Usefulness of bovine and porcine IVM/IVF models for reproductive toxicology
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REVIEW
Open Access
Usefulness of bovine and porcine IVM/IVF models for reproductive toxicology Regiane R Santos1,2*, Eric J Schoevers3 and Bernard AJ Roelen3,4
Abstract Women presenting fertility problems are often helped by Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs. However, in many cases the etiology of the in/subfertility remains unknown even after treatment. Although several aspects should be considered when assisting a woman with problems to conceive, a survey on the patients’ exposure to contaminants would help to understand the cause of the fertility problem, as well as to follow the patient properly during IVF. Daily exposure to toxic compounds, mainly environmental and dietary ones, may result in reproductive impairment. For instance, because affects oocyte developmental competence. Many of these compounds, natural or synthetic, are endocrine disruptors or endocrine active substances that may impair reproduction. To understand the risks and the mechanism of action of such chemicals in human cells, the use of proper in vitro models is essential. The present review proposes the bovine and porcine models to evaluate toxic compounds on oocyte maturation, fertilization and embryo production in vitro. Moreover, we discuss here the species-specific differences when mice, bovine and porcine are used as models for human. Keywords: Female fertility, Toxicology, Bovine, Porcine, Model
Background The adverse effects caused by various natural and synthetic chemicals include impairment of both the male and the female reproductive system. Many of these effects are related to temporary or permanent actions on the endocrine system. When the mechanisms of action of these chemicals are endocrine-mediated, they may induce non-heritable defects culminating with sub/infertility, growth retardation, endocrine disorders or even death of the organism/subpopulation or its descendants [1]. Subfertility of women at reproductive age is often caused by endocrine disorders, occasionally (~10% of the cases) characterized by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) [2,3]. Although there is strong evidence that PCOS is a genetic disease, diagnoses do not always indicate the cause of the sub/infertility neither the mode of action of the causative agent [4]. It has been shown that PCOS can be correlated with exposure to the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) [5]. Also, women with PCOS when * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O Box 80152, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands 2 Laboratory of Wild Animal Biology and Medicine, Federal University of Pará, Rua Augusto Corrêa, Campus Básico, CEP 66075-110 Belém, Pará, Brazil Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
exposed to nicotine have a higher chance to acquire other metabolic disorders [6]. Probably, many other endocrine active substances present in the environment, food, drugs or cosmetics will also cause subfertil
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