Research description
Nowadays, approximately 150,000 different chemicals are in the market in USA, EU, Japan and China. We are exposed to many chemicals including those that are known to disrupt our endocrine system (i.e. endocrine disrupting chemicals, EDCs). Many EDCs are shown to disrupt reproductive performance, leading to adverse outcomes such as ovarian dysgenesis, early depletion of ovarian reserve and infertility. FREIA project aims to develop a screening and identification approach for endocrine disrupting chemicals targeting ovary. The novel endpoints and mechanisms of ovarian disruption are investigated using in-vitro ovarian tissue culture and primary cell culture. Tissues and primary ovarian cells are exposed to diethylstilbestrol and ketoconazole and effects on steroidogenesis and follicle features are studied. We aim to develop a human-relevant screening and identification approach for EDCs and implement the findings to regulatory guideline assays for reproductive toxicity in rats.