Abstract
Objective
To determine if phthalates and bisphenol A accumulate in human follicular fluid after brief exposure to medical plastics during an IVF cycle
Study design
Prospective collection of follicular fluid from five infertile women undergoing oocyte retrieval at a University IVF laboratory and analysis of Phthalate & Bisphenol A levels.
Results
All phthalate levels were detected at levels less than 15 ng/mL and Bisphenol A levels were undetectable in all five samples. The concentrations of phthalates are 200–1000 fold less than the minimum levels reported to cause reproductive toxicity in vitro to cumulus-oocyte complexes of laboratory animals.
Conclusions
In reproductive age women undergoing infertility treatments there is little transfer or accumulation of phthalates, phthalate metabolites or bisphenol A into the microenvironment of the human preovulatory oocyte and the levels are not clinically significant. Further investigation of phthalate and bisphenol A accumulation in vivo in human follicular fluid may not be productive.
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Follicular fluids obtained from 5 infertility patients previously exposed to medical plastics and undergoing ooctye retrieval demonstrate little transfer or accumulation of phthalates, phthalates metabolites or bisphenol A into the follicular microenvironment.
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Krotz, S.P., Carson, S.A., Tomey, C. et al. Phthalates and bisphenol do not accumulate in human follicular fluid. J Assist Reprod Genet 29, 773–777 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-012-9775-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-012-9775-1