title: Endocrine disruption induced by organochlorines (OCs): field studies and experimental models.
abstract: Long-range transport of persistent organic compounds by air and ocean currents from industrialized areas resulted in high levels of these pollutants in food webs in the Svalbard area. With the aim to test if organochlorine (OC) exposure in free-living polar bears from Svalbard affected their plasma steroid hormone concentrations, it was found that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were associated with increased progesterone levels in females. The sum of pesticides (sigma pesticides) and sigma PCBs contributed significantly negative to the variation of the plasma testosterone in males, and the overall contribution of the OCs to the plasma cortisol variation was negative. A second objective was to study the effects of selected OCs (i.e., PCB 153 and PCB 126) on animal health as a consequence of effects on endocrine-regulated functions such as reproduction and immunity in a goat model focusing on long-term and low-level exposure during the periods of fetal development and in the neonatal period. Additionally, acute exposure was studied in adult mice. The results indicated that exposure to low doses of PCB 153 in utero and in the suckling period influenced reproductive functions and both PCB 153 and PCB 126 exerted immunomodulatory effects on the offspring, whereas acute exposure of adult mice had minor effects on male reproductive function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Animal Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway. erik.ropstad@veths.no
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ropstad
authors.forename: Irma C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Oskam
authors.forename: Jan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lyche
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lie
authors.forename: Marte
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haave
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dahl
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiger
authors.forename: Janneche Utne
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Skaare
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D001503:Ursidae
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006728:Hormones; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated