Background: Stress has been considered as one of the causes of decreased reproductive function in women. However, direct evidence of the effect of chronic stress on oocytes depending on estrous cycle phases is limited.
Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of chronic stress on the viability, integrity, and maturation of rat oocytes depending on estrous cycle phases, specifically proestrus, estrus, and diestrus.
Methods: For this purpose, adult female rats were stressed daily by cold water immersion (15 °C) for 30 consecutive days.
Results: In chronically stressed female rats, irregular estrous cyclicity, increased corticosterone levels, decreased oocyte viability, and an increased percentage of abnormal oocytes were obtained in all the estrous cycle phases, resulting in reduced oocyte maturation during proestrus.
Conclusion: Oocyte maturation disturbed by chronic stress is a crucial factor by which chronic stress disrupts female reproduction.
Keywords: cold stress; female cycles; homeostasis; oogenesis; ovum.