scholarly journals Combined Effects of Different Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) on Prostate Gland

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9772
Author(s):  
Maria De Falco ◽  
Vincenza Laforgia
Keyword(s):  
Hormonal Regulation ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Prostate Gland ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Simultaneous Exposure ◽  
Normal Prostate ◽  
Prostate Hyperplasia ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Prostate Diseases

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) belong to a heterogeneous class of environmental pollutants widely diffused in different aquatic and terrestrial habitats. This implies that humans and animals are continuously exposed to EDCs from different matrices and sources. Moreover, pollution derived from anthropic and industrial activities leads to combined exposure to substances with multiple mechanisms of action on the endocrine system and correlated cell and tissue targets. For this reason, specific organs, such as the prostate gland, which physiologically are under the control of hormones like androgens and estrogens, are particularly sensitive to EDC stimulation. It is now well known that an imbalance in hormonal regulation can cause the onset of various prostate diseases, from benign prostate hyperplasia to prostate cancer. In this review, starting with the description of normal prostate gland anatomy and embryology, we summarize recent studies reporting on how the multiple and simultaneous exposure to estrogenic and anti-androgenic compounds belonging to EDCs are responsible for an increase in prostate disease incidence in the human population.

scholarly journals Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Current Understanding, New Testing Strategies and Future Research Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 933
Author(s):  
Maria E. Street ◽  
Karine Audouze ◽  
Juliette Legler ◽  
Hideko Sone ◽  
Paola Palanza
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Important Class ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Health And Disease

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous chemicals which can disrupt any action of the endocrine system, and are an important class of substances which play a role in the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) [...]

scholarly journals Endocrine System and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals(EDCs).

2001 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-64
Author(s):  
R. Yoshiyuki Osamura ◽  
Toshiki Iwasaka ◽  
Shinobu Umemura
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting

scholarly journals Epigenetic modifications associated with in utero exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals BPA, DDT and Pb

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chinonye Doris Onuzulu ◽  
Oluwakemi Anuoluwapo Rotimi ◽  
Solomon Oladapo Rotimi
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disruptors ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Environmental Chemicals ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Epigenetic Alterations ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Hormone System ◽  
Developmental Windows

Abstract Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are xenobiotics which adversely modify the hormone system. The endocrine system is most vulnerable to assaults by endocrine disruptors during the prenatal and early development window, and effects may persist into adulthood and across generations. The prenatal stage is a period of vulnerability to environmental chemicals because the epigenome is usually reprogrammed during this period. Bisphenol A (BPA), lead (Pb), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were chosen for critical review because they have become serious public health concerns globally, especially in Africa where they are widely used without any regulation. In this review, we introduce EDCs and describe the various modes of action of EDCs and the importance of the prenatal and developmental windows to EDC exposure. We give a brief overview of epigenetics and describe the various epigenetic mechanisms: DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs, and how each of them affects gene expression. We then summarize findings from previous studies on the effects of prenatal exposure to the endocrine disruptors BPA, Pb and DDT on each of the previously described epigenetic mechanisms. We also discuss how the epigenetic alterations caused by these EDCs may be related to disease processes.

scholarly journals Stem Cells as Hormone Targets That Lead to Increased Cancer Susceptibility

Endocrinology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 156 (10) ◽  
pp. 3451-3457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail S. Prins ◽  
Esther L. Calderon-Gierszal ◽  
Wen-Yang Hu
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Progenitor Cell ◽  
Cancer Susceptibility ◽  
Prostate Gland ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Cell Populations ◽  
Cancer Etiology ◽  
The Past ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting

Major advances during the past decade have permitted a clearer understanding of processes that regulate stem cell self-renewal and lineage commitment toward differentiated progeny that populate all tissues. Considerable evidence has also accumulated to indicate that aberrations in the stem and progenitor cell populations can lead to increased cancer risk in specific organs systems. It is long recognized that environmental factors play a major role in cancer etiology, and emerging data suggest that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may contribute to an increased cancer risk. Using the prostate gland as a model system, the present review highlights recent data that find that estrogens and EDCs can reprogram prostate stem and progenitor cell populations, leading to increased cancer susceptibility. We propose that stem cell programming during early development in hormone-regulated tissues may lead to heightened sensitivity to early-life EDC exposures and that aberrant stem cell reprogramming by EDCs may contribute to the developmental basis of adult cancer risk.

