Lead Doesn’t Spare the Rod: Low-Level Exposure Supercharges Retinal Cell Production in Mice

摘要

The body produces estrogens—including estrone (E1 ), estradiol (E2 ), and estriol (E3 )—that direct reproductive system processes and contribute to the normal function of tissues including the brain, bone, and cardiovascular system. Certain xenoestrogens (estrogenic compounds introduced from outside the body) are suspected of disrupting these activities. In a new study, xenoestrogenic alkylphenols and bisphenol A (BPA) interfered with normal estrogenic signaling in vitro, which suggests they could disrupt normal physiologic function at critical life stages [EHP 119(1):104–112; Jeng and Watson].