Absorption and Metabolism of Bisphenol A,a Possible Endocrine Disruptor,in the Aquatic Edible Plant,Water Convolvulus (Ipomoea aquatica)

Water convolvulus, a vegetable, absorbed bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor, from the medium. One week later, no BPA could be detected in the plant, indicating that BPA had been metabolized in the plant. BPA monoglucoside was detected as the BPA base at ca. 10% in the roots, some in the stems, but none in the leaves. ²H-NMR analyses of MeOH extracts and hydrolyzates of the plant treated with BPA-d₁₆ showed the presence of metabolites (ca. 7% and 26%, respectively, as BPA equivalents) other than the glucoside. Over 50% of BPA might be polymerized and/or tightly bound in the plant residues.     

Components of plastic: experimental studies in animals and relevance for human health

Components used in plastics, such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), are detected in humans. In addition to their utility in plastics, an inadvertent characteristic of these chemicals is the ability to alter the endocrine system. Phthalates function as anti-androgens while the main action attributed to BPA is oestrogen-like activity. PBDE and TBBPA have been shown to disrupt thyroid hormone homeostasis while PBDEs also exhibit anti-androgen action. Experimental investigations in animals indicate a wide variety of effects associated with exposure to these compounds, causing concern regarding potential risk to human health. For example, the spectrum of effects following perinatal exposure of male rats to phthalates has remarkable similarities to the testicular dysgenesis syndrome in humans. Concentrations of BPA in the foetal mouse within the range of unconjugated BPA levels observed in human foetal blood have produced effects in animal experiments. Finally, thyroid hormones are essential for normal neurological development and reproductive function. Human body burdens of these chemicals are detected with high prevalence, and concentrations in young children, a group particularly sensitive to exogenous insults, are typically higher, indicating the need to decrease exposure to these compounds.     

Proteomics and polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder of heterogeneous etiology. Proteomics techniques have been used for elucidating the physiopathology of PCOS, yet the proteins identified so far were rarely the same across tissues and studies. The present review discusses the current challenges in the application of proteomics to the study of PCOS. A well-defined research design and an appropriate selection of study populations, samples and proteomic platforms are essential in clinical proteomics. Furthermore, the findings derived from proteomic approaches should be validated by complementary techniques, and the reproducibility of the results has ideally to be confirmed by different studies. Only when meeting these requirements, the proteins identified by proteomic techniques should be considered as candidates for future studies aiming to define specific molecular phenotypes of PCOS and their possible role in the metabolic and hormonal abnormalities characteristic of this syndrome.     

多囊卵巢综合征并发抑郁症的研究现状

多囊卵巢综合征(polycystic ovary syndrome,PCOS)是育龄女性最常见的内分泌疾病之一,表现为生殖和代谢异常。近些年来,越来越多的人群学研究发现,PCOS病人患精神心理疾病,尤其是抑郁症的发生率高于正常人群。本文概述了PCOS并发抑郁症的相关危险因素和可能机制,并简要论述了PCOS的治疗药物对抑郁症作用的最新研究进展。