# Phthalate-Induced Ovulatory Dysfunction in Women

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · 2021 · $249,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
This K99/R00 award will prepare Dr. Patrick Hannon for an independent research career, with the main goal of
providing Dr. Hannon all the necessary technical and professional skills to transition into a career in academia
and become a leader in the field of reproductive toxicology. Dr. Hannon has extensive training in elucidating
the effects of environmental toxicants on the ovary in rodent models, but in this K99/R00 he will expand his
research training and translate these findings into human health and fertility. These goals will be accomplished
with the support of Dr. Hannon's enthusiastic and exceptional mentoring team, led by Drs. Thomas Curry and
Humphrey Yao. The research proposal and career development plan created by Dr. Hannon with the guidance
of his mentoring team will provide Dr. Hannon with new experimental techniques and skills needed to establish
an independent research program. In the research training component, Dr. Hannon will elucidate the effects
and mechanisms by which phthalates, a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, impair ovulation and fertility
in humans and rodents. Women of reproductive age are exposed to phthalates on a daily basis because
phthalates are incorporated in a myriad of common consumer, medical, building, and personal care products.
However, little is known about the effects of environmentally relevant levels of phthalates on ovulation,
especially in humans. This is concerning because defects in ovulation are the leading cause of infertility in
women. Preliminary data for this proposal are the first to show that an environmentally relevant phthalate
mixture inhibits progesterone (P4) production and alters the mRNA levels of P4 receptor (PGR), prostaglandin-
endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), and amphiregulin (AREG) following human chorionic gonadotropin
treatment (hCG; analogous to the midcycle luteinizing hormone surge) in human and mouse ovarian cells. P4,
PGR, PTGS2, and AREG are known mediators of ovulation. Thus, these findings suggest that phthalate
exposure may disrupt ovulation contributing to infertility. A primary human granulosa cell model and mice will
be utilized to test the hypothesis that phthalates adversely impact ovulatory processes by altering the levels of
ovulatory mediators leading to impaired ovulation and fertility. Specific Aim 1 (Mentored Phase) will determine
which ovulatory events are impaired by phthalate exposure. Specific Aim 2 (Mentored and Independent
Phases) will elucidate the mechanisms by which phthalates impair these ovulatory processes. Specific Aim 3
(Independent Phase) will establish that phthalate exposure causes impaired ovulation and infertility in vivo.
These findings will establish the impact of phthalates on female fertility and reproductive health, while providing
Dr. Hannon the necessary research and professional skills for his academic career. Further, the attainment of
a greater understanding of the mechanisms of action of phthal...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10241441
- **Project number:** 5R00ES028748-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
- **Principal Investigator:** Patrick Ryan Hannon
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $249,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-02 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10241441

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10241441, Phthalate-Induced Ovulatory Dysfunction in Women (5R00ES028748-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10241441. Licensed CC0.

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