1 1919 124 ENVIRONMENTAL ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS: NEW DIABETOGENS? THE PREVALENCE OF TYPE-2 DIABETES HAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED WORLDWIDE DURING THE LAST FEW DECADES. WHILE LIFESTYLE FACTORS (SEDENTARINESS, NOXIOUS FOOD), TOGETHER WITH GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY, ARE WELL-KNOWN ACTORS, THERE IS ACCUMULATING EVIDENCE SUGGESTING THAT ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS (EDCS) MAY ALSO PLAY A PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL ROLE IN THE OCCURRENCE OF METABOLIC DISEASES. BOTH EXPERIMENTAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE SUPPORT A ROLE FOR EARLY AND CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO LOW DOSES OF CHEMICAL POLLUTANTS WITH ENDOCRINE AND METABOLIC DISRUPTING EFFECTS. MOST ARE PRESENT IN THE FOOD CHAIN AND ACCUMULATE IN THE FAT MASS AFTER ABSORPTION. IN RODENTS, BISPHENOL A STIMULATES SYNTHESIS AND SECRETION OF PANCREATIC BETA CELLS AND DISTURBS INSULIN SIGNALING IN LIVER, MUSCLE AND ADIPOSE TISSUE THROUGH EPIGENETIC CHANGES LEADING TO INSULIN RESISTANCE AND BETA CELL IMPAIRMENT. IN HUMANS, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORTS SHOW STATISTICAL LINK BETWEEN EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES, POLYCHLORINATED BISPHENYLS, BISPHENOL A, PHTHALATES, DIOXINS OR AROMATIC POLYCYCLIC HYDROCARBIDES OR HEAVY METALS AND DT2 AFTER ACUTE ACCIDENTAL RELEASES OR EARLY IN LIFE AND/OR CHRONIC, LOW DOSES EXPOSURE. MORE PROSPECTIVE, LONGITUDINAL STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE IMPORTANCE OF SUCH ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS. 2017 2 4805 34 OBESITY AND METABOLIC COMORBIDITIES: ENVIRONMENTAL DISEASES? OBESITY AND METABOLIC COMORBIDITIES REPRESENT INCREASING HEALTH PROBLEMS. ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING COMPOUNDS (EDCS) ARE EXOGENOUS AGENTS THAT CHANGE ENDOCRINE FUNCTION AND CAUSE ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS. MOST EDCS ARE SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS; SOME ARE NATURAL FOOD COMPONENTS AS PHYTOESTROGENS. PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED TO COMPLEX MIXTURES OF CHEMICALS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. EDCS IMPACT HORMONE-DEPENDENT METABOLIC SYSTEMS AND BRAIN FUNCTION. LABORATORY AND HUMAN STUDIES PROVIDE COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT HUMAN CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION CAN PLAY A ROLE IN OBESITY EPIDEMIC. CHEMICAL EXPOSURES MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF OBESITY BY ALTERING THE DIFFERENTIATION OF ADIPOCYTES. EDCS CAN ALTER METHYLATION PATTERNS AND NORMAL EPIGENETIC PROGRAMMING IN CELLS. OXIDATIVE STRESS MAY BE INDUCED BY MANY OF THESE CHEMICALS, AND ACCUMULATING EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT IT PLAYS IMPORTANT ROLES IN THE ETIOLOGY OF CHRONIC DISEASES. THE INDIVIDUAL SENSITIVITY TO CHEMICALS IS VARIABLE, DEPENDING ON ENVIRONMENT AND ABILITY TO METABOLIZE HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS. A NUMBER OF GENES, ESPECIALLY THOSE REPRESENTING ANTIOXIDANT AND DETOXIFICATION PATHWAYS, HAVE POTENTIAL APPLICATION AS BIOMARKERS OF RISK ASSESSMENT. THE POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF COMBINED EXPOSURES MAKE THE RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS MORE COMPLEX COMPARED TO THE ASSESSMENT OF SINGLE CHEMICALS. TECHNIQUES AND METHODS NEED TO BE FURTHER DEVELOPED TO FILL DATA GAPS AND INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE ON HARMFUL EXPOSURE COMBINATIONS. 2013 3 1644 34 DOES THE ENVIRONMENT AFFECT MENOPAUSE? A REVIEW OF THE EFFECTS OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS ON MENOPAUSE. ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS ARE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED IN OUR ENVIRONMENT. HUMANS ARE EXPOSED TO THESE COMPOUNDS NOT ONLY THROUGH THEIR OCCUPATIONS, BUT ALSO THROUGH DIETARY CONSUMPTION AND EXPOSURE TO CONTAMINATED WATER, PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS AND TEXTILES. CHEMICALS THAT ARE PERSISTENT IN THE BODY AND IN OUR ENVIRONMENT INCLUDE DIOXINS AND POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS. NON-PERSISTENT CHEMICALS INCLUDING BISPHENOL A, PHTHALATES AND PARABENS ARE EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY ARE UBIQUITOUS IN OUR ENVIRONMENT. HEAVY METALS, INCLUDING LEAD AND CADMIUM, CAN ALSO HAVE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING PROPERTIES. ALTHOUGH DIFFICULT TO STUDY DUE TO THEIR VARIETY OF SOURCES OF EXPOSURES AND MECHANISMS OF ACTION, THESE CHEMICALS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY MENOPAUSE, INCREASED FREQUENCY OF VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS, ALTERED STEROID HORMONE LEVELS AND MARKERS OF DIMINISHED OVARIAN RESERVE. UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF THESE EXPOSURES IS IMPORTANT GIVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR EPIGENETIC MODIFICATION, WHICH CAN ALTER GENE FUNCTION AND RESULT IN MULTI-GENERATIONAL EFFECTS. THIS REVIEW SUMMARIZES FINDINGS IN HUMANS AND ANIMALS OR CELL-BASED MODELS FROM THE PAST DECADE OF RESEARCH. CONTINUED RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF MIXTURES OF CHEMICALS, CHRONIC EXPOSURES AND NEW COMPOUNDS THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY BEING DEVELOPED AS REPLACEMENTS FOR TOXIC CHEMICALS THAT ARE BEING PHASED OUT. 2023 4 4541 36 MULTISYSTEMIC ALTERATIONS IN HUMANS INDUCED BY BISPHENOL A AND PHTHALATES: EXPERIMENTAL, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES REVEAL THE NEED TO CHANGE HEALTH POLICIES. A VAST AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT BISPHENOL A (BPA) AND PHTHALATES ARE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT SINCE THESE COMPOUNDS ARE MASS-PRODUCED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PLASTICS AND PLASTICIZERS. THESE COMPOUNDS BELONG TO A LARGE GROUP OF SUBSTANCES TERMED ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING CHEMICALS (EDC). IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT HUMANS AND LIVING ORGANISMS ARE UNAVOIDABLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY EXPOSED TO BPA AND PHTHALATES FROM FOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS AND MANY OTHER EVERYDAY PRODUCTS. BPA AND PHTHALATES EXERT THEIR EFFECT BY INTERFERING WITH HORMONE SYNTHESIS, BIOAVAILABILITY, AND ACTION, THEREBY ALTERING CELLULAR PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION, TISSUE DEVELOPMENT, AND THE REGULATION OF SEVERAL PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES. IN FACT, THESE EDC CAN ALTER FETAL PROGRAMMING AT AN EPIGENETIC LEVEL, WHICH CAN BE TRANSGENERATIONAL TRANSMITTED AND MAY BE INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VARIOUS CHRONIC PATHOLOGIES LATER IN THE ADULTHOOD, INCLUDING METABOLIC, REPRODUCTIVE AND DEGENERATIVE DISEASES, AND CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCER. IN THIS REVIEW, WE DESCRIBE THE MOST RECENT PROPOSED MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF THESE EDC AND OFFER A COMPELLING SELECTION OF EXPERIMENTAL, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES, WHICH SHOW EVIDENCE OF HOW EXPOSURE TO THESE POLLUTANTS AFFECTS OUR HEALTH DURING DEVELOPMENT, AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH A WIDE RANGE OF REPRODUCTIVE, METABOLIC AND NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES, AS WELL AS HORMONE-RELATED CANCERS. WE STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF CONCERN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION AND THE URGENT NEED FOR THE MEDICAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO CLOSELY MONITOR EDC LEVELS IN THE POPULATION DUE TO UNAVOIDABLE AND INVOLUNTARY EXPOSURE TO THESE POLLUTANTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH. 2021 5 4626 42 NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICANTS: