NC State Faculty Will Discuss Effects of Endocrine Disrupters at AAAS Annual Meeting

At the world’s largest and most important scientific conference, two North Carolina State University faculty members will discuss the effects of natural and synthetic “hormone mimics” on human and animal health, fertility and puberty.

Dr. John Vandenbergh, professor emeritus of biology, and Dr. Heather Patisaul, assistant professor of biology, both study the effects of so-called endocrine disruptors like soy products and a compound in plastics called bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA is a chemical found in baby bottles, water bottles, canned foods and an array of other consumer products. The potential effects of BPA on human health are under strong scientific debate.

Vandenbergh organized a symposium, “Consequences of Endocrine Disrupting Agents in the Laboratory and Home,” at 1:30 p.m. PST Saturday, Feb. 20, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in San Diego. Patisaul will serve as a panelist and give a presentation on her recent research findings.

An expert on the ways chemicals influence the development of the nervous system and reproduction, Vandenbergh has published widely on sex chemicals, or pheromones, and their effects on reproduction in animals. Patisaul specifically examines the relationship between exposure to  endocrine-disrupting compounds that mimic estrogen, an important female hormone, and the onset of early puberty in females.

– kulikowski –

Note: AAAS symposium synopsis and presentation abstract follow.

“Consequences of Endocrine Disrupting Agents in the Laboratory and Home”

Organizers: Dr. John Vandenbergh, NC State University; A Wallace Hayes, Harvard School of Public Health

Presented: Feb. 20, 2010, at the AAAS annual meeting in San Diego

Synopsis: The symposium describes studies on the short- and long-term effects of fetal and early postnatal exposure to hormone mimics. This work can inform the public about two important issues: the use of animals in research and how mechanistic in vitro methods can reduce animal use; and the concern about the adverse health consequences to humans by exposure to endocrine disruptors from foods and some plastics used to contain these foods. Early exposure to naturally produced or injected testosterone has long-term consequences in animals. It is becoming clear that the presence of testosterone, estrogen, or their mimics during early development can also “organize” a variety of tissues to be more or less responsive to these hormones when they are activated at puberty and throughout adulthood. Such consequences have become more compelling with the recent discovery of multigenerational effects of endocrine disruptors via epigenetic mechanisms. Speakers will discuss the outcomes of early exposure to endocrine-active substances on brain development, behavior, reproductive organ development, fertility, precancerous conditions of the prostate and breast, and their relevance to humans. The importance of testing for these agents, including the development of non-animal methods, will also be addressed.

“Neuroendocrine Consequences of Exposure to Estrogenic Compounds”

Author and Presenter: Dr. Heather Patisaul, NC State University

Presented: Feb. 20, 2010, at the AAAS annual meeting in San Diego

Abstract: Disruption of the reproductive neuroendocrine system by exposure to environmental xenoestrogens during development is likely to manifest as subtle changes in adult behaviors and functions, rather than overt changes in brain anatomy and reproductive physiology.  Therefore, in developing predictive strategies for evaluating the ultimate effects of early exposure to endocrine disruptors in humans, it is critical to employ a comprehensive approach that assesses neuronal function and reproductive physiology across the lifespan.  We and others have found that, in rodents, neonatal exposure to endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol-A and genistein can affect sexually dimorphic brain morphology and the sex specific development of neuroendocrine pathways with regional and cellular specificity.  These subtle but significant changes are associated with disrupted reproductive behaviors, advanced pubertal onset, premature loss of the estrous cycle and compromised fertility.  The experimental tools and approaches that have traditionally been used by toxicologists to screen compounds for estrogenic effects are not sensitive enough or appropriately geared to detect these subtle types of changes.  Therefore, to adequately conduct human risk assessment, it is imperative that endocrine disruptor screening paradigms be updated to more comprehensively examine the impact of these types of compounds.