Abstract
Male reproductive health has declined as indicated by increasing rates of cryptorchidism, i.e., undescended testis, poor semen quality, low serum testosterone level, and testicular cancer. Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has been proposed to have a role in this finding. In utero exposure to antiandrogenic EDCs, particularly at a sensitive period of fetal testicular development, the so-called ‘masculinization programming window (MPW)’, can disturb testicular development and function. Low androgen effect during the MPW can cause both short- and long-term reproductive disorders. A concurrent exposure to EDCs may also affect testicular function or damage testicular cells. Evidence from animal studies supports the role of endocrine disrupting chemicals in development of male reproductive disorders. However, evidence from epidemiological studies is relatively mixed. In this article, we review the current literature that evaluated relationship between prenatal EDC exposures and anogenital distance, cryptorchidism, and congenital penile abnormality called hypospadias. We review also studies on the association between early life and postnatal EDC exposure and semen quality, hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis hormone levels and testicular cancer.
Highlights
Reports on deteriorating male reproductive health have been published in many countries
Environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) include for instance pesticides, chemicals used in plastic products [like phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA)], in personal care products, in hydraulic and electronic devices [like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)], chemicals used in clothes, flame retardants, solvents, chemicals produced unintentionally as side products in chemical processes and many others (6)
It has been proposed that the disruption of fetal testicular development due to, for example, maternal exposure to EDCs, can result in disorders manifested at birth, i.e., congenital cryptorchidism, congenital penile abnormality called hypospadias and reduced anogenital distance (AGD), as well as disorders presented later in life, including poor semen quality, testicular germ cell tumors, and altered reproductive hormone levels
Summary
Reports on deteriorating male reproductive health have been published in many countries. It has been proposed that the disruption of fetal testicular development due to, for example, maternal exposure to EDCs, can result in disorders manifested at birth, i.e., congenital cryptorchidism, congenital penile abnormality called hypospadias and reduced anogenital distance (AGD), as well as disorders presented later in life, including poor semen quality, testicular germ cell tumors, and altered reproductive hormone levels. This is the concept of testicular dysgenesis syndrome, TDS (11, 12). We include organotins, because their action is clearly hormonal
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