EPIGENETICS AS AN UNDERLYING MECHANISM. THE INCREASING PREVALENCE OF NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS, ESPECIALLY AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD) AND ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD), CALLS FOR MORE RESEARCH INTO THE IDENTIFICATION OF ETIOLOGIC AND RISK FACTORS. THE DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGIN OF HEALTH AND DISEASE (DOHAD) HYPOTHESIZES THAT THE ENVIRONMENT DURING FETAL AND CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AFFECTS THE RISK FOR MANY CHRONIC DISEASES IN LATER STAGES OF LIFE, INCLUDING NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS. EPIGENETICS, A TERM DESCRIBING MECHANISMS THAT CAUSE CHANGES IN THE CHROMOSOME STATE WITHOUT AFFECTING DNA SEQUENCES, IS SUGGESTED TO BE THE UNDERLYING MECHANISM, ACCORDING TO THE DOHAD HYPOTHESIS. MOREOVER, MANY NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS ARE ALSO RELATED TO EPIGENETIC ABNORMALITIES. EXPERIMENTAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES SUGGEST THAT EXPOSURE TO PRENATAL ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICANTS IS ASSOCIATED WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS. IN ADDITION, THERE IS ALSO EVIDENCE THAT ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICANTS CAN RESULT IN EPIGENETIC ALTERATIONS, NOTABLY DNA METHYLATION. IN THIS REVIEW, WE FIRST FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICANTS, IN PARTICULAR MATERNAL SMOKING, PLASTIC-DERIVED CHEMICALS (BISPHENOL A AND PHTHALATES), PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS, AND HEAVY METALS. WE THEN REVIEW STUDIES SHOWING THE EPIGENETIC EFFECTS OF THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN HUMANS THAT MAY AFFECT NORMAL NEURODEVELOPMENT. 2017 6 6781 47 [BREATHING: AMBIENT AIR POLLUTION AND HEALTH - PART III]. THE THIRD PART OF THE DGP STATEMENT INTRODUCES THE CURRENT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE ON LESS STUDIED HEALTH OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO AMBIENT AIR POLLUTION: THE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON METABOLISM LEADING TO IMPAIRED GLUCOSE TOLERANCE AND DIABETES AS WELL AS CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS AND DELAYED COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN CHILDREN. FURTHERMORE, PRENATAL EXPOSURE AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ON MOTHER AND CHILD ARE ADDRESSED. FINALLY, THE CURRENTLY DISCUSSED BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING VARIOUS HEALTH EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTION ARE DESCRIBED.DIFFERING, BUT OFTEN COMPLEMENTARY BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS CREATE THE BASIS FOR THE DIVERSE HEALTH OUTCOMES CAUSED BY AIR POLLUTION. OXIDATIVE STRESS AND A SUBCLINICAL INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE IN THE LUNGS AND ON A SYSTEMIC LEVEL ("LOW-GRADE SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION") ARE CONSIDERED TO BE KEY MECHANISMS. THEY PROMOTE SECONDARY ALTERATIONS IN THE BODY, SUCH AS VASCULAR OR METABOLIC PROCESSES, AND MAY ALSO RESULT IN THE CURRENTLY STUDIED EPIGENETIC PHENOMENA OR NEUROINFLAMMATION. IN THIS CONTEXT, THE HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE OF SOLUBLE PARTICULATE MATTER AND THE ROLE OF ULTRAFINE PARTICLES TRANSLOCATED ACROSS BIOLOGICAL MEMBRANES INTO BLOOD VESSEL AND TRANSPORTED VIA THE CIRCULATION TO SECONDARY TARGET ORGANS, SUCH AS LIVER, BRAIN OR THE FETUS, ARE INTENSIVELY DISCUSSED.DIABETES IS ONE OF THE LEADING CHRONIC DISEASES WORLDWIDE, WITH A PREVALENCE OF ALMOST 14 % IN GERMANY. ALTHOUGH LIFESTYLE FACTORS ARE THE MAIN CAUSES, CURRENT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTION MAY ADDITIONALLY INCREASE THE RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. SUPPORTING EVIDENCE FOR A CAUSAL ROLE OF AIR POLLUTION IS PROVIDED BY STUDIES ADDRESSING THE REGULATION OF THE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN