Human and wildlife exposure to chemicals is thought to be extensive and particularly to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) suspected to alter male reproductive tract. When the exposure occurs during perinatal period (fetal, neonatal periods or puberty) the reproductive health alterations are irreversible suggesting a developmental origin to male infertility.
This concept is supported by numerous epidemiologic and experimental studies. This review summarizes the data concerning the epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, chromatin remodelling, small-non coding RNAs) involved in developmentally-induced male infertility. These data open potentially to new diagnosis tools and new trails to assessment of EDCs risks.
Médecine sciences : M/S. 2016 Feb 05 [Epub]
Claire Mauduit, Bénazir Siddeek, Mohamed Benahmed
Inserm, U1065, centre méditerranéen de médecine moléculaire (C3M), équipe 5, Centre hospitalier l'Archet 2, 151, route St Antoine Ginestière, Nice, F-06204, France - Université de Nice-Sophia, UFR médecine, Nice, F-06000, France - Université Lyon 1, UFR médecine Lyon sud, Lyon, F-69921, France - Hospices civils de Lyon, hôpital Lyon sud, laboratoire d'anatomie et de cytologie pathologiques, Pierre-Bénite, F-69495, France. , Inserm, U1065, centre méditerranéen de médecine moléculaire (C3M), équipe 5, Centre hospitalier l'Archet 2, 151, route St Antoine Ginestière, Nice, F-06204, France - Université de Nice-Sophia, UFR médecine, Nice, F-06000, France. , Inserm, U1065, centre méditerranéen de médecine moléculaire (C3M), équipe 5, Centre hospitalier l'Archet 2, 151, route St Antoine Ginestière, Nice, F-06204, France - Université de Nice-Sophia, UFR médecine, Nice, F-06000, France - Centre hospitalier universitaire de Nice, pôle digestif reproduction, CECOS, Nice, F-06202, France.