Abstract: Objective：To investigate the toxic effect of formaldehyde on the cellular viability and secretory function of human cytotrophoblasts at the first trimester stage. Methods：Human villi were obtained from nine patients undergoing abortion with the signed consent form. Cytotrophoblasts were extracted and cultured in vitro in medium, and then treated with formaldehyde（５0，100，150，200 μmol/L） for 48 hours. The cellular viability of cytotrophoblasts was determined with Cell Counting Kit （ＣＣＫ－８）， ｗｈｉｌｅ ｔｈｅ ｌｅｖｅｌ ｏｆ ｈｕｍａｎ ｃｈｏｒｉｏｎｉｃ ｇｏｎａｄｏｔｒｏｐｉｎ（ｈＣＧ） ｉｎ ｍｅｄｉｕｍ ｗａｓ ａｓｓａｙｅｄ ｗｉｔｈ ｒａｄｉｏｉｍｍｕｎｏａｓｓａｙ． ＤＭＥＭ/Ｆ１２ ｍｅｄｉｕｍ ｗａｓ ｕｓｅｄ ａｓ ｔｈｅ ｎｅｇａｔｉｖｅ ｃｏｎｔｒｏｌ． Ｒｅｓｕｌｔｓ：Ｔｈｅ ｃｅｌｌｕｌａｒ ｖｉａｂｉｌｉｔｉｅｓ ｏｆ ｃｙｔｏｔｒｏｐｈｏｂｌａｓｔｓ ｉｎ ｔｈｒｅｅ ｔｒｅａｔｍｅｎｔ ｇｒｏｕｐｓ ｗｉｔｈ ≥１００ μｍｏｌ／Ｌ ｏｆ ｆｏｒｍａｌｄｅｈｙｄｅ ｗａｓ ｓｉｇｎｉｆｉｃａｎｔｌｙ ｄｅｃｒｅａｓｅｄ ｔｈａｎ ｔｈａｔ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｃｏｎｔｒｏｌ ｇｒｏｕｐ （Ｐ＜０．０５）． Ｔｈｅ ｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｃｅｓ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｈＣＧ ｌｅｖｅｌｓ ａｍｏｎｇ ｔｈｏｓｅ ｇｒｏｕｐｓ ｗｅｒｅ ｎｏｔ ｓｉｇｎｉｆｉｃａｎｔ（Ｐ＞０．０５）． Ｃｏｎｃｌｕsions：Formaldehyde at a higher dosｅ （≥１００ μｍｏｌ/Ｌ） ｍａｙ ｒｅｄｕｃｅ ｔｈｅ ｃｅｌｌｕｌａｒ ｖｉａｂｉｌｉｔｙ ｏｆ ｃｙｔｏｔｒｏｐｈｏｂｌａｓｔｓ．

Key words: Formaldehyde, Chorionic villi, Chorionic gonadotropin, Cytotoxicity, immunologic