2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
The effects of endocrine disrupters on macaque fetus/
| Project/Area Number |
12836005
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Institution | KYOTO UNIVERSTY |
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Principal Investigator |
KEIKO Shimizu KYOTO UNIVERSTY, Primate Research Institute, Instructor (90135616)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2000 – 2002
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| Keywords | endocrine disrupters / steroids / inhibin / pregnancy / fetus / genistein |
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| Research Abstract |
Endocrine disrupters are exogenous substances that cause adverse effects in the endocrine systems. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is the best-known endocrine disrupters and has caused abnormalities of sexual differentiation in both sexes. Moreover, some phytoestrogens have been discovered in soybeans but their effects to endocrine systems in humans have not been reported. To evaluate the mechanism of the effects of endocrine disrupters in humans, we used macaque monkeys as experimental animals. We evaluated the effects of DES and phytoestrogens on male and female adult macaque monkeys. Levels of plasma inhibin in DES feeding macaques were decreased. The genital skin and testes changed in color and size. In histological observation, sperm were decreased. We also evaluated those two endocrine disrupters on pregnant macaques. In pregnant females, all fetuses were died after DES feeding. Their mothers ate their fetuses after stillbirth and we did not investigate them. Then we fed 5mg genistein to pregnant macaques for two months. They delivered healthy babies. Their gestational days, body weight and crown rump lengths of newborn babies were normal. Levels of plasma inhibin in pregnant macaques were decreased. In newborn hypothalamus, the localization of estrogen receptors was changed. In genistein feeding to non-pregnant female macaques, their menstrual cycle lengths were significantly lengthened. The levels of LH surge became low. These results suggest that these endocrine disrupters effect on fetus and menstrual cycle of macaque monkeys.
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