BP-3 exposure alters ovarian reserve by altering the expression of Foxl2 in rat ovarian culture

KASS L; LUQUE EH; SANTAMARÍA CG; RODRIGUEZ HA; ABUD JE

Magdeburg

Jornada; Interdisciplinary Autumn School for Reproductive Sciences and related Research Fields; 2017

Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) has been widely used in sunscreens and many other consumer products, including cosmetics. In humans, BP-3 has been detected in urine, serum, and breast milk samples worldwide. An increasing number of in vitro studies have indicated the endocrine disrupting capacity of BP-3. Based on a receptor binding assay, BP-3 has shown strong anti-androgenic and weak estrogenic activities but at the same time BP-3 displays anti-estrogenic activity as well. Ovarian follicular development is regulated by estrogenic and androgenic activity of their respective hormones estrogens and androgens as well as progesterone. The effect of BP-3 on ovarian development is still unknown. Our goal was to study the effect of BP-3 in early follicular development using whole ovarian culture. Ovaries from newborn rats were collected and cultured for 7 days with vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO) or different concentrations of BP3: 876 nM (BP-3 High), and 5,8 nM (BP-3 Low), and with BP-3+PHTPP (ERβ inhibitor). Ovaries then were subjected to histological evaluation of germ cell nests, primordial follicles and to measurement of the expression of Foxl2 (a central transcription factor of the ovary). BP-3 Low decreased the number of germ cell nests and the number of total oocytes, and increased the mRNA levels of Foxl2 in ovarian culture. Our results suggest that in vitro BP-3 exposure significantly alters ovarian reserve by altering the expression of Foxl2.