phytoestrogens and Genital-Diseases--Male

This is an attempt to establish the normal stretched penile length and prevalence of male genital anomalies in full-term neonates and whether they are influenced by prenatal parental exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. A thousand newborns were included; their mothers were subjected to the following questionnaire: parents' age, residence, occupation, contact with insecticides and pesticides, antenatal exposure to cigarette smoke or drugs, family history of genital anomalies, phytoestrogens intake and history of in vitro fertilization or infertility. Free testosterone was measured in 150 neonates in the first day of life. Mean penile length was 3.4±0.37 cm. A penile length <2.5 cm was considered micropenis. Prevalence of genital anomalies was 1.8% (hypospadias 83.33%). There was a higher rate of anomalies in those exposed to endocrine disruptors (EDs; 7.4%) than in the non-exposed (1.2%; p<0.0001; odds ratio 6, 95% confidence interval 2-16). Mean penile length showed a linear relationship with free testosterone and was lower in neonates exposed to EDs.

Topics: Egypt; Endocrine Disruptors; Environmental Exposure; Female; Genital Diseases, Male; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Penis; Pesticides; Phytoestrogens; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, First; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Prevalence; Progestins; Smoking; Testosterone

Reports of increased incidences of male reproductive abnormalities and falling sperm counts have prompted interest into the nature of these threats to global fertility. Xenoestrogens have been flagged as major culprits but to date, little is known about the effects of dietary phytoestrogens on male reproductive health. These non-steroidal oestrogens of plant origin are potent endocrine disruptors that modulate normal physiological functions. Phytoestrogens have become a major component in the typical Western fast food diet over the last few decades. Soy formula milk is another common source of phytoestrogens, now used increasingly as an alternative to breast or cow's milk for infants with allergies. This use is of particular concern since the most vulnerable periods for oestrogenic insult are thought to be the pre- and neonatal periods when irreversible damage can be inflicted on the developing germinal epithelium. Studies into the safety of phytoestrogens are urgently needed either to allay fears or increase awareness of the effects of our modern diet on future fertility.

Topics: Animals; Diet; Diethylstilbestrol; Genital Diseases, Male; Humans; Infant Formula; Infertility, Male; Male; Phytoestrogens; Reproduction; Soy Milk

The incidence of disorders of development of the male reproductive tract has more than doubled in the past 30-50 years while sperm counts have declined by about half. Similar abnormalities occur in the sons of women exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy and can be induced in animals by brief exposure to exogenous oestrogen/DES during pregnancy. We argue that the increasing incidence of reproductive abnormalities in the human male may be related to increased oestrogen exposure in utero, and identify mechanisms by which this exposure could occur.

Topics: Animals; Diethylstilbestrol; Estradiol Congeners; Estrogens; Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; Female; Genital Diseases, Male; Humans; Isoflavones; Male; Phytoestrogens; Plant Preparations; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Sperm Count