METABOLICALLY HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS, INSULIN SENSITIVITY, OR PREGNANCY-RELATED DIABETES. EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES PROVIDE FURTHER SUPPORT FOR PLAUSIBLE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS. HOWEVER, PROSPECTIVE STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO GAIN MORE EVIDENCE, TAKING MULTIPLE LIFESTYLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, SUCH AS GREEN SPACE AND NOISE, AND AN IMPROVED INDIVIDUAL EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT INTO ACCOUNT.THE AGING POPULATION HAS AN INCREASED RISK OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES. FIRST STUDIES POINT TOWARDS A CONTRIBUTION OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTION, SPECIFICALLY BY PARTICULATE MATTER. SEVERAL STUDIES REPORT ITS ASSOCIATION WITH DECREASED NEUROCOGNITIVE CAPACITY OR AN INCREASED PREVALENCE OF DEMENTIA OR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN ADULTS. HOWEVER, THE STUDIES ARE INHOMOGENEOUS REGARDING DESIGN, EXPOSURE AND OUTCOME, LEADING TO INCONSISTENT RESULTS. WITH RESPECT TO THE INFLUENCE ON NEUROCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN, FIRST STUDIES SUGGEST AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF AIR POLLUTION, E. G. AT SCHOOL, AND DELAYED COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT.EVEN THOUGH THE EVIDENCE FOR THE DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL ENDPOINTS DURING PREGNANCY IS STILL HETEROGENEOUS, THE STUDIES GENERALLY POINT TOWARDS AN ADVERSE IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION ON THE MATERNAL AND FETAL ORGANISMS. THE STRONGEST EVIDENCE EXISTS FOR LOW BIRTH WEIGHT, WITH SMALL EFFECT SIZES OF ONLY SOME GRAMS, AND FOR A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF REDUCED BIRTH WEIGHT (< 2500 G). AN INCREASED RISK FOR GESTATIONAL HYPERTENSION AND PREECLAMPSIA UNDERSCORES THE POSSIBLE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTION ON THE MATERNAL ORGANISM. HOWEVER, THE CURRENT BODY OF EVIDENCE DOES NOT YET ALLOW A FINAL CONCLUSION ON THE INFLUENCE OF INTRAUTERINE EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTION REGARDING EARLY CHILDHOOD LUNG FUNCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ALLERGIES, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT IT IS HARD TO DISTINGUISH IN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES BETWEEN THE EFFECTS OF PRE- AND POSTNATAL EXPOSURE. 2019 7 1371 34 DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE: NEW INSIGHTS. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND ANIMAL STUDIES SHOW THAT SMALL CHANGES IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL ENVIRONMENT CAN INDUCE PHENOTYPIC CHANGES AFFECTING AN INDIVIDUAL'S RESPONSES TO THEIR LATER ENVIRONMENT. THESE MAY ALTER THE RISK OF CHRONIC DISEASE SUCH AS METABOLIC SYNDROME OR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. RECENT RESEARCH SHOWS THAT ANIMALS EXPOSED TO SUCH A MISMATCH BETWEEN PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL ENVIRONMENT DEVELOP OBESITY, REDUCED ACTIVITY, LEPTIN AND INSULIN RESISTANCE, ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE AND VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION. EPIGENETIC PROCESSES ARE INVOLVED IN SUCH EFFECTS, TARGETED TO PROMOTER REGIONS OF SPECIFIC GENES IN SPECIFIC TISSUES. SUCH FINE CONTROL OF GENE EXPRESSION SUGGESTS THAT THE MECHANISMS HAVE BEEN RETAINED THROUGH EVOLUTION THROUGH THEIR ADAPTIVE ADVANTAGE, RATHER THAN REPRESENTING EXTREME EFFECTS OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISRUPTION AKIN TO TERATOGENESIS. THERE MAY BE ADAPTIVE ADVANTAGE IN A DEVELOPMENTAL CUE INDUCING A PHENOTYPIC CHANGE IN GENERATIONS BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE PREGNANCY, AND A RANGE OF DATA THAT SUPPORT THIS CONCEPT. IN ANIMALS, EPIGENETIC EFFECTS SUCH AS DNA METHYLATION CAN BE PASSED TO SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS, INCLUDING ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS, MAY INDUCE GREATER RISK OF CHRONIC DISEASE, EVEN AT LOW EXPOSURE LEVELS, IF THEY AFFECT SUCH NORMAL DEVELOPMENTAL EPIGENETIC PROCESSES. APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS MAY HAVE LONG-TERM MULTIGENERATIONAL EFFECTS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CHRONIC DISEASE. 