Crain D A, Guillette L J
Division of Natural Sciences, Maryville College, TN 37804, USA.
Anim Reprod Sci. 1998 Oct;53(1-4):77-86. doi: 10.1016/s0378-4320(98)00128-6.
Historically, reptiles have been used as bioindicators of environmental contaminants and, currently, reptiles have the potential to elucidate the mechanisms of a newly described group of environmental contaminants--endocrine disrupters. Reptiles are particularly good models for studying endocrine altering compounds due to the fact that different species of reptiles have varying modes of gender determination (genotypic sex determination or temperature-dependent sex determination) and parity modes (oviparity or viviparity). This review focuses both on laboratory and field studies of contaminant-induced endocrine alterations in reptiles. Laboratory studies of oviparous reptiles with temperature-dependent sex determination reveal that embryonic exposure to natural hormones and many man-made chemicals (including the ubiquitous PCBs and common herbicides) can permanently alter the functioning of the reproductive system. It is hypothesized that similar permanent, organizational changes occur in wild reptiles exposed to endocrine-disrupting contaminants.
从历史上看，爬行动物一直被用作环境污染物的生物指示物，而目前，爬行动物有潜力阐明一组新描述的环境污染物——内分泌干扰物的作用机制。爬行动物是研究内分泌改变化合物的特别好的模型，因为不同种类的爬行动物有不同的性别决定模式（基因型性别决定或温度依赖性性别决定）和生殖方式（卵生或胎生）。本综述聚焦于爬行动物中污染物诱导的内分泌改变的实验室研究和野外研究。对具有温度依赖性性别决定的卵生爬行动物的实验室研究表明，胚胎接触天然激素和许多人造化学物质（包括无处不在的多氯联苯和常见除草剂）会永久性改变生殖系统的功能。据推测，暴露于内分泌干扰污染物的野生爬行动物也会发生类似的永久性组织变化。
