ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS AND OBESITY: THE EVOLVING STORY OF OBESOGENS

Endocrine Disruptors in Child Obesity and Related Disorders: Early Critical Windows of Exposure

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) can mimic or interfere with hormones in the body, leading to non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Susceptibility to EDs increases during prenatal and postnatal life, a critical time window. This review aims to summarize the latest evidence on the relation of early life exposure to some EDs with obesity and the other metabolic disorders.  RECENT FINDINGS: There is increasing evidence that early life exposure to EDs may impair adipogenesis by increasing the number and size of adipocytes, thereby increasing susceptibility to obesity in childhood. It is stated that exposure to EDs during the prenatal and postnatal period may raise the risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood by disrupting glucose, lipid, and insulin homeostasis in the offspring. They can also accelerate the development of type 1 diabetes through various mechanisms, like immunomodulation, gut microbiota, and vitamin D pathways. There is a growing understanding that ED exposure during critical stages of life could play an important role in the development of obesity and metabolic disorders. We suggest setting national goals, global standards, and policies to reduce environmental exposure to pregnant and lactating women, and babies, considered sensitive populations.

As, Cd, Hg, and Pb Biological Concentrations and Anthropometry in Slovak Adolescents

Anthropometry provides a non-invasive technique for evaluating growth and obesity and serves as an indicator of health status. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the association of internal arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and lead (Pb) exposure with anthropometric parameters, including obesity, in adolescents. Participants (N = 320) were children aged 10-14 years (mean 11.8 years) from eastern Slovakia, at an early stage of adolescence characterized by growth acceleration. Metal concentrations in blood and urine were measured by ICP-MS (for As, Cd, and Pb), GC/ICP-MS (for MeHg) and amalgamation technique AAS (for THg). Median concentrations of the studied elements in whole blood (Cd: 0.16, Pb: 10.6, THg: 0.25, MeHg: 0.11 µg/L) and urine (Cd: 0.25, Pb: 0.73, As: 3.38 µg/g creatinine) were relatively low in our study group. The results showed that blood Cd and Pb concentrations were inversely associated with several anthropometric parameters (body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, chest circumference, and waist circumference) in both boys and girls. Conversely, blood THg concentration was positively associated with these parameters in boys. A positive relationship was also observed between blood MeHg concentration and height in boys, while negative associations between blood Cd and Pb concentrations and height were significant only in girls. No associations were found between metal concentrations (As, Cd, Pb) in urine and parameters of physical growth or obesity. This study demonstrates that even low-level exposure to Cd, Pb, and Hg can influence growth and obesity indicators in adolescents, with distinct sex-specific patterns, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and protection against environmental metal exposure.

Dietary bisphenols exposure as an influencing factor of body mass index

BACKGROUND

Over the past three decades, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence and incidence of overweight and obesity worldwide. The obesogen hypothesis suggests that certain external agents may affect pathways related to fat accumulation and energy balance by stimulating fat cell differentiation and proliferation. Previous research has indicated that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and some of its analogues may influence fat accumulation by promoting the transformation of preadipocytes into adipocytes. This study aimed to assess the possible contribution of dietary bisphenol exposure to the odds of developing overweight and obesity in a sample of Spanish children according to sex.

METHODS

Dietary and anthropometric data were collected from 179 controls and 124 cases schoolchildren aged 3-12 years. Dietary exposure to BPA and bisphenol S (BPS) was assessed using a food consumption frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to assess the influence of dietary exposure to bisphenols on overweight and obesity stratified by sex.

RESULTS

For females, cases had significantly higher exposure to BPA from meat and eggs compared to controls (median = 319.55, interquartile range (IQR) = 176.39-381.01 vs 231.79 (IQR) = 162.11-350.19, p-value = 0.046). Diet quality was higher for controls (6.21 (2.14) vs 4.80 (2.24) p < 0.001) among males independently of a high or low exposure to bisphenols. However, higher diet quality was observed for female controls with an high exposure of total bisphenols (6.79 (2.04) vs 5.33 (2.02) p = 0.031). Females exposed to high levels of BPA from meat and eggs had higher likelihood of being overweight and obese (adjusted Odds Ratio = 2.70, 95% confidence interval = 1.00 - 7.32). However, no consistent associations were found in males.

CONCLUSIONS

High BPA levels from meat and eggs were positively associated with overweight and obesity in females. The dietary intake of BPA in the schoolchildren in the present study was much higher than the acceptable daily intake established by EFSA for the last year.

WEIGHT LOSS AND BEYOND, ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE AFTER LAPAROSCOPIC SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY USING BAROS IN PATIENTS WITH OBESITY IN TURKEY

Context

Sleeve gastrectomy is an effective method for management of obesity. The Bariatric Analysis and Reporting Outcome System (BAROS) is a comprehensive and standard system for the assessment of outcomes of weight loss surgery. It is consisted of weight loss, changes in obesity-related comorbidities and quality of life measurements. We investigated results of the sleeve gastrectomy based on the BAROS.

Material and Methods

Outcomes of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery was studied in 45 patients with obesity (11 male, 34 female), after 45 months in Turkey.

Results

Total weight loss was 26.4±0.1% of body weight at 45 months. Weight regain was seen in 97.8% of the patients with an average 14.5 kg and 13.7% body mass index points. The surgery caused 76% decrease in incidence of obstructive sleep apnea, 73% decrease in type 2 diabetes, 63% decrease in hyperlipidemia and 62% decrease in hypertension. Significant improvement is observed in all quality-of-life parameters. The final score of the BAROS was 4.23±1.02.

Conclusion

Based on BAROS, sleeve gastrectomy provides significant improvements in weight loss, incidence of medical comorbidities and quality of life after surgery. Future studies should address prevention of weight regain after the surgery.

Inherited Epigenetic Hallmarks of Childhood Obesity Derived from Prenatal Exposure to Obesogens

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in developed countries and is becoming a major cause for concern in the developing world. The causes of childhood obesity are complex and multifactorial, involving the interaction between individual genetics and environmental and developmental factors. Among the environmental factors, there is a growing interest in understanding the possible relationship between the so-called environmental obesogens and the development of obesity in children. Exposure to these obesogens such as phthalates, bisphenol A, or parabens, has been identified as a promoter of obesity through different mechanisms such as the alteration of adipocyte development from mesenchymal progenitors, the interference with hormone receptors, and induced inflammation. However, less attention has been paid to the inheritance of epigenetic modifications due to maternal exposure to these compounds during pregnancy. Thus, the aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of epigenetic modifications due to maternal exposure to those obesogens during pregnancy as well as their potential implication on long-term obesity development in the offspring and transgenerational inheritance of epiphenotypes.

THE EFFECTS OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS ON FEMALE GONADAL AXIS: AN UPDATE

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are considered to have an impact on the function of reproductive axis at different levels as well on reproductive organs in both sexes. Complexity of female reproductive system influenced with various stressors including EDs lead to morphological and functional alterations. This is resulting in modulation of neuroendocrine regulation with consequent developmental irregularities and derangements, causative infertility, endometriosis as well as premature ovarian insufficiency or polycystic ovary syndrome. A number of experimental clues was obtained on female animal models using various EDs such as synthetic estrogens and phytoestrogens, neurotransmitters, pesticides or various chemicals. These substances lead towards consequent derangement of the neuroendocrine control of reproduction from early phases of reproductive development towards different phases of adult reproductive period. This text will address some novel insights into the effects of EDs on neuroendocrine regulation of gonadal axis, effects on ovaries as well on endometrium during implantation period.