Bourguignon Jean-Pierre, Juul Anders, Franssen Delphine, Fudvoye Julie, Pinson Anneline, Parent Anne-Simone
Developmental Neuroendocrinology Unit, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, Sart-Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
Horm Res Paediatr. 2016;86(4):221-232. doi: 10.1159/000442748. Epub 2016 Jan 23.
Debate makes science progress. In the field of endocrine disruption, endocrinology has brought up findings that substantiate a specific perspective on the definition of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), the role of the endocrine system and the endpoints of hormone and EDC actions among other issues. This paper aims at discussing the relevance of the endocrine perspective with regard to EDC effects on pubertal timing. Puberty involves particular sensitivity to environmental conditions. Reports about the advancing onset of puberty in several countries have led to the hypothesis that the increasing burden of EDCs could be an explanation. In fact, pubertal timing currently shows complex changes since advancement of some manifestations of puberty (e.g. breast development) and no change or delay of others (e.g. menarche, pubic hair development) can be observed. In a human setting with exposure to low doses of tenths or hundreds of chemicals since prenatal life, causation is most difficult to demonstrate and justifies a translational approach using animal models. Studies in rodents indicate an exquisite sensitivity of neuroendocrine endpoints to EDCs. Altogether, the data from both human and animal studies support the importance of concepts derived from endocrinology in the evaluation of EDC effects on puberty.
争论推动科学进步。在内分泌干扰领域，内分泌学提出了一些研究结果，这些结果证实了关于内分泌干扰化学物质（EDCs）定义、内分泌系统作用以及激素和EDCs作用终点等问题的特定观点。本文旨在讨论内分泌学观点对于EDCs对青春期时间影响的相关性。青春期对环境条件具有特殊敏感性。关于多个国家青春期提前开始的报道引发了这样一种假说，即EDCs负担增加可能是一个解释。事实上，目前青春期时间呈现出复杂的变化，因为可以观察到青春期某些表现（如乳房发育）提前，而其他一些表现（如月经初潮、阴毛发育）没有变化或出现延迟。在人类从出生前就接触低剂量的数十种或数百种化学物质的情况下，因果关系最难证明，这就需要采用动物模型的转化方法。对啮齿动物的研究表明，神经内分泌终点对EDCs极为敏感。总之，来自人类和动物研究的数据都支持内分泌学衍生概念在评估EDCs对青春期影响方面的重要性。
