Impact of Environmental Toxic Elements on Ovarian Structure

Journal of Research and Development Peer Reviewed International, Open Access Journal. ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-10(II)| October2025 122 Impact of Environmental Toxic Elements on Ovarian Structure And Function: A Histological and Molecular Study Jaya Panthi Barethia1, Dr. Sushma Mishra2 Govt. P.G College Bina [email protected] Manuscript ID: JRD -2025-171028 ISSN: 2230-9578 Volume 17 Issue 10(II) Pp. 122-125 October 2025 Submitted: 07 Oct. 2025 Revised: 20 Oct. 2025 Accepted: 25 Oct. 2025 Published: 31 Oct. 2025 Abstract: - Ovarian cancer is one of the major caused of mortality in mammalian woman.several environmental toxicants like Cd,Hg,Pd, caused major carcinomas in female reproductive organs. This study focused on global view of ovarian cancer caused by environmental toxic elements and also covers epidemiology, types and probable outcome of such kinds of ovarian cancer. KeyWords: primordial germ cells (PGC), infertility, Ovarian cancer,neoplasms, Bis-phenol, dysgerminoma, teratoma Introduction: - The story of gametogenesis and sex-specific gonadial formation starts with theorigin of pluripotent primordial germ cells (PGC) in the extraembryonic tissue followed by their migration towards the gonadial ridge. Infertility is trying to getpregnant with frequent, unprotected sex for at least a year with no success. Infertility results from female factors about one-third of the time and both female and male factors about one-third of the time. The cause is either unknown or a combination of male and female factors in the remaining cases.According to literature infertility corresponds to the failure to achieve aclinical pregnancy after 12 months (woman < 35 years) or after 6 months (women > 35 years) of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. It affects 8 12 % ofreproductive-aged couples worldwide, a percentage that may even increase up to 25% for couples living in western countries [31-9]. The terms infertility and sub fertility can be used inter changeably.Although sub fertility more generally addresses any from or grade of reduced fertility.Infertility may be classified as primary (difficulties to conceive at all) or secondary (difficulties to conceive the desired number of children[31].In the female, infertility should be differentiated from impairment of fecundity, Which includes either frank infertility or difficulty of carrying a pregnancy to term (recurrent implantation failure)[9,3]. While inf ertility may be limited to a period of time, sterility corresponds to a permanent state of infertility [28]. Often (25-50% of cases),female infertility is related to an ovulation [31]. However, different conditions-affecting the single individual, the couple or the environment are claimed to be responsible or contribute to some extent to the establishment of a full-blown condition of infertility.Cancer is a disease in which some of the body cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. It is start all most anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells.Normally, human cells grow in multiply to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.Ovarian cancer is a group of diseases that originates in the ovaries, or in the related areas of the fallopian tubes and the peritoneum. During the early stages of ovarian cancer symptoms may be present but are of 10 vague and ill-defined.Symptoms may include pelvic or abdominal discomfort, increased abdominal size orbloating, decreased appetite, feeling full after eating a small amount of food, or urinary symptoms.Ovarian carcinoma comprises a heterogeneous group of neoplasm's thatrepresents the seventh most lethal malignancy affecting woman worldwide (and eighteenth most common carcinoma overall) Quick Response Code: Website: https://jrdrvb.org/ DOI: Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work noncommercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations ae licensed under the idential terms. Address for correspondence: Jaya Panthi Barethia,Govt. P.G College Bina How to cite this article: Jaya Panthi Barethia, Sushma Mishra,(2025 ),Impact of Environmental Toxic Elements on Ovarian Structure And Function: A Histological and Molecular Study,Journal of Research & Development, 17(10(II)),122-125 Original Article Journal of Research and Development Peer Reviewed International, Open Access Journal. ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-10(II)| October2025 123 and is a major cause of gynecological carcinoma -related death in the western world .previously. It has been suggested that the origin of most ovarian carcinoma is from the ovarian surface epithelium or postovulatory inclusion cysts formed after follicular rupture and repair [16,12]. There are many hypotheses on the occurrence of ovarian carcinoma among woman.According to the "incessant ovulation" hypothesis, a wound is created during every ovulation, Which results in increased cell proliferation to repair the epithelial cells.Serous carcinomas (52%) Mucinous carcinoma (6%) Endometrioid carcinoma (10%) Clear cell carcinoma (6%) The maximum frequency (approximately 85%) of ovarian carcinoma is found within the epithelial cells [15]. Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma is a relatively recent finding in understanding the development of ovarian carcinoma and it represents the precursor lesion in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma [10],other disease-related forms of infertility are represented by hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, disorders of ciliary function and cystic fibrosis, Infertility is also frequently associated to reproductive tract infections [1]. Different endocrine pathologies, such as hypothalamic, pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, and ovarian disorders, may impair fertility as well [16]. It has been recognized that environmental pollution can affect the quality of health of the female reproductive system. Some toxicants such as lead, cadmium,mercury are among the group of highly emitted contaminations and their adverse effect of living organisms has been widely studied in present decades.Lifestyle and quality of the ambient environment are these toxicants which can mainly contribute to the heavy metals exposure in female reproductive systems.The present study is carried out to the effect of environmental toxicants in mammalian ovarian cancer.Air pollution has been nowadays clearly put in relation with some forms of cancer and with cardiovascular and respiratory disease as well. Air pollutants could also act as endocrine disruptors, being direct or indirect causes of infertility in female population, although further studies are needed to better clarify this possibleconnection [5]. Environmental chemicals present in water and food could also affect female reproduction. Biphenyl, primarily used in the production of polycarbonate plastics, and phthalate plasticizers, for example, may affect ovarian functions and pregnancy, leading to infertility [21]. Pesticides may also exert a pivotal role in compromising female infertility. For example, mancozeb and linden, two endocrine disruptors widely used in agriculture, are able to dramatically jeopardize the production of fertilizable oocytes [22-19] This may result in the increased likelihood of DNA damage and carcinoma mutation [8,27], approximately 75% of women present with the disease are diagnosed in advanced stages [26]. On the basis of histology. ovarian carcinoma is classified into three main categories based on the ovarian tissues that cause carcinoma epithelial ovarian tumor (which covers the ovary and its subtypes that include serous mucinous,endometrioid and clear cell),germ cell tumor (cells that become ova and its subtypes including dysgerminoma immature teratoma and yolk sec tumor), and sex cord -stromal cell tumor (which produces hormones with subtypes of malignant granulose cell tumor and Sertoli - Leydig cell tumor) [17].Environmental toxicants (ETs) have been proven to exert deter mental effects on ovaries causing various reproductive problems. One class of such compounds are the EDCs or endocrine disruptors. Most EDCs are manmade chemicals.They are found in routinely and frequently used materials such as agrochemicals, personal care products, plastics, metals and additives or contaminants in certain food. EDCs can also be found in drinking water, food, air and diet (Azzizet al. 2009; wee and Aris 2019). They can interfere with the endorine system of body and affect various hormone-related functions. According to the Environmental protection Agency (EPA), an EDC is defined as 'an exogenous agent that interferes with biosynthesis, secretion, transports, metabolism, binding action, or elimination of natural blood-borne hones present in the body. Which are responsible for homeostasis, reproduction, and developmental process'(Diamenti-Kandarakis et.2009). EDCs can, not only affect the reproductive system in adulthood, but also form a basis for adult reproductive problems upon exposure during the fetal or developmental phase. Their disruptive action on the endocrine system is often termed as 'The fetal basis of adult disease can occur much later in life after the early exposure in the development life. Discussion:- The signs of toxicity of cadmium, lead, and mercury in reproductive organs appear to be strikingly similar when each is administered individually. The effects of cadmium on the structure and function of ovaries were first reported in 1959 KAR A,B. A significant study was published, a couple of years later, to describe the effect of a subcutaneous injection of cadmium salts on the ovaries of adult rats in persistent estrus [20].In another study, exposed