Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Australia and University of Auckland & Repromed Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Hum Reprod. 2021 Jan 25;36(2):265-274. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deaa312.
Iodine is a vital micronutrient and its importance in thyroid function is well established. However, abnormalities in iodine intake may also have other effects. In particular, iodine is taken up avidly by the ovary and endometrium. Iodine deficiency is associated with reduced fertility. The use of high iodine concentration contrast media has recently been shown to improve conception rates in couples with unexplained infertility (UI). We hypothesize that this improvement could be related to the iodine excess and mechanisms independent of its action on thyroid. In this article, the metabolism of iodine and its potential role in fertility will be discussed, including the impact of both iodine deficiency and excess states and the importance of iodine in normal fetal development. This will include insights from animal studies on the effect of iodine in the uterine and ovarian structural environment, hormonal milieu and immunological factors affecting implantation. We speculate that iodine may well have a role as a potential therapy for UI.
碘是一种重要的微量营养素，其在甲状腺功能中的重要性已得到充分证实。然而，碘摄入的异常也可能产生其他影响。特别是，碘被卵巢和子宫内膜大量摄取。碘缺乏与生育能力降低有关。最近的研究表明，高浓度碘造影剂的使用可以提高不明原因不孕（UI）夫妇的受孕率。我们假设这种改善可能与碘过量有关，而与碘对甲状腺的作用无关。本文将讨论碘的代谢及其在生育能力中的潜在作用，包括碘缺乏和过量状态的影响，以及碘在正常胎儿发育中的重要性。这将包括动物研究对碘在子宫和卵巢结构环境、激素环境以及影响着床的免疫因素中的作用的见解。我们推测，碘可能在治疗 UI 方面发挥作用。
