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[Preprint]. 2024 Dec 5:2024.12.04.626831.
doi: 10.1101/2024.12.04.626831.

The Effects of Heat Stress on the Ovary, Follicles and Oocytes: A Systematic Review

Luhan T Zhou  1 , Dilan Gokyer  1 , Krystal Madkins  2 , Molly Beestrum  2 , Daniel E Horton  3 , Francesca E Duncan  1 , Elnur Babayev  1   4
Affiliations

The Effects of Heat Stress on the Ovary, Follicles and Oocytes: A Systematic Review

Luhan T Zhou et al. bioRxiv. .

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Abstract

Climate change is driving significant environmental changes with profound implications for human health, including fertility. While the detrimental effects of heat on spermatogenesis are well-documented, the impact of elevated temperatures on ovaries and female fertility remains less explored. This review systematically examines the literature on heat stress (HS) effects on mammalian ovaries, follicles, and oocytes. Evidence from mammalian models indicates that HS significantly impairs ovarian function, disrupting hormone profiles, reducing ovarian size and weight, altering histology, decreasing granulosa cell viability, and compromising oocyte quality. Efforts to develop strategies and substances to mitigate these adverse effects are ongoing, but further research into the underlying mechanisms is urgently needed.

Keywords: egg; fertility; gamete; granulosa cells; increased temperature; ovarian reserve; reproduction.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA flow chart of study selection. Ninety articles met all the inclusion criteria and were included in a qualitative synthesis. PRISMA, preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis. Seventeen studies were excluded after full text review as they either studied cooling effects, did not specify their HS paradigm, only focused on HS, or did not report controls, control temperatures, and/or the duration of the experimental intervention.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Schematic summarizing the evidence on heat stress effects on the ovary, follicle, oocyte, and granulosa cells.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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