Pollution and Reproductive Damage

Hormonally active compounds (pesticides, herbicides,
bacterial agents, and synthetic hormones) continue to
be released into the environment. These compounds
are widely spread, highly persistent, bioavailable,
and most importantly present at physiologically
relevant concentrations. Many aquatic and
terrestrial populations have exhibited signs of
distress or have been severely impacted because of
exposure to such pollutants. Apoptosis is a
well-conserved hormonally controlled physiological
pathway that is highly sensitive to exposure to
pollutants and xenobiotics. Endocrine active
compounds can cause disturbances in hormonal control
of apoptosis and alter development or maintenance of
reproductive tissue in growing or reproductively
mature individual. These changes can cause reduced
reproductive capacity in the exposed individual. Here
we offer first evidence that petrochemical
contaminants induce apoptosis in highly proliferating
reproductive, hematopoietic, and immune (thymus, bone
marrow, and spleen) tissue of small mammals living on
contaminated sites; we also show that aquatic
pollution effects on reproductive fitness can be
monitored using in vitro cultures of fish eggs.

Autorentext

Mozhgan Savabieasfahani is a toxicologist based in Ann Arbor MI,USA. She has published on the effects of plasticizers andpesticides on the female reproductive cycle. Pollution caused bywars and invasions in the Middle East has turned her attention tothe effects of war pollutants on public health, in areas nowexperiencing environmental crises.

Klappentext

Hormonally active compounds (pesticides, herbicides,bacterial agents, and synthetic hormones) continue tobe released into the environment. These compoundsare widely spread, highly persistent, bioavailable,and most importantly present at physiologicallyrelevant concentrations. Many aquatic andterrestrial populations have exhibited signs ofdistress or have been severely impacted because ofexposure to such pollutants. Apoptosis is awell-conserved hormonally controlled physiologicalpathway that is highly sensitive to exposure topollutants and xenobiotics. Endocrine activecompounds can cause disturbances in hormonal controlof apoptosis and alter development or maintenance ofreproductive tissue in growing or reproductivelymature individual. These changes can cause reducedreproductive capacity in the exposed individual. Herewe offer first evidence that petrochemicalcontaminants induce apoptosis in highly proliferatingreproductive, hematopoietic, and immune (thymus, bonemarrow, and spleen) tissue of small mammals living oncontaminated sites; we also show that aquaticpollution effects on reproductive fitness can bemonitored using in vitro cultures of fish eggs.