Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Contributors -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Background -- Scope of this book -- Defining the field -- Environmental contaminants -- Critical and sensitive periods of development and susceptibility -- Sources of scientific information -- Layout of this book -- References -- Chapter 2. Environmental contaminants and exposure -- Introduction -- Understanding exposure and dose -- Basic definitions of exposure and dose -- Sources of contaminants and circumstances of exposure -- Contaminant sources and disposition in the environment -- Humans and their environments -- Timing of exposure: frequency and duration -- Populations of concern -- Distinguishing exposure and dose -- Understanding dose in relation to the disease process -- Determinants of dose: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion -- From exposure to dose: intake and absorption -- Distribution and storage in the body -- Metabolism -- Excretion -- How reproductive and developmental functions affect exposure and dose -- Time-varying nature of exposure and dose -- Quantifying dose by estimation or measurement -- Overview of methods -- Strengths and limitations of available methods -- What we can measure vs. what we want to measure -- When high exposures are of concern -- Obtaining data on exposure and dose -- Case examples -- Mercury -- Uses and exposure sources, pathways, and routes -- Absorption and markers of internal dose -- Reproductive and developmental outcomes of concern -- Minamata disease -- Organophosphate pesticides -- Uses and exposure sources, pathways, and routes -- Absorption and markers of internal dose -- Reproductive and developmental outcomes of concern -- Phthalates -- Uses and exposure sources, pathways, and routes -- Absorption and markers of internal dose.

Reproductive and developmental outcomes of concern -- Discussion of case examples -- Environmental contaminants and exposure: science and policy issues -- Summary -- References -- Chapter 3. Development and maturation of the normal female reproductive system -- 3.1 Ovary -- Embryonic development of the follicle -- Folliculogenesis -- Reproductive modulators -- Summary -- References -- 3.2 Oviduct and uterus -- Introduction -- Genetic basis of müllerian duct development -- Maturation of the müllerian ducts -- Development of the vagina -- Abnormal müllerian development -- References -- 3.3 Breast -- Normal development of the human breast -- Fetal and infantile breast development -- Pubertal and adult breast -- Pregnancy, lactation, and involution -- Development of the rodent mammary gland -- Hormone receptors during mammary gland development -- Estrogen receptor expression in the fetal and infant breast -- Estrogen receptor expression in the adult breast -- Progesterone receptor expression in the human breast -- Estrogen receptors in the rodent mammary gland -- Impact of environmental insults in mammary gland development: Windows of vulnerability -- Susceptibility of the mammary gland during the perinatal period -- Perinatal exposure to endocrine disruptors -- Perinatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol -- Bisphenol-A, a ubiquitous xenoestrogen -- Effects of perinatal exposure to BPA in the mammary gland -- Perinatal exposure to other environmental toxins and its effect on the mammary gland -- Susceptibility of the mammary gland during puberty -- Xenoestrogens exposure during puberty and breast cancer -- Radiation -- Cancer as a consequence of altered tissue organization -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 4. Development and maturation of the normal male reproductive system -- Introduction.

Key periods in development of the male reproductive system -- The fetal period -- Testicular differentiation (sexual differentiation) -- Masculinization -- 'Male (masculinization) programming window' -- Testicular development -- The neonatal period (0-6 months) -- Infancy and childhood (6 months - ~12 years) -- Puberty and adulthood -- References -- Chapter 5. Modern genetics of reproductive biology -- Introduction -- Epigenetics and disease -- Morphogenesis genes in female reproductive tracts -- Disordered expression of HOX genes in female reproductive diseases -- Estrogen-receptor signaling and estrogen-responsive genes in female reproductive tracts -- Diethylstilbestrol syndrome and epigenetics -- Transgenerational effect of DES -- Other examples of DNA methylation changes by environmental factors -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 6. Mechanisms of endocrine disruption -- Introduction -- Targets for endocrine disruption: understanding the endocrine system -- Target systems of endocrine-disrupting chemicals -- (a) The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis -- Target mechanisms of EDCs: genomic modulation -- Nuclear hormone receptors -- Androgen receptor-mediated endocrine disruption -- Estrogen receptor-mediated endocrine disruption -- Xenobiotic nuclear receptor-mediated endocrine disruption -- Nuclear receptor co-regulator-mediated endocrine disruption -- Target mechanisms of EDCs: non-genomic signaling -- Target mechanisms of EDCs: modulation of hormone activity -- Target mechanisms of EDCs: epigenetic modulation -- DNA methylation -- Histone modification -- Endocrine disruptor-induced epigenetic modulation -- EDC-induced transgenerational inheritance -- Conclusions and future directions -- References -- Chapter 7. Developmental exposures and implications for early and latent disease -- Introduction.

