ABSTRACT
Caffeine consumption increases during early adulthood, which has adverse effects on the reproductive system. This study aimed to assess the impact of embryonic caffeine exposure on rat ovary in adulthood. Female Wistar rats (240-270 g) were divided into 5 groups (n = 7): experimental groups were exposed to 26, 45, 100, and 150 mg/kg of caffeine via drinking water during pregnancy and the control group only received drinking water. The ovaries of the offspring were taken out on days 7, 14, 28, 60, 90, and 120 of postnatal development, and then, they were fixed in 10% formaldehyde solution. Ovarian follicles were studied using stereological methods, and data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey test in SPSS software. A value of p < 0.05 was considered significant. The body weight, the weight of the ovaries, the ovarian volume, and the number of primordial follicles decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in 45 and 100 mg/kg, and (p < 0.001) in 150 mg/kg caffeine-treated groups at all stages of postnatal development. Significant decreases were observed in the number of primary and secondary follicles in 45 and 100 mg/kg (p < 0.05) and (p < 0.001) in 150 mg/kg caffeine-treated groups on days 7, 14, 28, and 60 compared to the control group. The number of Graafian follicles also decreased significantly (p < 0.001) in 45, 100, and 150 mg/kg caffeine-treated groups on days 14 and 28. Moreover, the mean volume of the oocyte in Graafian follicles reduced considerably in 45, 100, and 150 mg/kg caffeine-treated groups compared to other groups (p < 0.05). The thickness of the zona pellucida (ZP) in the secondary follicles (p < 0.02) and Graafian follicles (p < 0.05) showed a significant reduction in 100 and 150 mg/kg caffeine-treated groups on the 14th, 28th, and 60th days. In conclusion, high-dose caffeine consumption during gestation affects all stages of ovarian follicle development in rat offspring.