title: Biological Tools to Study the Effects of Environmental Contaminants at the Feto-Maternal Interface.
abstract: The identification of reproductive toxicants is a major scientific challenge for human health. Prenatal life is the most vulnerable and important time span of human development. For obvious ethical reasons, in vivo models cannot be used in human pregnancy, and animal models do not perfectly reflect human physiology. This review describes the in vitro test models representative of the human feto-maternal interface and the effects of environmental chemicals with estrogen-like activity, mainly bisphenol A and para-nonylphenol, with a particular emphasis on the effects at low, nontoxic doses similar to concentrations commonly detected in the population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; Department of Reproductive Immunology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mannelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ietta
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Avanzati
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Immunology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skarzynski
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paulesu
keywords: bisphenol A; human endometrium; human placenta; in vitro models; para-nonylphenol; xenoestrogens