Endocrine Abstracts

Testicular germ cell cancer is the most frequent cancer of the young men with an increasing incidence all over the world. Pathogenesis and reasons of this increase remain unknown but epidemiological and clinical data have suggested that like genital malformations and sperm impairment, it could include developmental and environmental factors, including fetal exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs). Several groups including ours have shown that TGCC is estrogen dep...

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome, obesity and type 2 diabetes has dramatically increased worldwide during the last few decades and exceeds World Health Organisation’s predictions. It is not possible anymore to explain this real pandemic only by genetic predisposition and/or by classical lifestyle changes such as sedentary lifestyle or energy-dense diet. There is increasing experimental and epidemiological evidence suggesting that exposure to environmental factors such...

Introduction: Testicular germ cell tumours are the most frequent cancer of young men. Epidemiological and clinical data have suggested that fetal or perinatal exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) with estrogenic effects, could participate to testicular germ cell carcinogenesis. However, EEDs (like bisphenol A (BPA) are often weak ligands for classical nuclear estrogen receptors.Using a human seminoma cell line (JKT-1), devoid of ERα...

Introduction: Cryptorchidism, the most frequent congenital malformation in full-term male newborns, increases risk of infertility and testicular cancer. Most cases remain idiopathic but epidemiological and experimental studies have suggested the role of both genetic and environmental factors. Physiological testicular descent is regulated by two major Leydig cell hormones: Insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) and testosterone.Methods and results: From a prospec...

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are environmental contaminants that interfere with normal hormonal homeostasis and act as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC). These molecules can mimic hormone effects on metabolism. The links between metabolism and cancer are now well established. Metabolism generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which contribute to mutations and induces oncogenic transformation. In turn, cancer cells display high metabolic flexibility allowing them to...