Effects of smoking on the levels of antioxidant beta carotene, alpha tocopherol and retinol in human ovarian follicular fluid

The concentrations of β-carotene, retinol and a-tocopherol were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography in ovarian follicular fluid and plasma samples collected at the time of oocyte recovery from patients enrolled in our in vitro fertilization program. The mean β-carotene levels in follicular fluid [0.182 ± (SEM) 0.04 nmol/ml] and plasma (0.37 ± 0.34 mmol/ml) of smokers (n = 5) were significantly (p < 0.025 and p < 0.001, respectively) lower compared with the mean levels in follicular fluid (0.58 ± 0.10 nmol/ml) and plasma (1.11 ± 0.09 mmol/ml) in nonsmokers (n = 11). The follicular fluid and plasma retinol and α-tocopherol levels were comparable among the non- smokers and smokers. These findings direct attention to a possible role of the antioxidant β-carotene, per se, as a biological marker in ovarian oocyte follicular maturation and function.