Effect of wastewater chlorination on endocrine disruptor removal

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (7) ◽  
pp. 1551-1556 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Noutsopoulos ◽  
D. Mamais ◽  
V. Samaras ◽  
T. Bouras ◽  
M. Marneri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Secondary Effluent ◽  
Batch Tests ◽  
Toxic Metabolites ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Water Courses ◽  
Removal Efficiencies

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are compounds of mainly anthropogenic origin that interfere with the endocrine system of animals and humans thus causing a series of disorders. Wastewater treatment plants are one of the major routes for transporting such chemicals to the water courses. In the context of this study, several chlorination batch tests were performed in order to assess the effectiveness of chlorination to remove bisphenol A (BPA), triclosan (TCS), nonylphenol (NP) and its ethoxylates (NP1EO and NP2EO) from secondary effluent. According to the results, an appreciable removal of NP, BPA and TCS to the order of 60–84% was observed as an effect of moderate chlorination doses. This was not the case for NP1EO and NP2EO as even at high chlorine doses, removal efficiencies were lower (37% for NP1EO and 52% for NP2EO). Removal efficiencies of NP, BPA and TCS are practically independent of contact time, although this was not the case for NP1EO and NP2EO. Based on toxicity experiments, it is anticipated that following chlorination of the target chemicals, production of more toxic metabolites is taking place. Therefore the effectiveness of chlorination to remove EDCs is questionable and more research is needed to guarantee safe wastewater reuse.

Interactions of endocrine-disrupting chemicals with stress responses in wildlife

2003 ◽  
Vol 75 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 2321-2333 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. G. Pottinger
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Environmental Contaminants ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Peripheral Tissues ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Corticosteroid Response

The extent to which nonreproductive aspects of the endocrine system are affected by environmental contaminants is to a large extent unknown. However, an emerging body of data demonstrates that the neuroendocrine stress response is a sensitive target for disruption by a range of environmental contaminants, at a number of discrete loci. Several mechanisms are responsible for generating and sustaining the corticosteroid response to a stressor, including synthesis of the steroid, negative feedback at the pituitary and hypothalamus, and clearance via metabolism and conjugation in peripheral tissues and the liver. Laboratory and field studies provide evidence that these elements of the stress response are susceptible to interference by EAS. The functional significance to the individual of interference with this important adaptive mechanism remains to be established.

scholarly journals Transcriptomics and Other Omics Approaches to Investigate Effects of Xenobiotics on the Placenta

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl S. Rosenfeld
Keyword(s):  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Environmental Toxicants ◽  
Bisphenol S ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Placental Function ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Pharmaceutical Agents

The conceptus is most vulnerable to developmental perturbation during its early stages when the events that create functional organ systems are being launched. As the placenta is in direct contact with maternal tissues, it readily encounters any xenobiotics in her bloodstream. Besides serving as a conduit for solutes and waste, the placenta possesses a tightly regulated endocrine system that is, of itself, vulnerable to pharmaceutical agents, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and other environmental toxicants. To determine whether extrinsic factors affect placental function, transcriptomics and other omics approaches have become more widely used. In casting a wide net with such approaches, they have provided mechanistic insights into placental physiological and pathological responses and how placental responses may impact the fetus, especially the developing brain through the placenta-brain axis. This review will discuss how such omics technologies have been utilized to understand effects of EDCs, including the widely prevalent plasticizers bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS), and phthalates, other environmental toxicants, pharmaceutical agents, maternal smoking, and air pollution on placental gene expression, DNA methylation, and metabolomic profiles. It is also increasingly becoming clear that miRNA (miR) are important epigenetic regulators of placental function. Thus, the evidence to date that xenobiotics affect placental miR expression patterns will also be explored. Such omics approaches with mouse and human placenta will assuredly provide key biomarkers that may be used as barometers of exposure and can be targeted by early mitigation approaches to prevent later diseases, in particular neurobehavioral disorders, originating due to placental dysfunction.

