Effect of endosulfan on male reproductive development.

Abstract

There is experimental evidence of adverse effects of endosulfan on the male reproductive system, but there are no human data. Therefore, we undertook a study to examine the relationship between environmental endosulfan exposure and reproductive development in male children and adolescents. The study population was composed of 117 male schoolchildren (10-19 years of age) of a village situated at the foothills of cashew plantations, where endosulfan had been aerially sprayed for more than 20 years, and 90 comparable controls with no such exposure history. The study parameters included recording of clinical history, physical examination, sexual maturity rating (SMR) according to Tanner stages, and estimation of serum levels of testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone, and endosulfan residues (70 study and 47 control subjects). Mean +/- SE serum endosulfan levels in the study group (7.47 +/- 1.19 ppb) were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in controls (1.37 +/- 0.40 ppb). Multiple regression analysis showed that SMR scoring for development of pubic hair, testes, penis, and serum testosterone level was positively related to age and negatively related to aerial exposure to endosulfan (AEE; p < 0.01). Serum LH levels were significantly positively related to AEE after controlling for age (p < 0.01). The prevalence of congenital abnormalities related to testicular descent (congenital hydrocele, undescended testis, and congenital inguinal hernia) among study and controls subjects was 5.1% and 1.1%, respectively, but the differences were statistically nonsignificant. Our study results suggest that endosulfan exposure in male children may delay sexual maturity and interfere with sex hormone synthesis. Our study is limited by small sample size and nonparticipation.

Female sexual maturation and reproduction after prepubertal exposure to estrogens and endocrine disrupting chemicals: A review of rodent and human data

“…Dioxins and PCBs do not seem to affect pubertal development in girls, but one study reported an association of PCBs to a delay in pubertal development in boys (Den Hond et al, 2002). Endosulfan exposure was also associated with slower pubertal development in boys (Saiyed et al, 2003) and lead exposure with delayed pubertal timing in girls (Selevan et al, 2003;Wu et al, 2003).…”

“…Pubertal delay was associated to a high endosulfan exposure in a recent Indian study where 117 boys from a highly contaminated area were compared to 90 matched control boys from uncontaminated area (Saiyed et al, 2003). Antisteroidogenic properties of endosulfan could contribute to this effect.…”

Environmental Factors and Puberty Timing: Expert Panel Research Needs

“…Interpretation of these findings may be limited by residual confounding and concerns about the analytical method of measuring the phthalate parent compound instead of the metabolites. 110 Saiyed et al 111 found that boys who were exposed to endosulfan in India were less mature and had lower testosterone and higher LH than unexposed boys.…”

Metabolism of Endosulfan-Alpha by Human Liver Microsomes and its Utility as a Simultaneous In Vitro Probe for CYP2B6 and CYP3A4

“…In mice, endosulfan exposure resulted in increased testosterone metabolism and clearance (Wilson and LeBlanc, 1998). Studies involving children suggest that long term environmental exposure to endosulfan causes delayed male sexual maturation and reduced testosterone levels (Saiyed et al, 2003). The mechanism by which endosulfan may exert these effects may involve its ability to activate the human pregnane X receptor (PXR) and induce the expression levels of cytochrome P450 (CYP or P450) enzymes, thereby increasing metabolic rates.…”