rats had a significantly higher ovarian weight and a higher number of antral and atretic follicles, compared with controls [14]. The effects of cadmium on ovarian follicles were related to changes in gonadotropin hormones and decreases in follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). A significant formation of oxidative stress in ovarian of Cd-exposed rats was evident from increased levels of the lipid peroxidation product, malondialdehyde (MDA) in combination with decreased levels of an antioxidant enzyme, catalase [23].Cadmium also affects the maturation of follicles, degradation of the corpus luteum and the arrangement of follicles and corpus luteum and increases the number of atresia follicles [29]. In an analysis of ovary morphology,visualized by the expression of the granulosa-cell-specific factor (AMH), there were no differences in the follicle number in each stage (primordial, primary, secondary, and antral follicles) in cadmium-exposed groups [33]. The number of TUNEL-positive cells in the ovaries of cadmium-exposed groups did not differ from controls as did the levels of SOD and MDA in the ovaries [13]. An age-specific effect of cadmium in women was evident from a study using anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) that is secreted by granulosa cells of antral Journal of Research and Development Peer Reviewed International, Open Access Journal. ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-10(II)| October2025 124 follicles as an indicator of ovarian function [13].An inverse association between cadmium and AMH was seen only in women aged between 30 and 35 years. Therefore, it is concluded that environmental exposure to cadmium may alter the AMH level and ovarian function depending on age [13].Lead exposure affects female reproduction mainly by impairing menstruation, reducing fertility potential, delaying conception time and altering hormonal production and circulation, affecting pregnancy and its outcome [11]. Reported effects of lead include infertility, miscarriage, early membrane rupture, preeclampsia, pregnancy hypertension, and preterm birth [31]. A review of studies from China described the possible links between low-level lead exposure and adverse effects on the reproductive system. Effects manifested mainly as high prevalence rates of menstrual disturbance, spontaneous abortion, and threatened abortion in exposed females [32].Lead exposure is associated with hormonal imbalance causing reproductive impairment, and the accumulation of lead affects many endocrine glands [7]. It affects the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, causing blunted thyroid-stimulating hormone, growth hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone FSH luteinizing hormone LH responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone, growth hormone-releasing hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation.High blood lead levels were associated with a delay in the onset of puberty, after adjustment for possible confounders. Blood lead levels (≥5 μg/dL) were associated with lower levels of maturation at 9 years of age, and slower progression of pubic hair and breast development [6]. Gender differences in the effects of prenatal and postnatal lead exposure on pubertal development have been noted [18]. Accumulating evidence suggests that chronic exposure to low levels of environmental lead may have the following effects in females: menstruation cycles, offspring development, the intellectual ability, offspring weight, and hormonal production [6]. In females, mercury can accumulate in ovaries and can cause changes in reproductive behavior, infertility and ovarian failure [4,2]. Studies using experimental animals have shown that increased doses of mercury inflate the potential number of reproductive disorders (i.e., infertility, stillbirth, congenital malformations, and spontaneous abortion) [24]. Conclusion:- Despite the undeniable progresses, protocols for in vitro growth of ovarian follicles from fresh or cryopreserved ovarian tissue fragments have not been optimized thus far. In ovaries, the most significant changes are decreased follicular growth,increased number of atretic follicles, degeneration of the corpus luteum, and prolonged and/or irregular cycle. In testes, the most significant changes include disorganization of seminiferous tubules; alterations in spermatogenic cell arrangement; alterations in the basal membrane structure; abnormalities of the testicular stroma; decreased spermatozoa count, motility, and viability; and altered spermatozoa morphology. These are signs of adverse effects of cadmium, lead, and mercury on the architecture of reproductive organs, which are both doseand timedependent. In general, toxic effects of various substances in reproductive organs occur at low concentrations. 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