Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Nov;201(11):5069-5082.
doi: 10.1007/s12011-023-03578-3. Epub 2023 Feb 18.

The Influence of Follicular Fluid Metals on Assisted Reproduction Outcome

Rubí Rodríguez-Díaz  1   2 , Raquel Blanes-Zamora  3   4 , Soraya Paz-Montelongo  5 , Jorge Gómez-Rodríguez  4 , Sonsoles Rodríguez Fiestas  3   4 , Dailos González-Weller  5 , Ángel J Gutiérrez  5 , Carmen Rubio  5 , Arturo Hardisson  5 , Daniel Niebla-Canelo  5 , Samuel Alejandro Vega  5 , Enrique González-Dávila  6
Affiliations

The Influence of Follicular Fluid Metals on Assisted Reproduction Outcome

Rubí Rodríguez-Díaz et al. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2023 Nov.

Abstract

Infertility has become more common, with an increased exposure to toxic compounds including heavy metals (HM). Follicular fluid (FF) surrounds the developing oocyte in the ovary and can be analysed to assess metal content. The levels of twenty-two metals were measured in the FF of ninety-three females in a reproduction unit, and their influence on assisted reproduction technique (ART), were examined. The metals were determined by optical emission spectrophotometry. Low values of copper, zinc, aluminium, and calcium favour polycystic ovary syndrome. The relationships between the number of oocytes and metals: iron (rs=0.303; p=0.003) and calcium (rs=-0.276; p=0.007) are significant, as well as between the number of mature oocytes with iron (rs=0.319; p=0.002), calcium (rs=-0.307; p=0.003) and sodium (rs=-0.215; p=0.039) and are near to significance in the case of aluminium (rs=-0.198; p=0.057). In the group with a fertilisation rate ≤ 75%, 36% of the women presented calcium >176.62 mg/kg compared to the group with a fertilisation rate ≥ 75% where this percentage was only 10% (p=0.011). An excess of iron and calcium reduces the good quality embryo rate, and an excess of potassium impairs the blastocyst rate. If potassium is above 237.18 mg/kg and calcium is below 147.32 mg/kg, these conditions favour embryo implantation. Pregnancy is influenced by high potassium and low copper levels. Controlling exposure to toxic elements is recommended for all couples with reduced fertility or receiving an ART.

Keywords: ART; Embryo quality; Follicular fluid; Metal; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Pregnancy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Digestion process. Graphic temperature (°C) vs time (hh:mm)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Correlation between a) K-Fe, b) Na-K, and c) Ca-Fe
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Fertilisation rate and Ca levels
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Angelis C, Nardone A, Garifalo F, Pivonello C, Sansone A, Conforti A, Di Dato C, Sirico F, Alviggi C, Isidor A, Colao A, Pivonello R. Smoke, alcohol and drug addiction and female fertility. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2020;18:21. doi: 10.1186/s12958-020-0567-7. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Li D, Liang C, Cao C, Zhu D, Shen L, Zhang Z, Jiang T, Zhang Z, Zong K, Liu Y, Liang D, Cao Y, Ji D, Xu X (2022) The associations of serum metals concentrations with the intermediate and pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 233. 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113309 - PubMed
    1. Tolunay H, Şükür Y, Ozkavukcu S, Seval M, Ateş C, Türksoy V, Ecemiş T, Atabekoğlu C, Özmen B, Berker B, Sönmezer M. Heavy metal and trace element concentrations in blood and follicular fluid affect ART outcome. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2016;198:73–77. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2016.01.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Canipari R, De Santis L, Cecconi S. Female fertility and environmental pollution. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17:8802. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17238802. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wdowiak A, Wdowiak E, Bojar I. Evaluation of trace metals in follicular fluid in ICSI-treated patients. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine. 2018;25(2):213–218. doi: 10.26444/aaem/75422. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources