Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Endocrine disruptors

Manmade and natural oestrogens: opposite effects on assisted reproduction

In a new study, a dramatic decrease in the frequency of implantation, pregnancy and live birth is associated with increased urine levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, in women who consume soy-containing foods, the interfering effect of BPA on IVF success is negated.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Chavarro, J. E. et al. Soy intake modifies the relation between urinary bisphenol A concentrations and pregnancy outcomes among women undergoing assisted reproduction. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/jc.2015-3473, (2016).

  2. Ehrlich, S. et al. Urinary bisphenol A concentrations and implantation failure among women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Environ. Health Perspect. 120, 978–983 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Peretz, J. et al. Bisphenol A and reproductive health: update of experimental and human evidence, 2007–2013. Environ. Health Perspect. 122, 775–786 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Vandenberg, L. N. et al. Low dose effects of bisphenol A: an integrated review of in vitro, laboratory animal and epidemiology studies. Endocr. Disruption 1, E1–E20 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  5. vom Saal, F. S. & Welshons, W. V. Evidence that bisphenol A (BPA) can be accurately measured without contamination in human serum and urine, and that BPA causes numerous hazards from multiple routes of exposure. Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 398, 101–113 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Muhlhauser, A. et al. Bisphenol A effects on the growing mouse oocyte are influenced by diet. Biol. Reprod. 80, 1066–1071 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Souter, I. et al. The association of bisphenol-A urinary concentrations with antral follicle counts and other measures of ovarian reserve in women undergoing infertility treatments. Reprod. Toxicol. 42, 224–231 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dolinoy, D. C., Huang, D. & Jirtle, R. L. Maternal nutrient supplementation counteracts bisphenol A-induced DNA hypomethylation in early development. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 104, 13056–13061 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Vandenberg, L. N. et al. Hormones and endocrine-disrupting chemicals: low dose effects and nonmonotonic dose responses. Endocr. Rev. 33, 378–455 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Newbold, R. R., Banks, E. P., Bullock, B. & Jefferson, W. N. Uterine adenocarcinoma in mice treated neonatally with genistein. Cancer Res. 61, 4325–4328 (2001).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Professor Patricia A. Hunt, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA, for advice during the preparation of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frederick S. vom Saal.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

PowerPoint slides

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

vom Saal, F., Welshons, W. Manmade and natural oestrogens: opposite effects on assisted reproduction. Nat Rev Endocrinol 12, 251–252 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.38

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.38

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing