REVIEW article
Front. Reprod. Health
Sec. Reproductive Epidemiology
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frph.2025.1563414
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Organochlorine Pesticides: Exploring Potential Links and Mechanisms
Provisionally accepted
Wanjia Yang1Feiyun Lin2Mei Jia3Ying Feng1Yanhong Chen4
Xiaoxia Bai5Yihan Dong6Shuduan Mao6Kashif Hayat6Xuejing Jin1*
Shanshan Yin7*- 1Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 2Hangzhou Women’s Hospital, Hangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- 3Hangzhou Xihu Xixi Community Health Service Center, Hangzhou, China
- 4Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 5Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 6Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 7University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder among women, characterized by metabolic abnormalities and infertility. Despite its high prevalence, the etiology and pathogenesis of PCOS remain poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that persistent organic pollutants (POPs), known for their detrimental effects on the endocrine and reproductive systems, may play a role in the development and progression of PCOS. Among POPs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are particularly widespread and pose significant health risks. This review examines the potential of OCPs as an environmental factor in the development and progression of PCOS. It highlights the mechanisms through which OCPs may disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis and impair hormonal regulation, contributing to the onset and exacerbation of PCOS. Evidence links OCPs to insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. These disruptions may occur via pathways involving hypothyroidism or altered adrenal androgen secretion. While current evidence supports a plausible connection between OCP exposure and PCOS, significant gaps and inconsistencies in the data warrant further investigation. Elucidating the precise mechanisms underlying these associations is crucial for developing targeted prevention and intervention strategies.
Keywords: Adrenal glands1, hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis2, insulin resistance3, metabolic abnormalities4, organochlorine pesticides5, polycystic ovary syndrome6
Received: 21 Jan 2025; Accepted: 11 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yang, Lin, Jia, Feng, Chen, Bai, Dong, Mao, Hayat, Jin and Yin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xuejing Jin, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
Shanshan Yin, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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