Mother's fat can harm the development of embryo
The latest research findings show that exposing eggs to high levels of saturated fatty acids of the type usually found in the ovaries of obese women and those with diabetes can harm the development of the embryo. The findings give the further support to medical guidelines which recommend that women aspired to be a healthy weight before they start trying to become pregnant.
Scientists from Belgium, Great Britain and Spain have found that when the embryos resulting from cattle eggs have been exposed to high levels of fatty acids, they had less cages, changed gene expression and changed metabolic activity all factors likely to make them less viable or less able to develop normally.
The study was done on eggs from cows, but the researchers said the findings could help to explain why women suffering from disorders like obesity and Type 2 diabetes can sometimes struggle to conceive.
"In cows we can induce very similar metabolic disorders leading to reduced fertility and threatened quality of egg," said Jo Leroy from the University of Antwerp, who led the study. "It is one of the main reasons that the bull eggs - very interesting model for human reproductive research."
Obese or diabetic people are inclined to acquire more than their stored fat, leading to higher levels of fatty acids in the ovaries which research has shown, can be poisonous for the growing eggs before an ovulation, researchers explained in their research in Public library of Scientific magazine PLoS One.
"We know from our previous research that high levels of fatty acids can affect the development of eggs in the ovary, but this is the first time we've been able to follow through to show a negative impact on the surviving embryo," Leroy said.
"From our previous research we know that high levels of fatty acids can affect development of eggs in the ovary, but it is the first time, when we were able execute to show negative influence on the surviving embryo," said Leroj.
Comments
(0)