• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.423-434
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• 2018

Purpose: To investigate factors that affect behaviors of reducing exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in breastfeeding mothers. Methods: Subjects were 166 breastfeeding mothers who were recruited from January 25 to April 15, 2018. The questionnaire consisted of items associated with behaviors of reducing exposure to EDCs, attitude to behaviors of reducing exposure, subject norms of behavior of reducing exposure, and perceived behavior control. Data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: Factors influencing behaviors of reducing the exposure to EDCs were attitude toward behaviors of reducing exposure, perceived barrier, and period of lactation. The more positive the attitude toward behaviors of reducing exposure was, the lower the perceived barrier. The longer the feeding period, the higher the behaviors of reducing the exposure to EDCs. Conclusions: To enhance behaviors of reducing the exposure to EDCs, it is necessary to develop a positive educational program in breastfeeding department to improve attitude toward behaviors of reducing the exposure to EDCs, decrease perceived barrier, and increase the breastfeeding period.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.337-347
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• 2023

Purpose: Despite the health impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) beginning in the early stages of life, there is little research on the perception of EDCs among Korean mothers, who are primarily responsible for protecting children. This study aimed to explore how mothers with young children perceived EDCs for their concerns, the issues they faced, and the way they dealt with them. Methods: An exploratory qualitative design was utilized. Twelve mothers who were recruited from snowball sampling participated in voluntary interviews. Individual in-depth interviews lasting approximately 47 to 60 minutes were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis as suggested by Graneheim and Lundman. Results: Four categories, 10 subcategories, and 25 condensed meaning units were identified by interpreting mothers' underlying meanings. The four categories were 'Knowledgeable yet contrasting ideas regarding EDCs,' 'Negative health impact, but more so for children,' 'Inaction or trying to minimize exposure,' and 'Need for early, reliable resources and social change.' Mothers were knowledgeable about EDCs and actively needed further education and support. While they tended to focus more on the health impact of EDCs on their children and were optimistic about their health risks, paying less attention to their preventive behaviors. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals must consider mothers' perceptions of EDCs in future education and interventions regarding EDCs impact on women's life stages such as puberty, pregnancy, and childrearing. Also preventive strategies that can be applied to their daily lives are needed.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.292.2-293
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• 2002

Pyrethroids are one of the most commonly used insecticides in worldwide. but it remains unclear whether pyrethroid compounds possess endocrine disrupting activity or not. T47D cells, an estrogen receptor positive human breast cancer cell line. is known to induce alkaline phosphatase (AlkP) only in response to progestins. Because the action of estrogen may be changed by the action of progestins (Kraus et al. 1995), it is important to examine the potential to produce progestin-mediated effects for determining endocrine disrupting activity of chemicals(LiLorenzo et al. 1991). (omitted)

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.146-150
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• 2020

Background: The incidence of precocious puberty has increased throughout the 20th century. The association between precocious puberty and endocrine disrupting chemicals including agricultural pesticides has been a subject of global study, but human data are lacking. Purpose: We investigated the relationship between agricultural pesticides and the development of precocious puberty. Methods: We enrolled 60 female subjects at Severance Children's Hospital from December 2015 to January 2017. Of them, 30 were diagnosed with precocious puberty, while the other 30 prepubertal girls were enrolled as normal controls. We investigated their clinical characteristics and analyzed the urinary levels of 320 different agricultural pesticides. Results: Agricultural pesticide was detected in one of 30 patients with precocious puberty (3.3%) versus 2 of 30 girls in the normal control group (3.3% vs. 6.7%, P=0.554). Dinotefuran, a neonicotinoid-class insecticide, was detected in the samples of all 3 positive subjects. Conclusion: Our results showed no relationship between agricultural pesticides and the development of precocious puberty. Larger sample sizes and robustly controlled variables are necessary to further investigate this topic.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.187-194
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• 2013

