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Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics on Bovine Oocyte In Vitro Maturation
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Polyethylene microplastics (10–30 µm) at environmentally relevant concentrations were found to affect bovine oocyte maturation in vitro, with effects assessed on nuclear maturation, mitochondrial function, glutathione levels, and subsequent embryo development. These results raise concerns about microplastic-induced reproductive toxicity in mammals, with implications for understanding fertility impacts in wildlife and potentially humans exposed to plastic contamination.
The information presented in the institutional repository of the CONICET contains data from a study that investigated whether polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs; 10–30 μm), at concentrations reported in vivo, affect bovine oocyte maturation and subsequent embryonic development. Bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes were matured in vitro for 24 h in the presence of 0, 0.025, 0.5, or 1.5 μg/mL PE-MPs. Nuclear maturation, mitochondrial distribution, content, and membrane potential (ΔΨm), intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels in oocytes, progesterone secretion by cumulus cells, and embryo development following IVF were evaluated.
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