According to the latest research available in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, the use of popular painkillers during pregnancy, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, may reduce the fertility of offspring.
In addition, by causing specific chemical changes in DNA (the so-called epigenetic changes), these drugs may also negatively affect the fertility of subsequent generations, i.e. grandchildren and great-grandchildren, emphasize the authors of the study.
Earlier studies, including in rats showed that administering painkillers to pregnant females leads to a reduction in the number of reproductive cells in their daughters.
To test the potential effects of taking paracetamol and ibuprofen during pregnancy on the fertility of human offspring, scientists from the University of Edinburgh conducted experiments on testicles and ovaries from human fetuses. They came from a pregnancy that ended prematurely in the first trimester. They were cultured for seven days in the presence of paracetamol or ibuprofen at doses used to relieve pain in humans.
Weekly exposure to any of these drugs was found to decrease the number of gonocytes, the primary germ cells that eventually produce germ cells (gametes) – male in the testes and female in the ovaries. In the testicular fragments of fetuses, the number of gonocytes decreased – compared to control cultures – by 28%. under the influence of paracetamol and by 22 percent. under the influence of ibuprofen, while in tissues taken from the fetal ovaries – by 43%, respectively. and 49 percent
According to scientists, it is all the worrying that girls are born with a strictly defined number of the so-called primary ovarian follicles from which to develop oocytes, or egg cells. If the number of these cells is significantly reduced from birth, a woman’s fertility may be impaired and she may enter menopause earlier.
Researchers also investigated the effect of painkillers on testicular fragments taken from male fetuses in the second trimester of pregnancy and implanted in mice given either paracetamol or ibuprofen. It turned out that in rodents given paracetamol, the number of gonocytes in the transplanted testicular tissue decreased – by 17%, respectively. after just one day of dosing the drug and by 30 percent. about seven days. Subsequent experiments led scientists to conclude that the negative effect of painkillers on fertility is due to the fact that they inhibit the production of prostaglandins – compounds that not only contribute to pain sensations, but also play important roles in the ovaries and testes.
Moreover, both drugs triggered processes in cells that lead to chemical modification of DNA, i.e. epigenetic changes that do not affect the sequence of the genes, but their activity. These changes can be inherited, so the negative effects of painkillers on the fertility of offspring can be passed on to the next generation, emphasize the authors of the study.
They also emphasize that their research does not change the current recommendations regarding the use of painkillers during pregnancy. Currently, experts recommend that if a pregnant woman needs to take a pain reliever, it should be paracetamol (or acetaminophen) in the lowest possible dose and for the shortest possible time. Pregnant women should avoid taking ibuprofen.
‘We encourage women to think carefully about their use of painkillers during pregnancy and to follow current recommendations – using the lowest dose possible for the shortest possible time,’ commented Dr Rod Mitchell, who led the study.