CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

17α-ethynil estradiol (EE2) is a synthetic compound widely used in the generation of contraceptive pills. EE2 is presentin the urine of women taking contraceptives and its presence has been confirmed at increasing concentrationscontaminating rivers all over the world, even municipal sewage discharges (Gárriz et al. 2015). Because of this cycle, itcan entry the human food chain when watering plants. A negative influence of EE2 on fertility and reproductivecapacity of wildlife was already suggested. The short-term impact of exposure to contaminating EE2 on pregnancyoutcome has not been addressed. Pregnant mice were exposed to either 0.005 μg (concentrations found in water) or 5μg EE2/kg (contraceptive dose) body weight/day from gestation day 1 to 7 by oral gavage. Control mice received a 0.1% ethanol solution. High frequency ultrasound imaging was used to follow-up fetal and placental development in vivo.Doppler measurements were utilized to analyze blood flow parameters in uterine and umbilical arteries. Mice weresacrificed at gd5, 10, and 14. We showed that most fetuses of mothers exposed to the high EE2 dose die intrauterineat gd10, with implantation sizes begin to be smaller already at gd8. Mothers exposed to the low EE2 dose show animpaired remodeling of the spiral arteries, a higher placental weight and pups that are large for gestational age. Theinsulin-like growth factor system that regulates fetal and placental growth and development was negatively affected bythe EE2 treatment. Our results show that a short-term exposure to EE2 during early pregnancy has severeconsequences for fetal development and survival depending on the dose. Exposition to synthetic estrogens affectsplacenta growth and angiogenesis. These findings urge to the study of mechanisms dysregulated upon environmentalexposition to estrogens

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