Ivermectin effects in cultured endothelial cells from porcine corpus luteum.

Authors

Giuseppina Basini, Melissa Berni, Laura Mazzera, Martina Tambassi, Simona Bussolati, Fausto Quintavalla, Simone Bertini, Alicia Maria Carrillo Heredero, Francesca Grasselli

Published in

Environmental toxicology and pharmacology. Pages 105082. Jun 19, 2026. Epub Jun 19, 2026.

Abstract

Ivermectin (IVM), a widely used antiparasitic, raises emerging concerns regarding reproductive toxicity. This study investigated the effects of clinically relevant IVM concentrations (20, 40, 60ng/mL) on endothelial cells from porcine corpus luteum, a translational model for vascular function. Proliferation and metabolic activity were assessed via BrdU ELISA and ATP bioluminescence assay, VEGF-A secretion by ELISA, redox status through superoxide and nitric oxide, FRAP assay, and SOD activity by colorimetric methods. IVM significantly impairs endothelial homeostasis by inhibiting proliferation (p<0.05) and suppressing VEGF-A production at higher doses (p<0.05), despite a compensatory increase in metabolic activity. IVM induced a biphasic nitric oxide effect (p<0.01) and elevated superoxide levels (p<0.05), causing oxidative DNA damage (p<0.001) and upregulating antioxidant defenses (p<0.05), while autophagosome load remained unchanged. These findings indicate potential risks to mammalian fertility through functional impairment of the corpus luteum microvasculature.

PMID:
42320658
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Jun 2026.

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