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New research has shed light on how exposure to cigarette smoke could affect reproductive health in both men and women, identifying changes in biological processes involved in ovarian function and sperm production.

The study, led by researchers from the universities of Nottingham and Sheffield and published in Frontiers, provides new insight into potential mechanisms linking smoking with reproductive health.

Infertility affects a significant proportion of people of reproductive age worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, approximately one in six people globally experience infertility at some point during their reproductive years.

In this new study, researchers used a mouse model to examine the effects of different levels of cigarette-smoke exposure on the ovaries and testes, focusing on changes to reproductive tissues and the activity of genes involved in their normal function. The findings provide insight into biological processes that could help explain how smoking may affect reproductive health in humans.

In females, the number and structure of ovarian follicles—the structures in which eggs develop—showed relatively little change following exposure, even at higher levels. However, researchers identified clear changes in the activity of numerous genes.

Genes involved in cell division and metabolism became less active, while genes associated with protein production became more active. The pattern of gene activity showed similarities with biological processes previously associated with ovarian aging and reduced ovarian function.

In males, higher levels of smoke exposure were associated with changes to structures within the testes, including enlargement of the seminiferous tubules, where sperm develop.

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