Impact of DEHP exposure on female reproductive health: Insights into uterine effects.

Several endocrine disrupting compounds released from plastics, including polyfluoroalkyl substances, bisphenols, flame retardants, phthalates and others, are of great concern to human health due to their high toxicity. This review discusses the effects of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), the most common member of the phthalate family, on female reproduction. In vitro and in vivo studies link DEHP exposure to impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian s (HPO) axis function, alteration of steroid-hormone levels and dysregulation of their receptors, and changes in uterine morphophysiology. In addition, high urinary DEPH levels have been associated with several reproductive disorders in women, including endometriosis, fibromyoma, fetal growth restriction and pregnancy loss. These data suggest that DEHP may be involved in the pathophysiology of various female reproductive diseases. Therefore, exposure to these compounds should be considered a concern in clinician surveillance practices for women at reproductive age and should be regulated to protect their health and that of their progeny.

Silymarin is an ally against insulin resistance: A review.

Silymarin is obtained from the Milk thistle plant Silybum marianum and has been used over the centuries to treat principally liver disease, although it has also been studied for its beneficial effects in cardioprotection, neuroprotection, immune modulation, and cancer among others. Importantly, silymarin's active component silybin is a flavonolignan that exhibits different activities such as; scavenger, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and recently revealed, insulin-sensitizing properties which have been explored in clinical trials in patients with insulin resistance. In this review, we summarize the most relevant research of silymarin's effect on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, focusing the attention on insulin resistance, which is well known to play a crucial role in metabolic disease progression.

Effects on the reproductive parameters of two generations of Rattus norvegicus offspring from dams exposed to heptachlor during gestation and lactation.

Heptachlor has been targeted for global elimination because of its toxicity and environmental persistence, in accordance with the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). However, there is no regulation of heptachlor use in Mexico, where relatively high levels have been found in maternal breast milk. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of heptachlor on the reproductive system of offspring of two consecutive generations of rats (F1 and F2) from dams orally administered heptachlor during midgestation and lactation. Female offspring were analyzed for different phenotypic, reproductive, and molecular parameters. In the F1 generation, heptachlor treatment induced decreased body weight at weaning, increased female anogenital distance, and delayed vaginal opening. In both generations, serum progesterone levels decreased and estradiol levels remained unchanged, while overexpression of the progesterone receptor was observed in uterine epithelial cells on estrus day. In the F2 generation, expression of the estrogen receptor α increased in the glandular epithelium. Finally, heptachlor treatment did not affect apoptosis in the uterine epithelial cells. Overall, the results indicate that heptachlor induced female reproductive alterations when administered to dams during the perinatal period. Accordingly, exposure to heptachlor may represent a risk for the reproductive health of humans. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 856-868, 2017.