In vitro and in vivo impairment of embryo implantation by commonly used fungicide Mancozeb

Abstract

The fungicide Mancozeb is an endocrine-disrupting chemical and the mode of action of Mancozeb on embryo implantation is largely unknown. Mancozeb (1 and 3 μg/ml) significantly reduced Jeg-3 trophoblastic spheroids attachment to endometrial epithelial Ishikawa cells. Mancozeb treatment from gestation day (GD) 1 to GD8 or from GD4 to GD8 significantly lowered the number of implantation sites with higher incidence of morphological abnormalities in the reproductive tissues. However, these were not seen in the treatment from GD1 to GD4. Mancozeb at 30 mg/kg BW/d did not alter the expression of p53, COX-2, or PGFS transcripts in the uterus, but down-regulated the PGES transcript and protein. Mancozeb treatment in human endometrial stromal cells did not alter the decidualization response, but the morphological transformation was impaired. Taken together, exposure to Mancozeb affected embryo implantation probably through the modulation of decidualization and to delineate the exact mode of action needs further investigations.