Does the environment affect menopause? A review of the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on menopause

Abstract

Endocrine disrupting chemicals are widely distributed in our environment. Humans are exposed to these compounds not only through their occupations, but also through dietary consumption and exposure to contaminated water, personal care products and textiles. Chemicals that are persistent in the body and in our environment include dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls. Non-persistent chemicals including bisphenol A, phthalates and parabens are equally as important because they are ubiquitous in our environment. Heavy metals, including lead and cadmium, can also have endocrine disrupting properties. Although difficult to study due to their variety of sources of exposures and mechanisms of action, these chemicals have been associated with early menopause, increased frequency of vasomotor symptoms, altered steroid hormone levels and markers of diminished ovarian reserve. Understanding the impacts of these exposures is important given the potential for epigenetic modification, which can alter gene function and result in multi-generational effects. This review summarizes findings in humans and animals or cell-based models from the past decade of research. Continued research is needed to assess the effects of mixtures of chemicals, chronic exposures and new compounds that are continuously being developed as replacements for toxic chemicals that are being phased out.

摘要

内分泌干扰物广泛分布在我们的环境中。人类不仅通过职业接触到这些化合物, 还通过饮食和污染的水、个人护理产品和纺织品发生这些化合物暴露。在人体和环境中持续存在的化学物质包括二噁英和多氯联苯。双酚a、邻苯二甲酸酯和对羟基苯甲酸酯在内的非持久性化学物质同样重要, 因为它们在我们的环境中无处不在。重金属, 包括铅和镉, 也会干扰内分泌。虽然由于其暴露来源和作用机制的多样性而难以研究, 但这些化学物质与早绝经、血管舒缩症状频率增加、类固醇激素水平改变和卵巢储备减少的标志有关。鉴于表观遗传可以改变基因功能并发挥多代效应的潜力, 理解这些暴露的影响十分重要。这篇综述总结了过去十年的研究在人类和动物或基于细胞的模型中的发现。需要继续开展研究, 以评估化学品混合物、慢性暴露和作为逐步淘汰的有毒化学品的替代平的不断开发的新化合物的影响。

Keywords:

• Endocrine disrupting chemicals
• menopause
• ovarian aging

Potential conflict of interest

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.