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A paper published in Biology of Reproduction's Papers-in-Press describes the effects of brief prenatal exposure to plantestrogens on the mouse oviduct, modeling the effects of soy-basedbaby formula on human infants. The results suggest that exposure toestrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood has thepotential to affect a woman's fertility as an adult, possiblyproviding the mechanistic basis for some cases of unexplainedfemale infertility . Earlier research suggested that neonatal exposure to plantestrogens or other environmental estrogens (synthetic substancesthat function similarly to the estrogen naturally produced in thebody) may have long-term effects on adult female reproductivehealth. Wendy N. Jefferson, a researcher in the lab of Carmen J.Williams at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences(NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, previouslydemonstrated that neonatal exposure to the plant estrogen genisteinresults in complete infertility in female adult mice. Causes ofinfertility included failure to ovulate, reduced ability of theoviduct to support embryo development before implantation, andfailure of the uterus to support effective implantation ofblastocyst-stage embryos. The team now reports that neonatal exposure to genistein changesthe level of immune response in the mouse oviduct, known as mucosalimmune response. Some of the immune response genes were alteredbeginning from the time of genistein treatment, while others werealtered much later, when the mouse was in early pregnancy.Together, those changes led to harmfully altered immune responsesand to compromised oviduct support for preimplantation embryodevelopment, both of which would likely contribute to infertility. These findings raise the possibility that exposure to low levels ofenvironmental or plant estrogens during sensitive developmentalwindows can alter the balance of the mucosal immune response in theuterus and oviduct. In the mouse, the window of development during which these changescan occur is found only in the neonatal period; in humans,development of the reproductive tract continues through the onsetof puberty. Therefore, estrogenic chemical exposure to the femalefetus, infant, child, and adolescent all have potential impacts onmucosal immunity in the reproductive tract and, therefore, on adultfertility. The authors present the view that limiting suchexposures, including minimizing use of soy-based baby formula, is astep toward maintaining female reproductive health. Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Automatic Carton Machine , Rotary Die-Cutting Machine Manufacturer for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Carton Packing .
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