scholarly journals Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Risk of Breast Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 9139
Author(s):  
Louisane Eve ◽  
Béatrice Fervers ◽  
Muriel Le Romancer ◽  
Nelly Etienne-Selloum
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Mammary Gland ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Environmental Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Carcinogenic Effects ◽  
The Many

Breast cancer (BC) is the second most common cancer and the fifth deadliest in the world. Exposure to endocrine disrupting pollutants has been suggested to contribute to the increase in disease incidence. Indeed, a growing number of researchershave investigated the effects of widely used environmental chemicals with endocrine disrupting properties on BC development in experimental (in vitro and animal models) and epidemiological studies. The complex effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on hormonal pathways, involving carcinogenic effects and an increase in mammary gland susceptibility to carcinogenesis—together with the specific characteristics of the mammary gland evolving over the course of life and the multifactorial etiology of BC—make the evaluation of these compounds a complex issue. Among the many EDCs suspected of increasing the risk of BC, strong evidence has only been provided for few EDCs including diethylstilbestrol, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, dioxins and bisphenol A. However, given the ubiquitous nature and massive use of EDCs, it is essential to continue to assess their long-term health effects, particularly on carcinogenesis, to eradicate the worst of them and to sensitize the population to minimize their use.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Introduction to the Theme

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Lisco ◽  
Vito Angelo Giagulli ◽  
Michele Iovino ◽  
Edoardo Guastamacchia ◽  
Giovanni De Pergola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Adequate Treatment ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Hormone Synthesis ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Long Time

Background: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are natural or synthetic compounds deriving from different human activities and are widely spread into the environment, contributing to indoor and outdoor pollution. EDCs may be conveyed by food and water consumption and skin, airways, placental, and breastfeeding. Upon entering the circulation, they can interfere with endocrine system homeostasis by several mechanisms. Aim: In this narrative review, the authors overviewed the leading mechanisms by which EDCs interact and disrupt the endocrine system, leading to possible human health concerns. Results: The leading mechanisms of EDCs-related toxicity have been illustrated in in vitro studies and animal models and may be summarized as follows: receptor agonism and antagonism; modulation of hormone receptor expression; interference with signal transduction in hormone-responsive cells; epigenetic modifications in hormone-producing or hormone-responsive cells; interference with hormone synthesis; interference with hormone transport across cell membranes; interference with hormone metabolism or clearance; interference with the destiny of hormone-producing or hormone-responsive cells. Discussion: Despite these well-defined mechanisms, some limitations do not allow for conclusive assumptions. Indeed, epidemiological and ecological studies are currently lacking and usually refer to a specific cluster of patients (occupational exposure). Methodological aspects could further complicate the issue since these studies could require a long time to provide useful information. The lack of a real unexposed group in environmental conditions, possible interference of EDCs mixture on biological results, and unpredictable dose-response curves for some EDCs should also be considered significant limitations. Conclusion: Given these limitations, specific observational and long-term studies are needed to identify at-risk populations for adequate treatment of exposed patients and effective prevention plans against excessive exposure to EDCs.

scholarly journals Elucidating the Links Between Endocrine Disruptors and Neurodevelopment

Endocrinology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 156 (6) ◽  
pp. 1941-1951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thaddeus T. Schug ◽  
Ashley M. Blawas ◽  
Kimberly Gray ◽  
Jerrold J. Heindel ◽  
Cindy P. Lawler
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Learning Disorders ◽  
Environmental Chemicals ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽  
Nutritional Factors ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting

Abstract Recent data indicate that approximately 12% of children in the United States are affected by neurodevelopmental disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disorders, intellectual disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders. Accumulating evidence indicates a multifactorial etiology for these disorders, with social, physical, genetic susceptibility, nutritional factors, and chemical toxicants acting together to influence risk. Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals during the early stages of life can disrupt normal patterns of development and thus alter brain function and disease susceptibility later in life. This article highlights research efforts and pinpoints approaches that could shed light on the possible associations between environmental chemicals that act on the endocrine system and compromised neurodevelopmental outcomes.

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