Fw: More Study Recommended on Long-Term Reproductive Effects of Traces of Both Natural and Man-Made Hormone-Like Chemicals

[Guest guest]

From: " ilena rose " <ilena@...>

Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2001 12:22 AM

Subject: More Study Recommended on Long-Term Reproductive Effects of Traces

of Both Natural and Man-Made Hormone-Like Chemicals

> http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/news/ntprepro.htm'>http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/news/ntprepro.htm

>

> FOR RELEASE

> May 14, 2001

> NIEHS PR #01-11 NIEHS CONTACT: Bill Grigg

> (301) 402-3378

> grigg@...

>

> There appear to be effects below the traditional 'no effect' level:

>

> More Study Recommended on Long-Term Reproductive Effects of Traces of Both

> Natural and Man-Made Hormone-Like Chemicals

>

> A panel of academic, government and industry scientists has determined

that

> there is " credible evidence " that some hormone-like chemicals can affect

> test animals' bodily functions at very low levels - well below the " no

> effect " levels determined by traditional testing.

>

> However, the panel reported that, in some cases, other credible studies

> failed to observe such low-dose effects and there is no obvious reason for

> the different outcomes.

>

> The 36-member panel said the chemicals, called " environmental estrogens "

> and " endocrine disruptors " deserve greater scrutiny and additional

> research. Some of the hormones, like estrogen and testosterone, occur

> naturally. Other, chemically related substances are manufactured for

> packaging, plastics and other products of modern life.

>

> The National Toxicology Program, which is headquartered at the National

> Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park,

N.C.,

> released the experts' draft report today for 60 days of comment by other

> scientists, industry and consumers before sending the advice to the

> Environmental Protection Agency, which had requested the panel review. The

> comments will not change the report but will be attached to it,

> Melnick, Ph.D., of NIEHS said. Dr. Melnick chaired the peer review

> organizing committee.

>

> Because of years of controversy over some of the studies and their

meaning,

> Dr. Melnick said the review has attracted attention from

environmentalists,

> industry, as well as government and academic scientists worldwide.

>

> Olden, Ph.D., director of the NIEHS and NTP, said, " In a first for

> this kind of review, the panel was able to obtain the raw data from nearly

> all of the studies. Nearly 100 percent of the scientists were able to

> cooperate in this. This permitted a statistical reanalysis of the data,

> rather than merely a reliance on the conclusions of published papers.

>

> " In fact, some of the data are from papers still to be published. "

>

> The panel found enough evidence of low level effects to recommend

> additional studies of low level doses of bisphenol A, a plastics building

> block used for a wide line of products, from safety helmets and impact

> resistant eye glass lenses to food packaging. A subpanel said there was

> " credible evidence " of bodily changes, such as in increased prostate

> weight, in some rodents exposed to low levels of bisphenol A, but " due to

> the inability of other credible studies... to observe low dose effects...

> and the consistency of these negative studies, the subpanel is not

> persuaded that a low dose effect of BPA has been conclusively established

> as a general or reproducible finding. "

>

> While the panel stopped short of finding any of the effects to be either

> harmful or benign -- it wasn't asked by EPA to make that judgement -- it

> found evidence that increases in prostate weight and/or changes in female

> reproductive organs can occur in rodents or other test animals from low

> doses of estrogen, the so-called female hormone, and from several other

> estrogenic compounds, including the insecticide methoxychlor and a dietary

> component derived from soy known as genistein.

>

> Five types of studies were recommended for a group of chemicals which are

> related to the so-called male hormone, testosterone, and are called

> androgens and antiandrogens. These chemicals include the fungicide

> vinclozolin, which when pregnant rats were exposed to it appeared to cause

> changes in the reproductive organs of both female and male offspring.

>

> The panel said EPA should obtain the best advice of experts who design

> tests and then consider rewriting the " guidelines " that industry must

> follow in having their new products tested before EPA approval. The panel

> said that additional multi-generational studies might use a range of

> different dosages to better determine if any reproductive problems result

> in the offspring or grand-offspring of exposed animals.

>

> The panel also suggested to EPA that it consider the best strains and ages

> of rodents for such tests.

>

> Under current regulations, studies are undertaken at three or four

levels -

> where each dose may be two- to four-fold less than the other. The highest

> dose at which no effect on the animal is seen is considered the " no

effect "

> level. But the panel said the raw data suggested that at even lower

levels,

> an effect might occur, so that the traditional study may need to be

> re-thought.

>

> The full NTP report can be found at

> http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/htdocs/liason/LowDosePeerFinalRpt.pdf

NIEHS

> is one of the National Institutes of Health. NIEHS and NTP are part of the

> U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

>

> # # # #

>

>

> The URL for this press release is:

> http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/news/ntprepro.htm'>http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/news/ntprepro.htm

>

>

>