Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NAGAYAMA Junya Kyushu University, Associate Prof., 医療短期大学部, 助教授 (90136466)
NAGANUMA Akira Tohoku University, Professor, 薬学部, 教授 (80155952)
HARA Akihiko Hokkaido Unviersity, Professor, 水産学部, 教授 (40091483)
TANABE Shinsuke Ehime University, Professor, 農学部, 教授 (60116952)
UMESONO Kazuhiko Kyoto University, Professor, ウイルス研究所, 教授 (50183752)
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Research Abstract |
Numerous chemicals, pesticides, materials for plastics and detergents having estrogenic activity, have been released into the environment. These chemicals have potential to disrupt the development and function of the endocrine system in wildlife and humans, being called as endocrine disruptors (EDs). There is a hypothesis that EDs may related to decrease in population of wildlife, increase in breast cancer, endometriosis, testicular cancer and decrease in sperm count in humans, since these chemicals may bind to estrogen receptors and thus evoke estrogenic effects in animals and humans. We need to know the levels of EDs in the environment and potential effects on wildlife and humans. The present research was aimed at making a research group studying EDs in various aspects and recruit researchers from various research fields to share common interests. We organized public symposium on EDs in Yokohama. In zoology, Iguchi, Mori and Wada made a research groups to study effects of EDs on development and reproduction on animals. In fisheries, Hara made a research group to study usefulness of vitellogenin in monitoring of fish in river and sea. In pharmacology, Naganuma made a group to study the ecological effect of persistent pollutants. In agriculture and environmental science, Tanabe and Manabe made a group to study EDs effects on marine mammals and malformations. In medicine, Mori and Nagayama made a group to study EDs effects on fetus and human reproduction. Umesono and Sato studied made a group to study action mechanism of EDs. In technology, Matsui made group to study sewage treatment. Each research group is unique and these research groups work hard to solve endocrine disruptor issue and suggest how to control chemical release in the environment and reduce adverse effects on wildlife and humans by EDs.
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