A fungal toxin that hinders animal fertility and fetal development may also disrupt human sex hormones in pregnancy, according to a Rutgers Health study.
Zearalenone (ZEN), which contaminates cereal grains, meats and processed foods worldwide, is so structurally like the hormone 17β-estradiol (E2) that it binds with estrogen receptors. Large doses reduce the number and size of offspring in animal studies. Paradoxically, these compounds also promote growth in livestock after birth, so much so that a synthetic version of ZEN is commonly administered to cattle in the U.S. The study, published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, connects ZEN exposure to hormone profiles during human pregnancy.
“The big picture takeaway is that sex steroid hormones like estrogens and androgens are important for all kinds of development, so in theory, this very common dietary compound could be disrupting many aspects of development by disrupting these hormones,” said Carolyn Kinkade, a doctoral degree candidate in the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies Exposure Science program of and first author of the study. “These fungal toxins could impact things ranging from neurodevelopment to asthma to growth patterns to metabolism. It’s important to replicate these results, so we’re currently further looking into these issues using data from other cohorts that have tracked pregnancies and early childhood.”
The study team analyzed urine and blood samples taken during each trimester of pregnancy, along with placenta samples taken after birth, from 297 participants in a cohort study in Rochester, NY. Researchers also received cord blood samples from 118 cohort members. To read the full story.