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While all links worked when entries were posted to the database, different publishers
have different policies about retaining articles and providing access to archived material.
Thus some of the links, particularly older ones, may no longer be functional.
For links no longer working, you may be able to gain paid access to text via the publisher's site.
Prenatal exposure to dioxin results in an increased susceptibility to mammary (breast) cancer in adult life.
Using a rat model, this research team found prenatal exposure to the potent dioxin, TCDD, did not change DNA methylation patterns but did cause changes in protein levels in the mammary gland. Proteins important for detoxifying free radicals were amongst those to be altered and could increase the vulnerability of the gland to other cancer-causing substances. Reproductive Toxicology. 15 April 2007. More...
Prenatal exposure to flaxseed may increase susceptibility to mammary (breast) cancer later in life.
Flaxseed contains many beneficial components that might lower the risk of breast cancer but also contains the heavy metal and estrogen-mimicking chemical, cadmium. In this rodent study, exposure to flaxseed during pregnancy and lactation resulted in an increased number of tumors and changes in estrogen receptor expression. It was not possible to tell if the causative agent in thi study was cadmium or not. Reproductive Toxicology. 15 April 2007. More...
An overview of the longterm effects of smoking during pregnancy on the development of adult disease.
Smoking during pregnancy is well-recognized to cause poor birth outcomes such as preterm labor and low birth weight. This article reviews the evidence for prenatal tobacco smoke exposure and obesity, diabetes, asthma and cancer. Reproductive Toxicology. 15 April 2007. More...
Leading scientists who study the fetal basis of adult disease review major findings in an issue of Reproductive Toxicology that focuses on this subject.
This shifting paradigm in science suggests that susceptibility to disease is set in utero or neonatally. Exposures to environmental toxicants during this time and/or altered nutrition may result in irreversible changes that are manifest in adulthood as obesity, reproductive disorders, cardiovascular, respiratory or neurological disease. Reproductive Toxicology 15 April 2007. More...
The placenta is not a barrier that can protect a developing fetus from xenobiotic chemicals.
Pharmaceutical drugs, drugs of abuse, tobacco products, and environmental chemicals have been measured in umbilical cord blood, amniotic fluid, and meconium. Some of these chemicals have been associated with adverse birth outcomes, neurological damage and adult-onset disease. Reproductive Toxicology 15 April 2007. More...
A growing body of evidence indicates that exposures to environmental chemicals can alter gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms.
Epigenetic changes in patterns of DNA methylation and chromatin modification have been observed after exposure to xenobiotic chemicals and low-dose radiation. These changes are transmitted to offspring over several generations and may influence the onset of adult disease. Reproductive Toxicology 15 April 2007. More...
Exposure to the plant estrogen, genistein, alters the reproductive function of female mice.
Mice had increased uterine weight, abnormal follicles (eggs) and reduced fertility at environmentally relevant doses. These effects were transmitted to subsequent generations suggesting an irreversible and transgenerational effect. Reproductive Toxicology 15 April 2007. More...
Dioxin exposure alters gene expression patterns in endometrial cells and may lead to endometriosis.
Endometriosis is a common cause of infertility and exposure to dioxin has previously been associated with development of endometriosis but the mechanism is unknown. Mice exposed to the potent dioxin, TCDD, during critical periods of development had changes in gene expression patterns identical to those seen in human endometrial cells, suggesting a decreased responsiveness to progesterone and increased invasiveness of endometrial cells. Reproductive Toxicology. 15 April 2007. More...
Developmental exposure to endocrine disruptors may alter adult ovarian function by targeting steroid synthesis.
Pesticides, detergents and surfactants, plastics, industrial compounds and natural plant estrogens can exert estrogenic, anti-estrogenic and anti-androgenic effects. These compounds also may cause transgenerational effects by targeting oocyte maturation and maternal sex chromosomes. Reproductive Toxicology. 15 April 2007. More...
Exposure to a mixture of anti-androgenic chemicals during development leads to male reproductive abnormalities.
Cryptorchidism (undescended testicles), atypical sperm and sexual dysfunction were observed in rabbits exposed to DDT and vinclozolin. These outcomes are consistent with the hypothesis of testicular dysgenesis syndrome caused by exposures to endocrine disruptors during fetal development. Reproductive Toxicology 15 April 2007. More...
Exposure to estrogenic compounds during prenatal development predisposes offspring to prostate cancer later in life.
Prostate cancer is an adult disease but new research suggests exposures early in life or even before birth could increase the susceptibility to or increase the appearance of prostate cancer. This effect has been shown for a wide range of chemicals and doses, from low doses of the environmental estrogen, bisphenol A, to high doses of synthetic estrogens. Reproductive Toxicology 15 April 2007. More...
Everyday exposure of American men to common insecticides causes alterations in thyroid function.
Exposure to chlorpyrifos was associated with hormone changes found in hypothyroidism, a increase in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and a decrease in free T4. Proper thyroid hormone levels are essential for optimal body function, including reproduction. Exposure to these insecticides has previously been associated with abnormalities in semen parameters. Reproductive Toxicology. 1 October 2006. More...
Prenatal exposure to common plasticizer chemicals, phthalates, results in features consistent with testicular dysgenesis syndrome.
