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Exposure to Environmental Chemicals In the Womb Reprograms the Rodent Brain To Disrupt Reproduction
http://www.newswise.com/articles/exposure-to-environmental-chemicals-in-the-womb-reprograms-the-rodent-brain-to-disrupt-reproduction[font face=Serif][font size=5]Exposure to Environmental Chemicals In the Womb Reprograms the Rodent Brain To Disrupt Reproduction[/font]
Released: 6/24/2012 4:00 PM EDT
Embargo expired: 6/26/2012 11:00 AM EDT
Source: Endocrine Society
[font size=3]Newswise — Prenatal exposure to the environmental contaminants polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, causes long-term changes to the developing brain that have adverse effects on reproductive function later in life, a new study finds. Results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society’s 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.
The study used rats, whose genes and molecules in the hypothalamus—the region of the brain important for reproductive function—are virtually identical to those in humans, according to co-author Andrea Gore, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Texas at Austin. These PCB-induced brain changes delayed puberty in male offspring and disrupted reproductive cycles in adult female offspring, she reported.
In addition, the researchers identified five genes that PCB disrupted. Gore said that all five are critical to the normal hypothalamic control of reproduction.
“By identifying five genes that are most perturbed by PCBs in the developing rat brain, we may one day be able to develop targeted interventions or therapeutics for reproductive problems, focusing on these molecular endpoints,” Gore said.
…[/font][/font]
Released: 6/24/2012 4:00 PM EDT
Embargo expired: 6/26/2012 11:00 AM EDT
Source: Endocrine Society
[font size=3]Newswise — Prenatal exposure to the environmental contaminants polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, causes long-term changes to the developing brain that have adverse effects on reproductive function later in life, a new study finds. Results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society’s 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.
The study used rats, whose genes and molecules in the hypothalamus—the region of the brain important for reproductive function—are virtually identical to those in humans, according to co-author Andrea Gore, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Texas at Austin. These PCB-induced brain changes delayed puberty in male offspring and disrupted reproductive cycles in adult female offspring, she reported.
In addition, the researchers identified five genes that PCB disrupted. Gore said that all five are critical to the normal hypothalamic control of reproduction.
“By identifying five genes that are most perturbed by PCBs in the developing rat brain, we may one day be able to develop targeted interventions or therapeutics for reproductive problems, focusing on these molecular endpoints,” Gore said.
…[/font][/font]