Environmental influences on male reproduction
article
Considerable concern has been raised in recent publications that oestrogen-lihe compounds in either food or the environment cause adverse effects on reproductive
health. There is clear evidence that reproductive disruption in wildlife may be caused by environmental pollutants and more specifÌcally by endocrine-disrupting
compounds. The increase in the incidence of disorders of the male reproductive tract (e.g. testicular cancer, cryptorchidisn, hypospadias) and the possible decline o[
sperm quality led to the hypothesis in 1993 that the reported increases stem from fetal or neonatal exposure of the developing male to oestrogens. Cryptorchidism,
hypospadias, testicular cancer and poor semen quality have also been proposed to be symptoms of one underlying cause, the testicular dysgenesis syndrome, which
may deveÌop during fetal life under the influence of environmental factors. However, there is only circumstantial evidence in humans that exposure to endocrine
disrupters, especially diethylstilbestrol, during pregnancy causes problems of reproductive health. Oestrogenlike effects have been reported for a variety of naturalÌy
occurring oestrogens (so-called phytoestrogens) and for numerous synthetic compounds. The critical issue is whether there are suflìciently high levels of endocrine
disrupters in the ambient environment to exert adverse health effects on the general population
health. There is clear evidence that reproductive disruption in wildlife may be caused by environmental pollutants and more specifÌcally by endocrine-disrupting
compounds. The increase in the incidence of disorders of the male reproductive tract (e.g. testicular cancer, cryptorchidisn, hypospadias) and the possible decline o[
sperm quality led to the hypothesis in 1993 that the reported increases stem from fetal or neonatal exposure of the developing male to oestrogens. Cryptorchidism,
hypospadias, testicular cancer and poor semen quality have also been proposed to be symptoms of one underlying cause, the testicular dysgenesis syndrome, which
may deveÌop during fetal life under the influence of environmental factors. However, there is only circumstantial evidence in humans that exposure to endocrine
disrupters, especially diethylstilbestrol, during pregnancy causes problems of reproductive health. Oestrogenlike effects have been reported for a variety of naturalÌy
occurring oestrogens (so-called phytoestrogens) and for numerous synthetic compounds. The critical issue is whether there are suflìciently high levels of endocrine
disrupters in the ambient environment to exert adverse health effects on the general population
TNO Identifier
470532
Source
BJU International, 89, pp. 143-148.
Pages
143-148
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