The fetal ovary exhibits temporal sensitivity to a ‘real-life’ mixture of environmental chemicals

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 22279
• Main Authors: Lea, Richard G., Amezaga, Maria R., Loup, Benoit, Mandon-Pépin, Béatrice, Stefansdottir, Agnes, Filis, Panagiotis, Kyle, Carol, Zhang, Zulin, Allen, Ceri, Purdie, Laura, Jouneau, Luc, Cotinot, Corinne, Rhind, Stewart M., Sinclair, Kevin D., Fowler, Paul A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.03.2016; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13; 45/77; 631/136; 631/136/1455; 82; 82/51; 82/79; Agricultural practices; Animals; Anogenital; Biosolids; Chemicals; Development Biology; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Exposure; Female; Fertilizers; Fetus - anatomy & histology; Fetus - drug effects; Fetuses; Follicles; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - drug effects; Gestation; Humanities and Social Sciences; Laminin - metabolism; Life Sciences; Liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Maternal Exposure; multidisciplinary; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; Offspring; Ovarian Follicle - drug effects; Ovarian Follicle - embryology; Ovarian Follicle - metabolism; Ovaries; Ovary - drug effects; Ovary - embryology; Ovary - metabolism; Pasture; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Pregnancy; Protein Transport - drug effects; Proteome - metabolism; Reproductive Biology; Reproductive status; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sewage; Sewage - chemistry; Sewage sludge; Sheep - embryology; Sheep - genetics; Sludge; Time Factors; Transcriptome - drug effects; Transcriptome - genetics; enzyme expression; identification; primordial follicle; liver; disruption; in utero exposure; postnatal exposure; maternal smoking; sewage sludge; sheep ovary
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep22279

The development of fetal ovarian follicles is a critical determinant of adult female reproductive competence. Prolonged exposure to environmental chemicals (ECs) can perturb this process with detrimental consequences for offspring. Here we report on the exposure of pregnant ewes to an environmental mixture of ECs derived from pastures fertilized with sewage sludge (biosolids): a common global agricultural practice. Exposure of pregnant ewes to ECs over 80 day periods during early, mid or late gestation reduced the proportion of healthy early stage fetal follicles comprising the ovarian reserve. Mid and late gestation EC exposures had the most marked effects, disturbing maternal and fetal liver chemical profiles, masculinising fetal anogenital distance and greatly increasing the number of altered fetal ovarian genes and proteins. In conclusion, differential temporal sensitivity of the fetus and its ovaries to EC mixtures has implications for adult ovarian function following adverse exposures during pregnancy.