Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are natural or man-made agents that interfere in some way with human or animal normal endocrine function, and even influence the endocrine function of their offspring. There are many kinds of EDCs, which are widely present in soil, water, and even food. This review elaborates the impact of EDCs on human and animal semen quality from the viewpoint of epidemiology and biology by focusing on pesticides, plasticizers and detergents.
Detergents ; adverse effects ; Endocrine Disruptors ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Pesticides ; adverse effects ; Plasticizers ; adverse effects ; Semen ; drug effects ; Semen Analysis

Apoptosis ; Female ; Gardening ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pesticides ; adverse effects

AIMTo determine whether there was any regional variation in the prevalence of azoospermia, oligozoospermia and mean sperm counts in male partners of infertile couples from different parts of India.

METHODSData on 16,714 semen samples analyzed over the past five years from six different laboratories located in five cities of India were collated and evaluated.

RESULTSThere was a regional variation in the prevalence of azoospermia. The prevalence of azoospermia was extremely high in Kurnool and Jodhpur (38.3% and 37.4%, respectively). There was also a regional variation in the prevalence of oligozoospermia (51%) in Kurnool. There was no significant difference in the mean sperm counts in normospermic men.

CONCLUSIONThere is a regional variation in the prevalence of azoospermia and oligozoospermia in the male partners of infertile couples from different regions of India. The prevalence of azoospermia in Kurnool and Jodhpur is higher than any other worldwide reported literature. Further studies need to be carried out to determine the cause of this.

Cottonseed Oil ; adverse effects ; Fluorides ; adverse effects ; Humans ; India ; epidemiology ; Infertility, Male ; epidemiology ; Male ; Oligospermia ; epidemiology ; Pesticides ; adverse effects ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVETo analyze the relationship between pesticide exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes in famers.

METHODSA search was conducted to collect the articles about the relationship between pesticide exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes published worldwide from 1990 to February 2012. Meta-analysis was performed on the collected articles using RevMan 4.2 software.

RESULTSTwelve articles were collected. Compared with the controls, the pesticide-exposed famers showed a combined odds ratio (OR) for spontaneous abortion of 1.52 (95%CI: 1.04 ∼ 2.21; P = 0.03), a combined OR for premature birth of 1.33 (95%CI: 1.09 ∼ 1.61; P = 0.005), a combined OR for dead fetus of 1.22 (95%CI: 1.16 ∼ 1.29; P < 0.01), a combined OR for stillbirth of 1.90 (95%CI: 0.58 ∼ 6.28; P = 0.29), a combined OR for birth defect of 2.02 (95%CI: 0.84 - 4.69; P = 0.12), a combined OR for low birth weight of 1.62 (95%CI: 0.60 ∼ 4.39; P = 0.34), a combined OR for neonatal death of 2.18 (95%CI: 0.54 ∼ 8.88; P = 0.28), and a combined OR for delayed conception of 1.43 (95%CI: 0.93 ∼ 2.18; P = 0.1). Pesticide exposure increased the risks for spontaneous abortion, premature birth, and dead fetus, but was not significantly associated with stillbirth, birth defect, low birth weight, neonatal death, and delayed conception.

CONCLUSIONPesticide exposure can cause adverse pregnancy outcomes in farmers, increasing the risks of spontaneous abortion, premature birth, and dead fetus.

Agriculture ; Female ; Humans ; Maternal Exposure ; Pesticides ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Rural Population

Adolescent ; Adult ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Organophosphorus Compounds ; adverse effects ; Pesticides ; adverse effects ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo examine the effect of parents' occupational and life exposure during six months before pregnancy on executive function of preschool children.

METHODSPregnant women involved in the study came from the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort Study,a part of the China-Anhui Birth Cohort Study. Between October 2008 and October 2010, pregnant women who accepted pregnancy care in four municipal medical and health institutions in Ma'anshan city were recruited as study objects. A total of 5,084 pregnant women and 4,669 singleton live births entered in this cohort. Between April 2014 and April 2015, a total of 3,803 pre-school children were followed up. Finally, except 32 preschool children did not have EF evaluation result, there were 3,771 children included in this study. By using self-designed " Maternal health handbook", we researched parents' general demographic characteristics, and life and occupational exposure during six months before pregnancy. To research preschool children's executive function, we used the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P). Univariate and multivariate statistical method was used to analyze the association of parents' life and occupational exposure during six months before pregnancy and preschool children's EF.

