ABSTRACT
Increasing evidence indicates that adipose tissue is responsive to endocrinedisrupting compounds (EDCs) from the environment, which include industrial chemicals, phytoestrogens, and pharmaceutical estrogens. Many of these compounds interact with a variety of hormone receptors and cause perturbations in their signaling pathways. EDCs aff ect adipocyte proliferation and diff erentiation and alter the activity of enzymes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism in these cells. In addition, EDCs perturb the normal expression and release of several adipokines. Among EDCs, bisphenol A (BPA), a constituent of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, has been studied most extensively. BPA at environmentally relevant concentrations suppresses the release of adiponectin, an insulin-sensitizing adipokine, and stimulates the release of IL-6 and TNFα, two infl ammatory cytokines. Dysregulation of these adipokines/cytokines underlies the development of the metabolic syndrome, which predisposes individuals to obesity-related diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Hence, these data suggest that EDCs contribute to this debilitating condition. An extended examination of the overall eff ect of a variety of EDCs on adipose tissue homeostasis is warranted.
