1. Academic Validation
  2. Chronic exposure to propylparaben at the humanly relevant dose triggers ovarian aging in adult mice

Chronic exposure to propylparaben at the humanly relevant dose triggers ovarian aging in adult mice

  • Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Apr 15;235:113432. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113432.
Wei Yan 1 Milu Li 1 Qingchun Guo 1 Xiangyi Li 1 Su Zhou 2 Jun Dai 1 Jinjin Zhang 1 Meng Wu 1 Weicheng Tang 1 Jingyi Wen 1 Liru Xue 1 Yan Jin 1 Aiyue Luo 1 Shixuan Wang 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China.
  • 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China. Electronic address: suzhou@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn.
  • 3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China. Electronic address: shixuanwang@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn.
Abstract

Parabens, a type of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, are widely used as Antibacterial preservatives in food and cosmetics in daily life. Paraben exposure has gained particular attention in the past decades, owing to its harmful effects on reproductive function. Whether low-dose paraben exposure may cause ovarian damage has been ignored recently. Here, we investigated the effects of chronic low-dose propylparaben (PrPB) exposure on ovarian function. Female C57BL/6J mice were exposed to PrPB at a humanly relevant dose for 8 months. Our results showed that chronic exposure to PrPB at a humanly relevant dose significantly altered the estrus cycle, hormone levels, and ovarian reserve, accelerating ovarian aging in adult mice. These effects are accompanied by oxidative stress enrichment, leading to steroidogenesis dysfunction and acceleration of primordial follicle recruitment. Notably, melatonin supplementation has been shown to protect against PrPB-induced steroidogenesis dysfunction in granulosa cells. Here, we report that daily chronic PrPB exposure may contribute to ovarian aging by altering oxidative stress-mediated JNK and PI3K-AKT signaling regulation, and that melatonin may serve as a pharmaceutical candidate for PrPB-associated ovarian dysfunction.

Keywords

Chronic low-dose exposure; Humanly relevant dose; Ovarian aging; Oxidative stress; Propylparaben.

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