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Update on the Mammalian Tier 1 Endocrine Disruptor Screening Protocols
Citation:
Stoker, T. E. Update on the Mammalian Tier 1 Endocrine Disruptor Screening Protocols. Presented at Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference, West Chester, OH, April 14 - 17, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation
Description:
The endocrine system provides a number of target sites that may be susceptible to disruption by environmental agents. In response to emerging concerns that environmental chemicals may have adverse effects on human health by altering the function of the endocrine system (http://www.who.int/pcs/), the Food Quality Protection Act mandated that the U.S. EPA develop and implement an endocrine disruptor screening program (EDSP). Working toward this goal, the U.S. EPA implemented the EDSP that is designed to detect chemicals that alter the estrogen, androgen, and thyroid systems in human, fish and wildlife (http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/oscpendo/index.htm). This process includes a two-tiered approach. A Tier 1 battery to identify substances which interfere with estrogen, androgen and thyroid hormone function and Tier 2 screens designed to better characterize the potential adverse effects of a compound. These tests are longer in duration than Tier 1 screens and are designed to encompass critical life stages and processes as well as a broad range of doses, and are intended to be administrated by a relevant route of exposure. To date, our laboratory has assisted with the development, standardization and validation of both the in vitro (estrogen and androgen binding assays, steroidogenesis and aromatase) and in vivo methods (male and female pubertal assays and the Hershberger assays) for the Tier 1 screens. This talk will include a discussion of the use of these specific protocols and how they have been employed to identify altered reproductive development and the underlying mechanisms.