Endocrine imbalance

Endocrine Effects. Male and female mice were exposed to 0, 175, 350, or 700 mg/kg/day acenaphthene by gavage for 13 weeks (EPA 1989c). No signs of endocrine imbalance were seen during life for any dose group, and no gross or microscopic damage was seen upon necropsy. 

The potential for using endocrine imbalance as a means of insect pest control was suggested by Williams (9,10) He proposed that exposing immature insects to juvenile hormone (JH) at the time of metamorphosis, when JH is normally absent, would cause abnormal development and individuals incapable of survival. Since insect metamorphosis is unique, JH disruption would affect only insects. This would result in an environmentally safe approach to insect control as compared to current chemical pesticides which are less insect specific and more biocidal. The JH approach to pest insect control is most effective when adults are the destructive stage, and commercial preparations of JH mimics are available for use in the control of adult flies, mosquitoes, and fleas and, recently, for cockroach reproduction. However, many pest insects are destructive as larvae. 

It is a great leap from observing experimental responses to endocrine imbalance in the laboratory to controlling insects in the field by neuroendocrine disruption. Nevertheless, laboratory experiments indicate that sustained neuroendocrine disruption would have profound effects on growth, development and physiological functions. Whereas experimental procedures such as injection of a... 

Spironolactone (e.g., Aldactone) Antagonist of aldosterone (aldosterone causes Na+ retention). Also has actions similar to amiloride. Used with thiazides for edema (in congestive heart failure), cirrhosis, and nephrotic syndrome. Also to treat or diagnose hyperaldosteronism. As for amiloride. Also causes endocrine imbalances (acne, oily skin, hirsutism, gynecomastia)... 

A condition most frequently found in adolescent girls or young adult single women, characterized by pitiful emaciation resulting from self-inflicted voluntary starvation. The term implies that the condition is a neurosis, which is true in the majority of cases. Occasionally, however, it is caused by endocrine imbalances, usually resulting from disorders within the pituitary gland. 

The chemical assay of urinary 17-ketosteroids has become a widely used tool for the evaluation of gonadal function and some phases of adrenal cortical and pituitary function, as well as more obscure aspects of endocrine imbalance. Its principal value lies in the fact that gross hyper-and hypofunction of these endocrine glands may be detected rather readily. In addition, the assay may be used as a guide in adjusting dose levels of those steroids which give rise to 17-ketosteroids in the urine, as well as agents such as ACTH which exert a more indirect effect upon ketosteroid excretion. 

Frequently, MCS involves imbalances in one s nervous, immune, and endocrine systems, and impaired detoxification abilities. Conditions such as CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome), fibromyalgia, and Candida Syndrome are frequently found in people with MCS. It is not yet known whether these are separate diseases or whether they represent different manifestations of a common underlying problem. 

Figure 13.32 The female triad disordered eating, osteoporosis and menstrual cycle disturbance. A low energy intake and high energy expenditure can Lead to endocrine changes that result in osteoporosis and disturbance in the menstrual cycle. A low energy intake in female runners, rowers or gymnasts in order to maintain a low body weight can lead to other disturbances in eating such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa. Stress may contribute to energy imbalance and may have additional effects on the hypothalamus.

It has also been hypothesized that long-term hormone imbalance can induce cancers in endocrine-sensitive organs, such as gonads, adrenals, thyroid, prostate, and breast. Lipid-soluble compounds are of special concern because they are retained in the body, therefore causing a long-term effect. Some of these chemicals are known cytochrome P450 enzyme inducers, such as PCBs, DDT, and butylated hydro-xytoluene, and have been implicated in cancers in the adrenals, uterus, and thyroid. 

Metabolic bone diseases result from a partial uncoupling or imbalance between bone resorption and formation. Decreased bone mass, or osteopenia, is more common than abnormal increases of bone mass. The most prevalent metabolic bone diseases are osteoporosis, osteomalacia and rickets, and renal osteodystrophy. Osteoporosis, the most prevalent metabolic bone disease in developed countries, is characterized by loss of bone mass, microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, and increased risk of fracture. Rickets and osteomalacia, which are more common in the less-developed countries, are characterized by defective mineralization of bone matrix. Renal osteodystrophy is a complex condition that develops in response to abnormalities of the endocrine and excretory functions of the kidneys. These three metabolic bone diseases and Paget s disease, a localized bone disease, are discussed below followed by laboratory markers of bone metabolism. 

Zhao J, Moch H, Scheidweiler AF, et al. Genomic imbalances in the progression of endocrine pancreatic tumors. Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2001 32 364-372. 

Address underlying cause (e.g. drugs, infections, fluid/electrolyte imbalance, metabolic/endocrine disorders, hypoxia, sensory deprivation, urinary retention, trauma). 

Does the patient have any other conditions Heart disease, renal insufficiency, diabetes, or endocrine conditions (e.g., Cushing, hyperaldosteronism, diabetes insipidus, or SIADH), which could place the patient at high risk for fluid overload, dehydration, or electrolyte imbalance when combined with the current assault. 

The integral part that endocrine glands and their hormones play in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance provides a clear basis why dysfunction in these glands would result in fluid, electrolyte, or acid-base imbalances. Three conditions will be bighligbted here to indicate this point. 

In areas of osteoporosis, the calcified bone is progressively replaced by the softer components of the skeleton (fibrous tissue, fat, and marrow). The pathogenesis of osteoporosis has not been established and therefore an adequate classification is not available. Cases of osteoporosis are grouped in two main categories those patients in whom osteoporosis results from endocrine or vitamin imbalance, and the idiopathic cases of osteoporosis, which cannot be traced to a well-established pathogenesis [26-28]. 

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