Genital malformations, sperm abnormalities, and testicular tumors are found in testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) and are reportedly increasing in humans. TDS has been observed in rodents after exposure to phthalates and human studies have found similar outcomes in humans exposed to phthalates prenatally. Reproductive Toxicology. 16 July 2006. More...
Top obstetricians and gynecologists call for a 21st century research agenda on polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
PCOS is a poorly understood and characterized disease that is associated with infertility. Developing better criteria for the disease would improve diagnosis and improve research on this disease. Laboratory research that informs clinical care and that involves a number of scientific disciplines is necessary for progress to be made in preventing this disorder. Reproductive Toxicology. 1 June 2006. More...
Studies in rats indicate the fetus is exposed to toxic breakdown products of phthalates in the womb during sensitive periods of development.
Increasing levels of exposure in the mother to the phthalates DEHP and DBP, resulted in increasing levels of the more toxic metabolites, free-MEHP and free-MBP in amniotic fluid. Unlike the adult, the fetus lacks the enzymes necessary to detoxify these metabolites. MEHP levels in maternal urine may provide a good surrogate marker for fetal exposure to DEHP, but less consistent results were observed for DBP exposures. Toxicology 5 January 2006. More...
Science Byte. Scientists calculate that health standards will be exceeded with more than one meal of farmed salmon from northern Europe every 5 months.
The cancer advisories are driven by nondioxin-like PCBs and pesticides but not by dioxins or dioxin-like PCBs. Salmon farmed in North and South America trigger advisories with half to one meal per month. Environmental Research. 5 November 2005. More...
Prenatal exposure to PCBs/PCDFs in girls from Taiwan is associated with altered menstrual cycles and abnormal hormone profiles.
Exposed girls had a menstrual cycle on average one day shorter than non-exposed and a 40% higher rate of irregular menstrual cycles. Serum levels of estradiol and the pituitary hormone, FSH, were also higher in exposed girls. Chemosphere 1 October 2005. More...
Science Byte: Experiments with pancreatic cells in culture reveal that long-term exposure to bisphenol A and nonylphenol causes increased insulin secretion.
Details of the experiment demonstrate the effect was mediated by the estrogen receptor. Levels used were high relative to common environmental exposures. The scientists reporting the result conclude that "these environmental chemicals may be new factors that induce long-term hyperinsulinemia, resulting in obesity, exhaustion of pancreatic b-cells and diabetes mellitus." Food and Chemical Toxicology. 14 March 2005. More...
Study finds an increased incidence of male genital birth defects in a Sicilian town with industrial and agricultural pollution.
Baby boys in the industrial town of August had a 4-fold increase in hypospadias. Boys born in the agricultural town of Vittoria had a 2-fold increase in hypospadias. Although exposure to industrial chemicals and pesticides is high in these communities, genetic and other factors also may be involved. Reproductive Toxicology 15 September 2003. More...
In 2002, Australian researchers described fetal programming and reproductive health.
At the time, this was a relatively new theory that hypothesized fetal and early life exposures have life-long implications for reproductive health. This review focuses on polycystic ovarian syndrome and fetal exposures. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2 November 2002. More...
Mice exposed in the womb to estrogenic chemicals undergo epigenetic changes in DNA methylation patterns.
Female mice exposed in utero to the drug, DES, or an organochlorine pesticide, methoxychlor, had hypermethylation of DNA. In utero exposure to DES resulted in a non-monotonic response with low doses causing an increase in uterine weight and high doses causing a decrease in uterine weight. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 15 August 2002. More...
Study reviews the effects of DES on female reproductive function.
Exposure to DES in the womb resulted in reduced fertility and increased rates of ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, and preterm delivery. Although use of DES was discontinued in the 1970s, women exposed in the womb continue to suffer reproductive effects and growing evidence indicates there are second generation effects. Fertility and Sterility 1 July 2002. More...
Evidence from animal studies shows that prenatal exposure to octylphenol (OP) is associated with transgenerational effects.
Treatment with OP extended pregnancy length and induced cellular changes in the cervix of the parental generation. In F1 offspring, the onset of puberty was acceleratd and litter size was reduced. Theriogenology 1 January 2001. More...
Measurable levels of herbicides found in the semen of Ontario farmers who have recently used them.
Approximately half of the farmers had detectable levels of the commonly used herbicide 2,4-D in their semen samples. This is the first study to measure 2,4-D in semen. The presence of this chemical in semen could be toxic to sperm or could be transferred to a woman or a developing fetus. Reproductive Toxicology 18 December 2000. More...
Turkish women accidently exposed to the fungicide, hexachlorobenze (HCB), experienced an increased rate of miscarriage.
In 1955-57 women were accidentally exposed to HCB after eating contaminated seed grain. In a retrospective cohort study, women with higher serum levels of HCB were found to have an increased rate of miscarriage. Animals studies have shown HCB interferes with the synthesis of estrogen. Reproductive Toxicology 25 July 2000. More...
In a study of women with infertility in Germany, reproductive abnormalities are associated with higher levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons.
Elevated levels of DDT, HCH and PCBs were associated with uterine fibroids, endometriosis, miscarriages,infertility, and hormonal disturbances. Other studies have found conflicting evidence on the role of organochlorines in female reproductive abnormalities. Environmental Research 1 May 2000. More...
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