Main endocrine disruptors related to female reproductive health: biological basis of their association

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are those chemical substances capable of interfering with hormonal homeostasis, altering the synthesis, function, storage and / or metabolism of hormones. These substances are found in the environment and in a wide variety of products for daily use, so human exposure is permanent. Animal experiments have confirmed the capacity of EDs to induce reproductive disorders, which is why it has been suggested that they could be an important factor in causing human subfertility. Bisphenol A, phthalates and persistent organic compounds are three types of EDs present in the environment and associated with reproductive disorders. Consulting the MEDLINE and PubMed databases, in this review, a bibliography of the last 20 years is gathered where the effects caused by exposure to the mentioned EDs in women during adult life are evaluated. The effects on ovarian reserve markers and the results of in vitro fertilization treatments are summarized. On the other hand, the evidence at the molecular level of the effects caused by EDs on reproductive physiology is evaluated in in vitro and in vivo studies.