Clocking Out: How Shift Work Takes a Toll on Women’s Fertility

In a ground-breaking study presented at the 25th European Congress of Endocrinology, researchers have discovered that female mice experience a decline in fertility after just four weeks of shift work-like patterns. This research sheds light on how circadian disturbances can affect women’s reproductive capabilities and paves the way for potential preventive measures for those who work irregular hours.

The body’s internal clocks, responsible for regulating various biological processes such as hormone secretion and reproduction, are easily disrupted by inappropriate light exposure, particularly during night shifts. The “master biological clock” resides in the suprachiasmatic nuclei within the hypothalamus, a crucial region that also controls reproductive function.

Scientists from the Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences (INCI) and the University of Strasbourg simulated long-term shift work conditions in female mice. By altering the light-dark cycle over four weeks, they found that the mice experienced a significant reduction in fertility due to disrupted communication between the master circadian clock and the reproductive circuit in the hypothalamus.

Lead researcher Marine Simonneaux explains, “Chronic shift exposure impairs the transmission of light information to the kisspeptin neurons, which drive the timing of the pre-ovulatory luteinising hormone surge.” This disruption ultimately hampers ovulation and decreases the chances of successful pregnancy.

The next phase of research will focus on examining the effects of shift work on other internal clocks within the body. Understanding how circadian disruption impacts reproductive function could open doors to potential interventions and therapies to mitigate the negative effects of shift work on women’s fertility.

Re-reported from the story originally published in Mid-Day English