RESULTS3,771 preschool children's detected rate of inhibitory self-control index (ISCI), flexibility index (FI), emergent metacognition index (EMI) and global executive composite (GEC) dysplasia were 4.8% (182), 2.3% (88), 16.5% (623) and 8.6% (324) respectively. During six months before pregnancy, children whose parents were lived in a noise environment (OR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.36-2.54), whose maternal were exposed to pesticides were the risk of ISCI dysplasia(OR=3.60, 95% CI: 1.45-8.95). During six months before pregnancy, children whose maternal were exposed to pesticides (OR=6.72, 95% CI: 2.50-18.07) and whose father were exposed to occupational lead (OR=2.10, 95% CI: 1.25-3.54) were the risk of FI dysplasia. During six months before pregnancy, children whose parents were lived in a noise environment (OR=1.42, 95%CI: 1.18-1.71) and whose father were exposed to occupational lead (OR=1.30, 95%CI: 1.02-1.65) were the risk of EMI dysplasia. During six months before pregnancy, children whose parents were lived in a noise environment (OR=1.58, 95% CI: 1.24-2.01) and whose maternal were exposed to pesticides (OR=2.39, 95% CI: 1.02-5.58) were the risk of GEC dysplasia.

CONCLUSIONThe development of executive function is worse among preschool children whose parents live in noise environment, mother exposed to pesticides, and father exposed to occupational lead during six months before pregnancy.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Cohort Studies ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Executive Function ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Lead ; adverse effects ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Parents ; Pesticides ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; epidemiology ; psychology

OBJECTIVES: Chronic inflammation is now thought to play a key pathogenetic role in the associations of obesity with insulin resistance and diabetes. Based on our recent findings on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including the lack of an association between obesity and either insulin resistance or diabetes prevalence among subjects with very low concentrations of POPs, we hypothesized that POP concentrations may be associated with inflammation and modify the associations between inflammation and insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects. METHODS: Cross-sectional associations among serum POPs, C-reactive protein (CRP), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were investigated in 748 non-diabetic participants aged > or =20 years. Nineteen types of POPs in 5 subclasses were selected because the POPs were detectable in > or =60% of the participants. RESULTS: Among the five subclasses of POPs, only organochlorine (OC) pesticides showed positive associations with CRP concentrations, while polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) showed inverse associations with CRP concentrations. There were statistically significant interactions between CRP and OC pesticides and between CRP and PCBs, in estimating HOMA-IR (P for interaction <0.01 and <0.01, respectively). CRP was not associated with HOMA-IR among subjects with low concentrations of OC pesticides or PCBs, while CRP was strongly associated with HOMA-IR among subjects with high concentrations of these POPs. CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, OC pesticides were associated with increased levels of CRP, a marker of inflammation, and both OC pesticides and PCBs may also modify the associations between CRP and insulin resistance.
Adult ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis/*drug effects ; Environmental Pollutants/adverse effects/*blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated/adverse effects/*blood ; Inflammation/*chemically induced ; Insulin Resistance/*physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutrition Surveys ; Pesticides/adverse effects/blood ; Polychlorinated Biphenyls/adverse effects/*blood

OBJECTIVECryptorchidism is the most common urogenital congenital malformations in males, which increases male infertility and testicular tumors. It is necessary to identify its risk factors.

METHODSA hospital-based case-control study was conducted. Cases were 99 boys with cryptorchidism with two matched controls per case were randomly selected. Both cases and controls were interviewed with a uniformed questionnaire by face to face. Conditional logistic regression model was used for univariable and multivariate analysis by SAS6.12 computer software was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and their 95 per cent confidence internals (95% CI).

