The UV filter benzophenone 3 provokes loss of oocytes in whole ovary cultures.

SANTAMARÍA, CG; ABUD, J.E.; PORPORATO, MM; MEYER N; ZENCLUSSEN AC; KASS L; RODRÍGUEZ HORACIO ADOLFO

MAR DEL PLATA

Congreso; LXIII Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica (SAIC), Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Fisiología (SAFIS), LXVI Reunión Anual de la Soc. Argentina de Inmunología; 2018

SAIC

Benzophenone 3 (BP3) is frequently used as an organic UV filter in sunscreens, as photoinitiator, indirect food additive, or fragrance enhancer. Given the increased use of sunscreens in the general population because of the growing concern about UV radiation and skin cancer, as well as the high prevalence of BP3 in water supplies, humans are highly exposed to BP3 by both dermal and oral routes. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have evidenced the ability of BP3 to act like an endocrine disrupting chemical.Our goal was to study the effect of BP3 in the follicular assembly and the potential involvement of Foxl2 pathway using whole ovary cultures. Ovaries were collected from Wistar rats at birth, treated in vitro with vehicle (0.01 % DMSO), BP3 (5.8 nM and 876 nM) or ESR2 inhibitor (0.1 nM), and cultured for 7 days. Nest breakdown, follicular assembly and the expression of several regulators of these processes (p27, Foxl2, Sox9, Bmp2, Cyp19 and Fst) were evaluated. In vitro exposure to BP3 (5.8 nM) decreased the population of total oocytes, the number of nests per ovary and early primary follicles population. In addition, BP3 (5.8 nM) induced overexpression of Foxl2 mRNA levels through ERS2 but increased Fst mRNA levels independently from ERS2 or Foxl2. We also observed that the number of p27-positive oocytes was decreased after BP3. Taken together, our results show that exposure to BP3 (5.8 nM) perturb nest breakdown, causes a decrease of total oocytes reserve, and induces an overexpression of Foxl2 mRNA through ESR2. In conclusion, exposure to an environmentally relevant dose of BP3 is enough to perturb the early events of germ cell development as showed here in whole ovary cultures.