In recent years, the association between alterations in animal hormonal regulation and exposure to estrogenic endocrine – disrupting chemicals (EEC), such as xenoestrogens has led to increasing public and scientific concern. EEDs reportedly have the potential to produce widespread adverse effects through their endocrine disrupting activity, such as carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity...

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) have the capacity of altering the normal function of the endocrine system. EDCs have shown dramatic effects on the reproductive biology of aquatic wildlife and may affect human reproduction as well. Studies on EDCs in mammalian species have often investigated the effects of short-term, high doses on male and female reproductive physiology. However, it is di...

Growth hormone (GH) plays a pivotal role in the regulation of growth, development and body composition. In order to provide new insights into estrogenic endocrine disruptor (ED) activities in the pituitary gland and the potential role played by estrogen receptors (ERs) in mediating their effects in vivo, we examined GH expression in the pituitary gland of an immature rat model. At postnatal day...

TNF-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6) is activated in a variety of cell types by the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-a and IL-1. The TSG-6 gene encodes a secreted 35 kDa glycoprotein abundant in synovial fluids of patients with various forms of arthritis and detectable in sera of patients with different inflammatory or autoimmune disorders. TSGB protein consists of two structural domains. The N-terminal ...

Androgen is critical for prostate development, growth, and survival. Therapies for advanced prostate cancer aim to block androgen receptor (AR) action. However, recurrent tumors ultimately arise, which harbor restored AR activity. One mechanism of such reactivation occurs through AR mutations, rendering the receptor responsive to noncanonical ligands. We have shown previously that a known xenoe...

A tributyltin (TBT)-resistant strain of Pseudomonas sp. isolated from an overworked car filter was tested for its adaptation to TBT. The isolate was checked for organotin degradation ability, as well as membrane lipid and cellular protein composition in the presence of TBT. The phospholipid profiles of bacteria, grown with and without increased amounts of TBT, were characterized using liquid ch...

There is limited information on the physiological consequences associated with exposure to xenoestrogens under field conditions. The objectives of this study were to determine the presence of estrogenic chemicals in the St. Lawrence River and their effects on male reproduction in the spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius). Hepatic vitellogenin (VTG) mRNA levels in immature shiners indicate extens...