Environmental estrogens and sperm counts
H. Fisch and R. Golden
Department of Urology, Columbia University, 944 Park
Ave., New York, NY 10028, USA
Abstract: The term "environmental estrogen" refers to chemical
substances that exhibit some degree of estrogen-like activity. The primary
emphasis for potential adverse effects resulting from exposure to environmental
estrogens is on in utero exposure because such exposure can occur during
critical periods of organogenesis. Assessment of biological plausibility
can be based, in part, on the extensive data on the effects of diethylstilbestrol
(DES). The available evidence is too limited to judge with any confidence
whether sperm counts have declined during the past 50 years. Based on
both animal and human data with DES, it is biologically plausible that
in utero exposures to exogenous estrogenic compounds are capable of
reducing sperm production in adult men. However, the apparent existence
of a maternal dose threshold for DES-induced effects on sperm counts
undermines the likelihood that environmental estrogens, which are substantially
less potent, are capable of causing similar effects.
*Report from a SCOPE/IUPAC project: Implication of
Endocrine Active Substances for Human and Wildlife (J. Miyamoto and
J.Burger, editors). Other reports are published in this issue,
pp. 1617-2615.
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