Male pubertal development: are endocrine-disrupting compounds shifting the norms
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of PediatricsDocument Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2013-08-01Keywords
AnimalsDioxins
Endocrine Disruptors
Endocrine System
Endosulfan
Environmental Exposure
Humans
Male
Puberty
Sexual Maturation
Endocrinology
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are synthetic or natural compounds that interfere with endogenous endocrine action. The frequent use of chemicals with endocrine active properties in household products and contamination of soil, water, and food sources by persistent chemical pollutants result in ubiquitous exposures. Wildlife observations and animal toxicological studies reveal adverse effects of EDCs on reproductive health. In humans, a growing number of epidemiological studies report an association with altered pubertal timing and progression. While these data are primarily reported in females, this review will focus on the small number of studies performed in males that report an association of polychlorinated biphenyls with earlier sexual maturity rating and confirm subtle effects of lead, dioxins, and endosulfan on delaying pubertal onset and progression in boys. Recent studies have also demonstrated that EDC exposure may affect pubertal testosterone production without having a noticeable effect on sexual maturity rating. A limitation to understand the effects of EDCs in humans is the potential for confounding due to the long temporal lag from early-life exposures to adult outcomes. The complex interplay of multiple environmental exposures over time also complicates the interpretation of human studies. These studies have identified critical windows of vulnerability during development when exposures to EDCs alter critical pathways and affect postnatal reproductive health. Contemporaneous exposures can also disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. This paper will review the normal process of puberty in males and summarize human data that suggest potential perturbations in pubertal onset and tempo with early-life exposures to EDCs.Source
J Endocrinol. 2013 Jul 11;218(2):R1-12. doi: 10.1530/JOE-12-0449. Print 2013. Link to article on publisher's siteDOI
10.1530/JOE-12-0449Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/36074PubMed ID
23709001Related Resources
Link to Article in PubMedae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1530/JOE-12-0449