Exposure to Nonpersistent Insecticides and Male Reproductive Hormones.
Epidemiology. 17(1):61-68, January 2006.
Meeker, John D., Ryan, Louise., Barr, Dana B., Hauser, Rus
- Men presenting to an infertility clinic in Massachusetts were monitored for urinary concentrations of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPY) and 1-naphthol (1N), metabolites of the organophosphate pesticides chlorpyrifos, carbaryl and naphthalene. Reproductive hormones were also sampled and the relationship between chemical and hormone levels analyzed.
- Results showed that high levels of TCPY and 1N were associated with reduced levels of testosterone. These associations are indicative of widespread exposure to the general population, as route of exposure was not a significant variable in this study.
Pesticide Exposure Alters Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Levels in Mexican Agricultural Workers.
Environmental Health Perspectives. 113 (9), September 2005.
Rogelio Recio, Guadalupe Ocampo-Gómez, Javier Morán-Martínez, Victor Borja-Aburto, Malaquías López-Cervantes, Marisela Uribe, Luisa Torres-Sánchez, and Mariano E. Cebrián
- 64 men in Mexico were sampled for the presence of OP metabolites in their blood and urine. These results were correlated with immunoassayed levels of sex hormones in the pituitary glands.
- More than 80% of participants had at least one OP metabolite present in their bodies.
- Reduced levels of several sex hormones (Follicle-Stimulating hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing hormone (LH)) were found to be associated with high levels of metabolites. These results suggest that exposure to organophosphate pesticides disrupts hypothalamic-pituitary endocrine function, and may therefore have an adverse effect on male fertility.