Reproductive abnormalities

Endocrine disruption has been postulated as the cause of a large number of adverse affects on the health of various species of animals in the wild. The majority of cases involve reproductive abnormalities that might be linked to population declines. Data supporting causative associations between the biological... 

Vertebrates share many functional similarities in their endocrine systems, including their regulatory control and the nature of the hormones and their receptors (Munkittrick et al. 1998). The reproductive abnormalities observed in wildlife populations may therefore potentially be extrapolated to effects in the reproductive health of human populations, if similar exposures to EDCs occur. 

Guillette LJJ, Crain DA, Rooney A. 1994. Endocrine-disrupting environmental contaminants and reproductive abnormalities in reptiles. Comments Toxicol 5 381-399. 

Hileman, B. 1994. Environmental estrogens linked to reproductive abnormalities, cancer. Chem. Eng. News, Jan. 31, 1994 19-23. 

Uzodinma JE, Trottman CH, Myers RE, et al. 1984a. Reproductive abnormalities in rats treated with chlordecone. J Environ Biol 5(2) 81-88. 

Therapists may also play an important role in educating patients about the dangers of androgen abuse. When dealing with an athletic population, physical therapists may serve as a source of information about anabolic steroids. Therapists should advise athletes about the potential side effects, such as liver, cardiovascular, and reproductive abnormalities. Therapists can also monitor blood pressure in athletes who appear to be using androgenic steroids. This interaction may help prevent a hypertensive crisis, as well as illustrate to the athlete the harmful effects of these drugs. 

Much of the concern focuses on man-made - and mainly organic - chemicals, as highlighted in the book Our Stolen Future 4 Possible adverse effects of endocrine disrupters include cancers, behavioural changes and reproductive abnormalities. There is conclusive evidence for effects on wildlife, but the evidence for effects on humans is still not conclusive. It is still unclear whether the presence of environmental chemicals could lead to actual exposure. 

Gibbs, P.E., Bryan, G.W., Pascoe, P.L., Burt, G.R., 1990. Reproductive abnormalities in female Ocenebra erinaces (Gastropoda) resulting from tributyltin induced imposex. J. Mar. Bio. Assoc. U.K. 70, 639-656. 

Phuong NTN, Thuy TT, Phuong PK. 1989a. An estimate of reproductive abnormalities in women inhabiting herbicide sprayed and non-herbicide sprayed areas in the south of Vietnam, 1952-1981. Chemosphere 18 843-846. 

Sodium chloroacetate is a reactive and toxic material, so it is hydrolyzed to glycolic acid nearly quantitatively at the end of the production cycle. Chloroacetic acid always contains traces of dichloroacetic acid, a toxic and unreactive material that appears on the California Prop. 65 list. The laws of the U.S. State of California require that the Governor of the State publish, annually, a list of chemicals known to cause cancer and reproductive abnormalities. This list is known by the ballot initiative that brought it into law as the Prop. 65 List . The vendors of surfactant betaines use grades of chloroacetic acid containing minimal amounts of dichloroacetic acid. 

Many of the endocrine disorders that result in male infertility have been discussed earher in this chapter in the section on male reproductive abnormalities. Testosterone is essential for normal sperm development. Therefore, any disorder that results in hypogonadism (and hence low testosterone concentrations) results in infertility. Among the causes are both hypogonadotropic and hypergonadotropic hypogo-... 

Other endocrine causes of infertility include exogenous androgens, thyroid disorders, adrenal hyperplasia, and testicular failure. Gynecomastia or obesity in the infertile male may signify elevated concentrations of estrogen and possibly testicular feminization syndrome (see earlier section on male reproductive abnormalities). ... 

---