Toxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) on rodent male reproductive system: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control studies

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). According to recent studies, the associations between PBDEs and rodent male reproductive system are controversial. Therefore, we performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the effects of PBDEs on rodent male reproductive system. Data were extracted from articles collected from PubMed, Web of Science, and other databases. The pooled standard mean deviation (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to evaluate the association between the male rodent reproductive system impairment and PBDE exposure. Ten articles were included in the present meta-analysis and systematic review. The summary SMD of reproductive toxicity associated with PBDEs was −0.46 (95% CI: −0.69, −0.22), and the overall association between DE-71 along with BDE-209 and male reproductive system damage was statistically significant (SMD = −0.7 95% CI: −1.18, −0.21, p = .041; SMD = −0.41, 95% CI: −0.77, −0.05, p = .000). The adverse impact of PBDEs on rodent male reproductive system, especially seminal vesicle (SMD = −1.09, 95% CI: −1.49, −0.49, p = .523) and ventral prostate (SMD = −1.27, 95% CI: −1.88, −0.65, p = .821), were clearly demonstrated. Moderate (SMD = −0.81, 95% CI: −1.182, −0.437, p = .197) and high (SMD = −0.41, 95% CI: −0.76, −0.05, p = .000) dosage may have exerted effect than relatively low (SMD = −0.29, 95% CI: −0.17, 0.12, p = .136) dosage. In conclusion, our meta-analysis and systematic review suggested PBDE toxicity on the male reproductive system.