RESULTSMultiple conditional logistic regression analysis showed that cryptorchidism was positively associated with maternal common cold accompanied fever in the first trimester (OR = 9.37, 95% CI: 2.25 - 39.09), with threatened abortion in the first and/or second trimester (OR = 4.66, 95% CI: 2.02 - 10.74), maternal preeclampsia during pregnancy (OR = 16.33, 95% CI: 1.40 - 191.20), paternal exposure to pesticides occupationally (OR = 12.79, 95% CI: 2.90 - 56.43), neonatal low birth weight (OR = 5.77, 95% CI: 1.39 - 23.98), and maternal age under 24 years (OR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.29 - 4.06).

CONCLUSIONSThe risk factors of cryptorchidism were maternal common cold accompanied fever in the first trimester, threatened abortion in the first and/or second trimester, maternal preeclampsia during pregnancy, paternal exposure to pesticides occupationally, neonatal low birth weight, maternal age under 24 years.

Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cryptorchidism ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Maternal Age ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Paternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pesticides ; adverse effects ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo explore the risk factors of Parkinson disease (PD), interaction between family history of PD and other risk factors, as well as the relative strength of genetic factors over the vulnerability of PD.

METHODSOne 1:1 matched case-control study including 157 pairs of cases and controls was conducted in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University.

RESULTSConditional logistic regression analysis showed that family history of PD, mental labor, insecticide, alcohol drinking and history of depression all had positive relationship, while smoking had a negative relationship with PD. The AP (AB)s of family history of PD and insecticide, alcohol drinking, history of depression were 55.2%, 34.0%, 41.4% and the RERIs were 8.96, 3.31, 7.85 respectively. The heritability of PD patients' first degree relatives was 36.86% +/- 5.76%, and second degree relatives was 20.66% +/- 6.81%.

CONCLUSIONFamily history of PD had an additive model synergism on PD, coexisting with other risk factors. Genetic factors had a smaller action on PD than environmental factors.

Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; adverse effects ; Case-Control Studies ; Confidence Intervals ; Family Health ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease ; etiology ; genetics ; Pedigree ; Pesticides ; adverse effects ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective: To investigate the influence and critical windows of prenatal exposure to pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs) on neurodevelopment of 2-year-old children. Methods: The subjects of this study were derived from the Xuanwei Birth Cohort. A total of 482 pregnant women who participated in the rural district of Xuanwei birth cohort from January 2016 to December 2018 were included. Maternal urinary concentrations of PYRs metabolites during 8-12 gestational weeks, 20-23 gestational weeks and 32-35 gestational weeks were measured with ultra high performance liquid chromatography system coupled with a tandem mass spectrometry detector. Child neurodevelopment was evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition at 2 years of age. Multivariate linear regression models and binary logistic regression models were used to assess the association between PYRs exposure during pregnancy and children's neurodevelopment. Results: A total of 360 mother-child pairs had complete data on maternal urinary PYRs metabolites detection and children's neurodevelopment assessment. The detection rate of any one PYRs metabolites during the first, second and third trimester were 93.6% (337/360), 90.8% (327/360) and 94.2% (339/360), respectively. The neurodevelopmental scores of Cognitive, Language, Motor, Social-Emotional, and Adaptive Behavior of 2-year-old children were (102.3±18.9), (100.2±16.3), (102.0±20.3), (107.8±23.3) and (85.8±18.6) points, respectively. After controlling for confounding factors, 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid (4F3PBA, one of PYRs metabolites) exposure in the first trimester reduced Motor (β=-5.02, 95%CI: -9.08, -0.97) and Adaptive Behavior (β=-4.12, 95%CI:-7.92, -0.32) scores of 2-year-old children, and increased risk of developmental delay of adaptive behavior (OR=2.07, 95%CI:1.13-3.82). Conclusion: PYRs exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy may affect neurodevelopment of 2-year-old children, and the first trimester may be the critical window.
Birth Cohort ; Child Development ; Child, Preschool ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Pesticides/adverse effects* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/chemically induced* ; Pyrethrins/metabolism*