最新研究显示,某些环境毒素会破坏女孩的荷尔蒙分泌,从而影响女孩正常的成长发育。这些毒素在环境中自然存在,例如镰孢属菌类会生成一种名叫玉米赤霉烯酮的真菌雌激素。这种雌激素的性质与女性体内分泌的生殖雌激素相近,同时在结构上,与动物养殖中使用的生长激素相似。2月份在线发表于爱思唯尔期刊《儿科学杂志》(Journal of Pediatrics)一篇文章报道,某些真菌雌激素可能是女孩性发育提前的直接原因。
意大利比萨大学的Francesco Massart博士和同事对意大利托斯卡纳区西北部的17名青春期提前(中枢性性早熟)的女孩进行了调查研究,以期发现该地区中枢性性早熟多发的原因。研究人员检测了女孩体内真菌雌激素的水平,以确认该毒素是否是女孩性早熟的原因。
17名受测女孩中有6人被检测出玉米赤霉烯酮偏高。Massart博士说:“这项研究具有偶然性因素,但可以说明,玉米赤霉烯酮可能导致接触真菌雌激素的女孩青春期提前。由于托斯卡纳区西北部还存在除草剂、农药等环境毒素源,所以玉米赤霉烯酮不能作为该地区女孩性早熟多发的解释。”
文章作者同时指出,由于玉米赤霉烯酮在化学上与动物养殖业中使用的一些生长激素有相似之处,有理由怀疑它会导致儿童性早熟。尽管研究人员还不能确定托斯卡纳区西北部中枢性性早熟多发的确切原因,但该研究表明有必要进一步研究环境污染物对儿童健康的不良影响。(科学网 荔涛/编译)
生物谷推荐原始出处:
(Journal of Pediatrics),DOI: 10.1016/j.peds.2007.10.020,Francesco Massart, Giulio Soldani
High Growth Rate of Girls with Precocious Puberty Exposed to Estrogenic Mycotoxins
Francesco Massart MD, PhD, , , Valentina Meucci VD, PhD†, Giuseppe Saggese MD and Giulio Soldani MD†
†Department of Veterinary Clinics (V.M., G. Soldani), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Department of Pediatrics (F.M., G. Saggese), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Received 2 March 2007; revised 7 September 2007; accepted 19 October 2007. Available online 20 February 2008.
Objective
To test the hypothesis that human puberty timing can be advanced by environmental estrogen exposure.
Study design
We analyzed serum mycoestrogen contamination via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in 32 girls affected by central precocious puberty (CPP) and in 31 healthy female control subjects. All 32 patients received triptorelin (TR) for more than 12 months after diagnosis.
Results
Increased serum levels of zearalenone (ZEA; 933.7 ± 200.3 pg/mL; 95% CI, 723.5-1143.9) and of its congener α-zearalenol (106.5 ± 1.9 pg/mL; 95% CI, 104.5-108.5) contaminated 6 girls with CPP, who were from a bounded Tuscany area. At diagnosis, ZEA levels correlated with patient height (r = 0.906, P < .05) and weight (r = 0.887, P < .05), but not with bone age. In patients who were mycotoxin-positive, height (F = 4.192; P < .01), weight (F = 3.915; P < .01), and height velocity (F = 2.777, P < .05) were higher than patients who were mycotoxin-negative during 12-months TR treatment. Height correlated with weight both in patients who were mycotoxin-positive (r = 0.986, P < .001) and in patients who were mycotoxin-negative (r = 0.994, P < .001). Body mass index, bone age, and gonadal secretion was not different in patient groups before and during TR treatment (P > .05).
Conclusions
Mycoestrogenic zearalenone is suspected to be a triggering factor for CPP development in girls. Because of its chemical resemblance to some anabolic agents used in animal breeding, ZEA may also represent a growth promoter in exposed patients.