Impact of benzophenone-2 exposure on the reproductive outcomes in adult female mice

Benzophenone-2 (BP2) is considered a potential endocrine disruptor, but due to limited data availability, its specific impact on reproductive function is not fully understood. The current study investigated the in vivo toxic effect of BP2 in female mice at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight, which aimed to evaluate whether it can show an impact on reproductive estrous cycle, ovarian weight, biochemical parameters, histoarchitecture, and ovarian follicle count when administered daily for 7 and 21 days in female mice. This study tested the hypothesis that BP2 disrupts pregnancy parameters in mice. The data indicate that 7- and 21-day exposure to BP2 caused irregularities in different phases of the estrous cycle, such as significantly prolonged duration in estrus and significantly decreased duration in the diestrus phase. The effects of BP2 included elevated serum AST, ALT, cholesterol, and triglycerides. The percentage of different stages of developed, healthy follicles, and corpus luteum was significantly reduced, and atretic follicles increased in the treatment mice. Besides, BP2 altered prenatal fertility outcomes in pregnant mice. In conclusion, this study suggests that the BP2 exerts an anti-fertility effect on reproductive functions in adult female mice, highlighting the potential risks of reproductive issues caused in females exposed to BP2.