The developmental origins of disease/dysfunction -- Prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol as an example of the developmental origin of disease/dysfunction -- Diethylstilbestrol murine model to study human disease: critical windows of susceptibility -- Prenatal exposure -- Neonatal exposure -- Early effects: childhood disease/dysfunction following developmental exposure -- Reproductive tract malformations -- Altered puberty (early or delayed) -- Obesity -- Latent effects: adult disease/dysfunction following developmental exposure -- Menstrual cycle irregularities -- Endometriosis -- Fibroids (leiomyomata) -- Prostatic and breast cancer -- Multigenerational effects -- Mechanisms involved in the adverse effects of developmental exposure -- Summary -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 8. Wildlife as sentinels of environmental impacts on reproductive health and fertility -- Lessons from wildlife: past, present and future -- The Great Lakes wildlife sentinels -- Lake Apopka, Florida and alligators -- Tributyltin and marine mollusks -- Nitrate: a global contaminant -- Amphibians and agricultural pesticides -- Polar bears, penguins, and pesticides -- Wildlife biomarkers of contaminant exposure -- Are we listening? -- Summary -- References -- Chapter 9. Environmental contaminants and effects on timing and progression of human pubertal development -- Normal puberty -- Environmental aspects of puberty -- Genetic aspects of puberty -- Secular trend in onset and progression of puberty -- Precocious puberty -- Endocrine disrupters and timing of puberty -- Possible mechanisms of action -- References -- Chapter 10. Environmental contaminants and impacts on healthy and successful pregnancies -- Introduction -- Public health relevance of healthy and successful pregnancies -- Scope of this chapter.

Some challenges in the study of environmental effects on pregnancy -- A historical example: effects of maternal smoking on the course of pregnancy -- Air pollutants -- Fetal loss -- Fetal growth -- Gestational duration -- Congenital malformations -- Sex ratio -- Environmental tobacco smoke -- Fetal loss -- Fetal growth -- Gestational duration -- Congenital malformations -- Sex ratio -- Drinking-water pollutants -- Disinfection by-products -- Fetal loss -- Fetal growth -- Gestational duration -- Congenital malformations -- Nitrates -- Pregnancy complications -- Fetal loss -- Fetal growth, gestational duration -- Congenital malformations -- Metals -- Lead -- Fetal loss -- Pregnancy complications -- Fetal growth, gestational duration -- Congenital malformations -- Sex ratio -- Cadmium -- Mercury -- Fetal loss -- Gestational duration -- Health of the newborn -- Arsenic -- Pesticides -- Organochlorine pesticides and TCDD-contaminated chlorophenoxy herbicides (2,4,5-T) -- Fetal loss -- Fetal growth, gestational duration -- Congenital malformations -- Organophosphate insecticides -- Fetal loss -- Fetal growth, gestational duration -- Other insecticides -- Miscellaneous herbicides -- Fetal loss -- Fetal growth -- Fungicides -- Pesticides and successful pregnancies: conclusion -- Polychlorinated biphenyls, PCDDs (dioxin), and PCDFs -- Fetal growth -- Gestational duration -- Sex ratio -- Congenital malformations -- Brominated flame retardants -- Congenital malformations -- Perfluorinated compounds (PFOS, PFOA) -- Diethylstilbestrol (DES) -- Fetal loss and gestational duration in the first generation exposed in utero -- Congenital malformations in the first and second generations -- Phthalates -- Gestational duration -- Congenital malformations -- Solvents -- Glycol ethers: effects on fetal loss and congenital malformations.

Tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene (chlorinated solvents).