Effects of Butylparaben Supplementation on In Vitro Development of Mouse Preantral Follicle

Abstract

We investigated whether butylparaben supplementation to the culture media negatively effects on in vitro development of mouse preantral follicle. The preantral follicles were isolated from the ovaries of 7–8-week-old mice and cultured in growth medium for 10 days and then in maturation medium for 2 days. During in vitro culture, butylparaben (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, or 10 μM) was supplemented to the culture media. In the final spent media, the levels of 17ß-estradiol and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the final luteinized follicular cells, the mRNA levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1), caspase 3 (Casp3), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (Erk1) were quantified via real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The metaphase II oocyte acquisition (per total oocyte) tended to decrease in the four butylparaben-supplemented groups, but not significant (26.8%, 23.2%, 21.4%, 15.1%, and 16.8%, respectively). The level of 17ß-estradiol and AMH tended to decrease in all butylparaben-supplemented groups, but statistically not significant. The expression level of StAR and Erk1 mRNA was significantly higher in all four butylparaben-supplemented groups, and a dose-dependent increment tendency was observed. Our findings suggest that butylparaben supplementation has largely no impact on in vitro development of mouse preantral follicle as well as 17ß-estradiol and AMH production. However, StAR, Sod1, Casp3, and Erk1 genes could be overexpressed in a certain concentration of butylparaben.