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
. 2019 Feb 15:365:101-111.
doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2019.01.008. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

High copper levels in follicular fluid affect follicle development in polycystic ovary syndrome patients: Population-based and in vitro studies

Yan Sun  1 , Wenxiang Wang  2 , Yiwei Guo  3 , Beihong Zheng  4 , Hong Li  5 , Jinfa Chen  3 , Wenchang Zhang  6
Affiliations

High copper levels in follicular fluid affect follicle development in polycystic ovary syndrome patients: Population-based and in vitro studies

Yan Sun et al. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Although the adverse effects of copper overexposure on the liver, kidney, spleen and intestinal organs are well known, information about the impact of copper toxicity on human reproduction is limited. A total of 348 infertile patients were enrolled in our present study, including 89 with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), 145 with fallopian tube obstruction and 114 controls. The follicular fluid concentrations of 22 trace elements were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Principal component analysis was used to identify trace element profile alterations in different groups. The mRNA levels of steroidogenesis-related genes were measured by real-time PCR. Our results showed that the trace element profile in follicular fluid was obviously altered in PCOS patients. Copper concentrations were significantly (p < .05) higher in the PCOS group than in the other two groups. Increased copper levels in follicular fluid were associated with a higher number of retrievable oocytes in the PCOS group (B = 1.785, p = .001) but a lower rate of high-quality embryos (B = -6.360, p = .050). Moreover, follicular fluid copper levels were positively correlated with follicular fluid progesterone levels (r = 0.275, p = .010) and testosterone levels (r = 0.250, p = .022). Cultured human granulosa cells overexposed to copper showed significantly (p < .05) increased estradiol secretion and decreased testosterone levels. Real-time quantitative PCR revealed a significant (p < .05) increase in CYP19A1 and HSD3b mRNA expression. Our results indicate that increased copper levels in follicular fluid could affect follicle development in PCOS patients, and the mechanism may be related to copper-induced abnormalities in steroidogenesis.

Keywords: Copper; Follicle development; Follicular fluid; ICP-MS; Polycystic ovary syndrome.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

MeSH terms