Endocrine disruptors, or endocrine poisons, are chemicals that interfere with the function of natural hormones and can affect human reproduction, according to Pannochka, an online publication for girls and women aged 14 to 35.. net These chemicals have been of increasing concern since the middle of the last century, because they are often found in household items, and we know very little about them..

Even regular triclosan toothpaste can affect male fertility, latest study finds.

A team of researchers from the Center of Advanced European Studies and Research in Germany, together with the staff of the University Department of Growth and Reproduction in Denmark, published their results in the journal EMBOreports..

The authors of this paper note that endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDC) are present today in almost everything - from food to household products, cosmetics and child care items..

The European Commission is currently reviewing its policy on endocrine disruptors and European officials plan to hold discussions with endocrinologists and toxicologists on EDC regulation..

Studying the side effects of endocrine disruptors is very difficult without acceptable experimental systems.. Study author Timo Strunker, of the Center for European Studies, says: "

With the help of a new biological model created by the researchers, it became possible to quickly test hundreds and thousands of chemicals for interaction with the functions of human sperm..

EDC cause changes in semen.

Scientists say they tested about 100 chemicals in their study and found that endocrine disruptors may have a far greater impact on Western reproductive health than previously thought..

Experiments have shown that 1/3 of the tested substances adversely affect reproduction.. Some of these are ultraviolet filters like 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC), which are used in some sunglasses.. Even triclosan, an antibacterial ingredient widely used in toothpastes, got here..

“For the first time, we have shown a direct link between exposure to endocrine disruptors from industrial products and impaired sperm function,” said Professor Niels Skakkebaek, who led the Danish research team..

Scientists looked at how these substances affect the CatSper ion channel, a calcium channel that is responsible for sperm motility.. It turned out that even in minimal concentrations, EDCs directly open the CatSper channels, as a result of which calcium enters the sperm cells and “changes the behavior of swimmers”.

Moreover, EDCs make sperm cells less sensitive to progesterone and prostaglandins, substances released by female cells that play an important role in the reproductive process..

The team says their results illustrate how endocrine disruptors "

The authors wrote in their paper: “We have shown that EDCs have a negative effect on human fertility.. Some 800 ubiquitous synthetic chemicals suspected of endocrine toxicity. Until today, most potential endocrine disruptors have not been tested in humans."

medbe. en.