LAUSR

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.