title: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: elucidating our understanding of their role in sex and gender-relevant end points.
abstract: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are diverse and pervasive and may have significant consequence for health, including reproductive development and expression of sex-/gender-sensitive parameters. This review chapter discusses what is known about common EDCs and their effects on reproductively relevant end points. It is proposed that one way that EDCs may exert such effects is by altering steroid levels (androgens or 17-estradiol, E₂) and/or intracellular E₂ receptors (ERs) in the hypothalamus and/or hippocampus. Basic research findings that demonstrate developmentally sensitive end points to androgens and E₂ are provided. Furthermore, an approach is suggested to examine differences in EDCs that diverge in their actions at ERs to elucidate their role in sex-/gender-sensitive parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, New York, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, New York, USA; The Center for Neuroscience Research, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, New York, USA; The Center for Life Sciences Research, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, New York, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA; IDeA Network of Biomedical Excellence (INBRE), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA; Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. Electronic address: cheryl.a.frye@albany.edu.
authors.forename: Cheryl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Frye
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D035843:Biomedical Research; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000139:chemically induced*; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants
keywords: Cognitive behavior; Development; Emotional reactivity; Sex differences; Steroids