Proposed Mechanisms of Endocrine Disruption

There are many possible mechanisms by which chemicals may interact with the endocrine system, some of which are discussed below. 

In the initial phase of development of endocrine disruption research, attention 

Matthiessenand S. Haworth, in Seventh Annual Meeting of SETAC-Enrope, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Brussels, 1997, p. 45. K. Hylland, B. Braaten, F. R. Knudsenand C. Haux, in Seventh Annual Meeting of SETAC-Enrope, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Brussels, 1997, p. 45. 

Davis and S.A. Bortone, Advances in Modern Environmental Toxicology Volume XXL Chemically-Induced Alterations in Sexual and Eunctional Development The Wildlife/Human Connection, ed. T. Colborn and C. Clement, Princeton Scientific, New Jersey, 1992, p. 113. D.L. MacLatchy, Z. Yao, L. Tremblay and G.J. Van Der Kraak, in Proceedings of the 5th International Symposinm on Reprodnctive Physiology of Eish, University of Texas, Austin, 1997, p. 189. P. E. Gibbs and G. W. Bryan, in Biomonitoring of Coastal Waters and Estuaries, ed. K. J. M. Kramer, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1994, p. 205. 

More subtle modes of action are also possible since the response to hormone receptor binding is complex and could be affected by chemical interference with receptor-related proteins, DNA methylation or histone acetylation. Dioxin (TCDD), for example, reduces the ability of the oestrogen-receptor complex to bind to the oestrogen response element of DNA, reducing gene transcription.  

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