Mechanisms by which di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate disrupt ovarian folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis
type: CreativeWork
description: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a synthetic plasticizer used in the manufacturing of common polyvinyl chloride consumer, medical, and building products. Humans are exposed to DEHP on a daily basis because of its high production volumes, incorporation into widely used products, and its ability to leach out of the products. Daily exposure to DEHP results in measureable levels of the chemical and its metabolite mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) in human blood, urine, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, breast milk, and ovarian follicular fluid samples. This is of public health concern because DEHP and MEHP are known endocrine disrupting chemicals and reproductive toxicants in the female. The ovary is a primary regulator of the female reproductive and endocrine systems. Thus, proper regulation of ovarian function is required for reproductive health and steroid hormone controlled non-reproductive health. Two ovarian processes that are essential for normal ovarian function are folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis. Follicles are the functional units of the ovary containing the oocyte required for ovulation and fertilization and somatic cells responsible for synthesizing sex steroid hormones. Folliculogenesis is the process by which follicles undergo several irreversible developmental transitions starting from the most immature stage, the primordial follicle, to the most mature stage, the antral follicle. Steroidogenesis is the process by which somatic cells in the antral follicle enzymatically convert cholesterol to estradiol and other necessary precursor steroid hormones in a step-wise manner. Improper regulation of ovarian folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis can lead to reproductive and non-reproductive complications. Specifically, aberrant regulation of folliculogenesis, indicated by an accelerated depletion or activation of primordial follicles, can lead to premature ovarian failure and infertility. This is because the primordial follicle reserve is set at bi…
abstract: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a synthetic plasticizer used in the manufacturing of common polyvinyl chloride consumer, medical, and building products. Humans are exposed to DEHP on a daily basis because of its high production volumes, incorporation into widely used products, and its ability to leach out of the products. Daily exposure to DEHP results in measureable levels of the chemical and its metabolite mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) in human blood, urine, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, breast milk, and ovarian follicular fluid samples. This is of public health concern because DEHP and MEHP are known endocrine disrupting chemicals and reproductive toxicants in the female. The ovary is a primary regulator of the female reproductive and endocrine systems. Thus, proper regulation of ovarian function is required for reproductive health and steroid hormone controlled non-reproductive health. Two ovarian processes that are essential for normal ovarian function are folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis. Follicles are the functional units of the ovary containing the oocyte required for ovulation and fertilization and somatic cells responsible for synthesizing sex steroid hormones. Folliculogenesis is the process by which follicles undergo several irreversible developmental transitions starting from the most immature stage, the primordial follicle, to the most mature stage, the antral follicle. Steroidogenesis is the process by which somatic cells in the antral follicle enzymatically convert cholesterol to estradiol and other necessary precursor steroid hormones in a step-wise manner. Improper regulation of ovarian folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis can lead to reproductive and non-reproductive complications. Specifically, aberrant regulation of folliculogenesis, indicated by an accelerated depletion or activation of primordial follicles, can lead to premature ovarian failure and infertility. This is because the primordial follicle reserve is set at bi…
author: Hannon, Patrick
keywords: reproductive toxicology, steroidogenesis, folliculogenesis, follicle, ovary, phthalate
date published: 2015-07-22T22:16:13Z
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:26:11Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78334