# Preconception Stress Effects on Oogenesis

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2020 · $654,328

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Maternal stress prior to conception has been associated with adverse metabolic and neurodevelopmental
outcomes in the child. The milieu in which we develop lays the foundation for a lifetime of physical and mental
health. Throughout development, rapid growth and system plasticity render organ systems sensitive to the
effects of environmental factors that can confer adaptive advantages or lasting vulnerability. There are
fundamental gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms that connect maternal stress during the
preconception period with enhanced risk for childhood adversity. Specific effects of maternal stress likely
involve a complex interaction between fetal and maternal factors, and epigenetic modification is sure to feature
prominently in these processes. The central hypothesis of this proposal is that maternal stress during the
preconception period will alter the intrafollicular molecular environment through alterations in cortisol
levels, metabolism, and gene expression, with ultimate impacts on oocyte and embryo quality both
grossly and through DNA methylation involving critical pathways that influence lifelong health and
wellness in offspring. As these studies cannot be performed in humans and because rodent models lack the
complexity to answer these questions, we will utilize a nonhuman primate model. Use of the rhesus macaque
affords precision with a stress intervention and well-honed methods for the study of folliculogenesis that have
been validated for the study of developmental programming. We will characterize the effects of preconception
stress on oocyte quality; cortisol, metabolic markers and gene expression in the ovarian follicular micro-
environment; and DNA methylation in the resulting oocyte and embryo. Using a unique longitudinal design, we
will examine these changes in natural and artificially-stimulated cycles and employ cutting edge technology
that will allow for evaluation of materials within individual ovarian follicles to test our hypotheses. This work is
likely to move the field measurably towards the goal of identifying modifiable root causes and mediators that
contribute to preconception developmental programming through maternal stress and suggesting targets for
prevention strategies

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9917282
- **Project number:** 1R01HD100083-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** CHARLES L CHAFFIN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $654,328
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9917282

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9917282, Preconception Stress Effects on Oogenesis (1R01HD100083-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9917282. Licensed CC0.

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