Microalgae are sensitive indicators of environmental changes, and hence they are widely used in environmental risk assessments and for the development of discharge guidelines. Here we evaluated the toxicity of metals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to the marine green microalga, Tetraselmis suecica. The toxicants investigated included the metals, Cu, Ni, and Pb; and the EDCs, bisphenol A (BPA), endosulfan (ES), and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). The endpoints were variations in cell counts and chlorophyll a levels. T. suecica displayed a varied pattern of sensitivity to the toxicants. Based on the 72-h median effective concentration ($EC_{50}$), ES (0.045 mg/L) was most toxic to T. suecica, followed by PCB (3.96 mg/L) and Pb (9.62 mg/L). Interestingly, T. suecica was relatively tolerant to Cu (43.03 mg/L). The 72-h $EC_{50}$ values of Ni and BPA were approximately 16 mg/L. Our data suggest that this species may be relatively tolerant to most of the chemicals within their permissible limits in the environment.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.128-128
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.127-127
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• 2001

There is a concern that chemicals in our environment are affecting human health by disrupting a normal endocrine function. Much of the concern has focused on chemicals that can interact directly with steroid hormone receptors. The ability of certain man-made chemicals to mimic the effects of natural steroid hormones and their potential to disrupt the delicate balance of the endocrine system in animals are of increasing concern. (omitted)

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2000

Recently, there is a worldwide concern that a great number of man-made chemicals have a hormone-like action both in humans and in animals. DECD is developing screening programs using validated test systems to determine whether certain substances may have an effect in humans. In the present study. the establishment oj repeated-dose toxicity test method was tried. Flutamide. an anti-androgenic agent. was administered by gavage to Sprague-Dawley rats for 28 days at dose levels of 0. 0.5. 3 and 18 mg/kg body weight (10-15 rats/sex/group) to examine the effects on general findings. especially reproductive and endocrine parameters. Clinical signs. body weights, food consumption, and sexual cycle were checked and measured. For the gross and microscopic examinations. 10 rats/sex/group were sacrificed at the end of dosing period and the remaining animals of control and high dose groups (5 each) were sacrificed after 14 days recovery. Examinations for hematology and clinical chemistry were carried out at necropsy. There were no treatment-related changes in clinical signs. body weights, food consumption. gross necropsy. hematology and clinical chemistry at all doses of both sexes. The period and regularity of sexual cycle were not adversely affected at all doses by the test agent. At 18 mg/kg. both decreased weights of prostate, seminal vesicle and epididymis in males and increased weights of spleen and thymus in females were observed. In addition, decreased number of spermatids and sperms. increased serum testosterone concentration and increased incidence (100%) of interstitial cell hyperplasia were seen in males. At 18 mg/kg of the recovery group. decreased prostate weight. reduced sperm count and increased incidence (20%) of interstitial cell hyperplasia in males and increased thymus weight in females were observed. At 3 mg/kg. reduced sperm count was found. There were no adverse effects on parameters examined at 0.5 mg/kg of both sexes. The results suggested that the potential target organs of flutamide may be accessory sexual glands including testes for males and spleen and thymus for females. Taken together. this test method was found to be a useful screening test system for endocrine disrupting chemicals.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.42-43
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• 2001

Ecotoxicology is a research area for adverse effect of chemicals to ecosystem. While toxicology is directly related to human health, relation between ecotoxicology and human health is indirect. In this connection, public awareness of environmental effect has been rather behind that for health effects. Historically the first concern in ecotoxicology was adverse effect of pollution on organisms in waters receiving industrial wastewater. (omitted)

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.287-303
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• 2007

Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and differentially expressed cDNAs from the self-fertilizing fish, Kryptolebias marmoratus were mined to develop alternative biomarkers for endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). 1,577 K. marmoratus cDNA clones were randomly sequenced from the 5'-end. These clones corresponded to 1,518 and 1,519 genes in medaka dbEST and zebrafish dbEST, respectively. Of the matched genes, 197 and 115 genes obtained Unigene IDs in medaka dbEST and zebrafish dbEST, respectively. Many of the annotated genes are potential biomarkers for environmental stresses. In a differential display reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (DD RT-PCR) study, 56 differential expressed genes were obtained from fish liver exposed to bisphenol A. Of these, 16 genes were identified after BLAST search to GenBank, and the annotated genes were mainly involved in catalytic activity and binding. The expression patterns of these 16 genes were validated by real-time RT-PCR of liver tissue from fish exposed to bisphenol A. Our findings suggest that expression of these 16 genes is modulated by endocrine disrupting chemicals, and therefore that they are potential biomarkers for environmental stress including EDCs exposure.