Female infertility caused by organophosphates: an insight into the latest biochemical and histomorphological findings

Abstract

The etiology of female infertility includes a variety of causes, all of which could be induced by environmental pollutants. Organophosphates (OPs) are major constituents of pollutants that cause infertility in aquatic and terrestrial organisms. However, no study has comprehensively reviewed the female fertility-related consequences of exposure to OPs. In this study, the reviewed studies revealed that OPs exposure could elicit detrimental alterations in organ histomorphology, sex hormone levels, and related signaling pathways. Furthermore, preconceptional exposure was associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, where prenatal exposure negatively impacted newborn health. Therefore, it is necessary to restrict the current widespread application of OPs or to alter their chemical structure so not to negatively impact female fertility.

Keywords:

• Female infertility
• reproduction
• toxicity
• environmental pollutants
• organophosphates

Author contributions

MSN contributed conception and design of the study, MSN, AS, and SV directed the study, AS, SV, AA, and NK wrote sections of the manuscript, MSN wrote the first draft of the manuscript and designed figures and tables, MSN, BNJ, NJ, SV, CC, MM, and NK critically revised the manuscript. All authors contributed to manuscript revision, and read and approved the submitted version.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.