Publication
Title
Perfluoroalkyl acid contamination of follicular fluid and its consequence for **in vitro** oocyte developmental competence
Author
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been shown to induce negative effects in laboratory animals and in vitro experiments. Also, PFAAs have been detected in human tissues and body fluids. The ovarian follicle constitutes a fragile micro-environment where interactions between hormones, growth factors, the oocyte and surrounding somatic cells are essential to generate a fully competent oocyte. In vitro experiments suggest that PFAAs can influence this balance, but very scarce in vivo data are available to confirm this assumption. In fact, the potential PFAA-presence in the follicular micro-environment is currently unknown. Therefore, we investigated if PFAAs are present in human follicular fluid and if their presence could be a risk factor for in vivoexposeddevelopingoocytes.Furthermore,wecomparedthePFAA-distributionwithinserumandfollicularfluid. PFAAswere analyzed by LC/MS in follicular fluid (n=38) and serum(n=20) samples fromwomen undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). Statistical models were used to investigate PFAA-distribution in both body fluids, to compare this behavior with the distribution of lipophilic organic pollutants and to explore the relationship between patient characteristics, ART-results and follicular fluid contamination. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the PFAA found in the highest concentration in follicular fluid [7.5 (0.130.4) ng/mL] and serum [7.6 (2.812.5) ng/mL]. A new variable, Principal Component 1, representing the overall PFAA-contamination of the follicular fluid samples, was associated with a higher fertilization rate (p b 0.05) and a higher proportion of top embryos relative to the amount of retrieved oocytes (p b 0.05), after adjusting for age, estradiol-concentration, BMI, male subfertility and the presence of other organic pollutants as explanatory variables. To conclude, overall higher PFAA-contamination in the follicular micro-environment was associated with a higher chance of an oocyte to develop into a high quality embryo. Also, PFAAs have different distribution patterns between serum and follicular fluid compared to the lipophilic organic pollutants. Further research is of course crucial to confirm these new observations.
Language
English
Source (journal)
The science of the total environment. - Amsterdam, 1972, currens
Publication
Amsterdam : 2014
ISSN
0048-9697 [print]
1879-1026 [online]
DOI
10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2014.07.028
Volume/pages
496 (2014) , p. 282-288
ISI
000342245600033
Pubmed ID
25089690
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Perfluorinated Organics in our diet (PERFOOD).
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 21.08.2014
Last edited 09.10.2023
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