International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

A fertility study published in PLoS ONE has shown that if eggs are exposed to high levels of saturated fatty acids – which is often what happens in the ovaries of people with type 2 diabetes and obese females – the development of the embryo will be compromised.

The research discovered embryos from cattle eggs that were exposed to significant levels of fatty acids had altered gene expression, fewer cells and altered metabolic activity, all of which suggest reduced viability.

Despite the study, which was conducted by researchers from Madrid, Antwerp and Hull, using cows' eggs, the results could still help to account for why female humans with disorders like diabetes and obesity find it difficult to conceive.

"In cows we can induce very similar metabolic disorders leading to reduced fertility in these animals and compromised egg quality in particular. This is one of the reasons that bovine eggs are a very interesting model for human reproductive research," lead researcher, Professor Jo Leroy from the University of Antwerp, said.

Furthermore, researchers from the University of Rochester in the US have also found that females who are obese and also have type 2 diabetes while they are pregnant are facing a dangerous combination of conditions.

Posted by David Smith