Alarm Bells Ring As Chemicals in Personal Care Products Linked to Early Puberty in Girls: These substances that affect the endocrine system have the ability to activate important receptors in the brain, which may result in obesity and breast cancer, among other possible health hazards.
In addition to highlighting the importance of conducting additional research, the study recommends that children and young adults use personal care products with caution.
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Early Puberty
According to new research that was just published in Endocrinology, the flagship basic scientific magazine of the Endocrine Society, it has been suggested that girls who are exposed to specific endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may have a greater likelihood of beginning puberty at an earlier age.
The endocrine system of the body is affected by EDCs because they imitate, inhibit, or interact with hormones. An worrying trend toward early puberty in females has been seen, which suggests that the influence of chemicals in our surroundings may be a contributing factor.
There is a correlation between the onset of puberty at an earlier age and an increased likelihood of developing psychosocial issues, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer.
Study Details and Initial Findings
“We conducted a comprehensive screen of 10,000 environmental compounds with extensive follow-up studies using human brain cells that control the reproductive axis, and our team identified several substances that may contribute to early puberty in girls,” said Natalie Shaw, M.D., M.M.Sc.
Head of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) at the National Institutes of Health in Durham, North Carolina. Shaw is a member of the National Institutes of Health.
One of these chemicals is a smell known as musk ambrette, which can be found in certain detergents, perfumes, and personal care products. Additionally, there is a class of drugs known as cholinergic agonists of this category.
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Potential Impact of EDCs and Regulatory Concerns
“In order to validate our findings, additional research is required,” Shaw pointed out. Due to the fact that these substances have the ability to stimulate important receptors in the hypothalamus, including the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) .
The kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R), there is a chance that exposure could prematurely activate the reproductive axis in infants.
The team of researchers believes that musk ambrette is a potentially dangerous substance due to the fact that it is present in personal care items and that there have been studies conducted on rats that have showed it can pass across the blood-brain barrier.
Children have a lower probability of coming into contact with cholinergic agonists in their day-to-day existence. Regulations in Canada and Europe place restrictions on the use of musk ambrette due to the potential toxicity of the fragrance.
Additionally, the United States Food and Drug Administration withdrew the fragrance from its list of fragrances that are “generally recognized as safe.” Nevertheless, it can still be found in certain personal care items that are sold on the market.
Research Methodology and Broader Implications
“The findings of this study indicate that, out of a sense of extreme caution, it is essential for parents to ensure that the personal care products they use for their children are only those that are regulated by the federal government,” Shaw said.
For the purpose of the study, the research team tested a human cell line that was overexpressing either GnRHR or KISS1R against a Tox21 10,000-compound library that contained licensed medications, environmental contaminants, and dietary supplements.
Musk ambrette was found to enhance the number of GnRH neurons as well as the expression of GnRH, according to the findings of a follow-up study that was conducted using human hypothalamic neurons and zebrafish embryos.
“Using human hypothalamic neurons and zebrafish provides an effective model for identifying environmental substances that stimulate the KISS1R and GnRHR,” said Menghang Xia, Ph.D.
A co-author from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) in Bethesda, Maryland, which is a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The results of this study, which was carried out by a group of experts from a variety of fields, demonstrated that it is possible to cut down on the amount of time and money required to evaluate environmental chemicals for the potential impacts they may have on human health.
The article “Identification of Environmental Compounds that May Trigger Early Female Puberty by Activating the Human GnRHR and KISS1R” was published in the journal Endocrinology on September 10, 2024.
The following individuals contributed to the research: Shu Yang, Li Zhang, Jameson Travers, Ruili Huang, Vukasin Jovanovic, Rithvik Veeramacheni, Srilatha Sakamuru, Carlos Tristan, Carleen Klumpp Thomas, and Anton Simeonov from the National Center for Applied Toxicology;
Kamal Khan and Erica Davis from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois; and Kristine Witt from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Division of Translational Toxicology.