Long term effects of environmental chemical exposure during development on the adult ovine reproductive neuroendocrine axis
Résumé
The results of this study suggest that male offspring may be more sensitive to developmental EC exposure than females which results in changes in expression of hypothalamic genes which regulate reproductive function. The results suggest that exposure to ECs in sewage sludge during fetal life (when programming of the reproductive axis occurs) and during lactation causes long term effects on the reproductive neuroendocrine axis. Since kisspeptin plays a pivotal role in regulating reproductive activation andfunction in adulthood, alterations to the expression of this system by ECs in sewage sludge during development, may have consequences on future reproductive health and fertility in adulthood.