User:Rimanol/Xenohormone

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Uses Section

(Xenohormones can come from a variety of sources, both natural and man-made. Man-made xenoestrogens are often found in cosmetic products, some foods, certain pharmaceuticals, plastic products, flame retardants, and pesticides. Naturally occurring xenoestrogens include phytoestrogens (estrogen-like compounds from plants) and mycoestrogens (estrogen-like compounds from fungi).^{[citation needed]}

While natural xenohormones exist, there are not as many compounds found in nature which are capable of interacting with human androgen receptors, so humans are most likely to come into contact with man-made xenoandrogens by taking anabolic steroids or through pollutants which contain xenoandrogens. "Organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDDs/PCDFs)" are several pesticides known to contain xenoandrogens.) move to 'Uses" section
·Contraceptives and Hormone Therapies

There are many alternatives to prevent pregnancy to stop using oral contraceptives that use xenohormones such as Dropspirenone and Ethinyl Estroidal. Non-hormonal birth control includes, but not subject to the use of a: diaphragm, cervical cap, sponge, copper IUD, spermicide, vaginal gel, male condom, and female condom.

Endocrinology Section

When present in excessive amounts within the human body, xenohormones can cause a host of health issues due to their disruption of the endocrine system. The name given to these exogenous (coming from an external source) hormones is “endocrine disruptors,” due to their tendency to mimic the behaviors of naturally produced bodily hormones. Their ability to mimic is due to the structural similarity of xenohormones to hormones produced naturally in the body. (citation?) This similarity allows for xenohormones to act on hormone receptors either as an agonist or antagonist. Agonists activate a receptor by binding to the ligand-binding domain of the receptor. Antagonists inhibit the activation of a receptor by preventing the binding of a ligand to its receptor. In this way, xenohormones will act as an endocrine disruptor by increasing or decreasing the activation of hormone receptors in the body.

Xenohormones can often act on multiple hormone receptor types and enact multiple different effects.

--Possibly put in individual headings for each type of xenohormone (xenoestrogen, xenoandrogen, etc) --

Effect on Humans Section

Environmental Risks Section

-- possible new section: difficulties with identification and quantification in ecosystems/methods to detect --

References

Reddy V, McCarthy M, Raval AP. Xenoestrogens impact brain estrogen receptor signaling during the female lifespan: A precursor to neurological disease? Neurobiol Dis. 2022 Feb;163:105596. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105596. Epub 2021 Dec 20. PMID: 34942334.

Varticovski L, Stavreva DA, McGowan A, Raziuddin R, Hager GL. Endocrine disruptors of sex hormone activities. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2022 Jan 1;539:111415. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111415. Epub 2021 Jul 30. PMID: 34339825; PMCID: PMC8762672.