mice decreases the primordial follicle pool; however, the mechanism of action is largely unknown. Therefore, the present study was designed to elucidate the …