engleski

Cadmium as an endocrine disruptor in women's reproduction: a novel concept

Cadmium is present in contemporary environment through contamination from industrial wastes, consumer goods, soil fertilizers, and as a pollutant in the food chain and in tobacco smoke. It has become an important part of our ecosystem and lifestyle. Beside proven ill effects on the lung, kidney and bone, the capacity of the metal to alter the rates of ovarian and placental steroidogenesis and adversely impact female reproductive function has been demonstrated within the last two decades. Women may be at increased risk for the cadmium-related reproductive anomalies, as evidenced by increased cadmium accumulation in placentas of smoking parturients accompanied by decreased placental progesterone production. The manifestations of these effects are supported by corresponding in vivo and in vitro evidence in laboratory rats (1). The metal may also function as a potent xenoestrogen that can mimic or block the effects of endogenous estrogens (2). Direct effects on specific components of the steroidogenic pathway in both humans and animals including the low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol receptor and cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage enzyme have been found (3, 4). In addition to exerting its effects via both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms, cadmium may also regulate hormone binding and intracellular second messenger pathways (5). Collectively, our results attained from different experimental paradigms add considerably to the evidence identifying cadmium as an endocrine disrupting chemical in the female reproductive system. References: (1) Piasek M, Laskey JW, Kostial K, Blanuša M. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health 2002 ; 75:S36. (2) Henson MC and Chedrese PJ. Exp. Biol. Med. 2004 ; 229:383.(3) Kawai M, Swan KF, Green AE, Edwards DE, Anderson MB, Henson MC. Biol. Reprod. 2002 ; 67:178. (4) Smida AD, Valderrama XP, Agostini MC, Furlan MC, Chedrese PJ. Biol. Reprod. 2004 ; 70:25. (5) Chedrese PJ, Piasek M, Henson MC. Immun. Endoc. Metab. Agents Med. Chem. 2005 ; 6:27.

cadmium; endocrine disrupting chemicals; female reproduction; steroidogenesis; xenoestrogens

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