Dr. Thacharodi's Laboratories, Department of Research and Development, Puducherry, 605005, India.
Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio and Chemical Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600119, India; American Society for Microbiology, Washington, 20036, USA.
Environ Res. 2023 Nov 1;236(Pt 2):116825. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116825. Epub 2023 Aug 5.
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are harmful compounds that enter the environment naturally or through anthropogenic activities and disrupt normal endocrine functions in humans, adversely affecting reproductive health. Among the most significant sources of EDC contaminants are the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and packaging industries. EDCs have been identified to have a deteriorating effect on male reproductive system, as evidenced by the increasing number of male infertility cases. A large number of case studies have been published in which men exposed to EDCs experienced testicular cancer, undescended testicles, a decrease in serum testosterone levels, and poor semen quality. Furthermore, epidemiological evidence suggested a link between prenatal EDC exposure and cryptorchidism or undescended testicles, hypospadias, and decreased anogenital distance in infants. The majority of these findings, however, are incongruent due to the lack of long-term follow-up studies that would demonstrate EDCs to be associated with male reproductive disorders. This review aims to provide an overview on recent scientific progress on the association of EDCs to male reproductive health with special emphasis on its toxicity and possible mechanism of EDCs that disrupt male reproductive system.
内分泌干扰化学物质（EDCs）是一种有害化合物，它们自然存在于环境中或通过人为活动进入环境，扰乱人类正常的内分泌功能，对生殖健康产生不利影响。EDC 污染物的最重要来源之一是制药、化妆品和包装行业。EDCs 被认为会对男性生殖系统产生恶化影响，这一点可以从越来越多的男性不育病例中得到证明。大量的病例研究已经发表，其中接触 EDC 的男性患有睾丸癌、隐睾症、血清睾丸激素水平下降和精液质量差。此外，流行病学证据表明，产前 EDC 暴露与婴儿的隐睾或未降睾丸、尿道下裂和肛门生殖器距离减小之间存在关联。然而，由于缺乏长期随访研究来证明 EDC 与男性生殖障碍有关，这些发现大多不一致。本综述旨在概述 EDC 与男性生殖健康关联的最新科学进展，特别强调 EDC 的毒性及其破坏男性生殖系统的可能机制。