2008 8 1932 38 ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES: AN UNDERRECOGNIZED CONTRIBUTION TO NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES. PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO DETERMINE THE DEGREE TO WHICH EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCDS) HAVE BEEN VERY CONSERVATIVE AND HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERESTIMATED THE ACTUAL CONTRIBUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT FOR AT LEAST TWO REASONS. FIRSTLY, MOST PREVIOUS REPORTS HAVE EXCLUDED THE CONTRIBUTION OF LIFESTYLE BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTORS, BUT THESE USUALLY INVOLVE SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS THAT INCREASE RISK OF DISEASE. SECONDLY, EARLY LIFE EXPOSURE TO CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS IS NOW CLEARLY ASSOCIATED WITH AN ELEVATED RISK OF SEVERAL DISEASES LATER IN LIFE, BUT THESE CONNECTIONS ARE OFTEN DIFFICULT TO DISCERN. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR ASTHMA AND NEURODEVELOPMENTAL CONDITIONS, BUT THERE IS ALSO A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OBESITY AND CHRONIC DISEASES. MOST CANCERS ARE CAUSED BY ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES IN GENETICALLY SUSCEPTIBLE INDIVIDUALS. IN ADDITION, NEW INFORMATION SHOWS SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND DIABETES AND EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS PRESENT IN AIR, FOOD, AND WATER. THESE RELATIONSHIPS LIKELY REFLECT THE COMBINATION OF EPIGENETIC EFFECTS AND GENE INDUCTION. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TO NCDS THAN PREVIOUS REPORTS HAVE SUGGESTED. PREVENTION NEEDS TO SHIFT FOCUS FROM INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY TO SOCIETAL RESPONSIBILITY AND AN UNDERSTANDING THAT EFFECTIVE PREVENTION OF NCDS ULTIMATELY RELIES ON IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE EXPOSURE TO MODIFIABLE RISKS. 2013 9 3210 34 HEALTH EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH PRE- AND PERINATAL EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC. INORGANIC ARSENIC IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED HUMAN CARCINOGEN, ABLE TO INDUCE GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC ALTERATIONS. MORE THAN 200 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE EXPOSED TO ARSENIC CONCENTRATIONS IN DRINKING WATER EXCEEDING THE RECOMMENDED WHO THRESHOLD (10MUG/L). ADDITIONALLY, CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO LEVELS BELOW THIS THRESHOLD IS KNOWN TO RESULT IN LONG-TERM HEALTH EFFECTS IN HUMANS. THE ARSENIC-RELATED HEALTH EFFECTS IN HUMANS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ITS BIOTRANSFORMATION PROCESS, WHEREBY THE RESULTING METABOLITES CAN INDUCE MOLECULAR DAMAGE THAT ACCUMULATES OVER TIME. THE EFFECTS DERIVED FROM THESE ALTERATIONS INCLUDE GENOMIC INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH OXIDATIVE DAMAGE, ALTERATION OF GENE EXPRESSION (INCLUDING CODING AND NON-CODING RNAS), GLOBAL AND LOCALIZED EPIGENETIC REPROGRAMMING, AND HISTONE POSTTRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS. THESE ALTERATIONS DIRECTLY AFFECT MOLECULAR PATHWAYS INVOLVED IN THE ONSET AND PROGRESSION OF MANY CONDITIONS THAT CAN ARISE EVEN DECADES AFTER THE EXPOSURE OCCURS. IMPORTANTLY, ARSENIC METABOLITES GENERATED DURING ITS BIOTRANSFORMATION CAN ALSO PASS THROUGH THE PLACENTAL BARRIER, RESULTING IN FETAL EXPOSURE TO THIS CARCINOGEN AT SIMILAR LEVELS TO THOSE OF THE MOTHER. AS SUCH, MORE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF THE ARSENIC-INDUCED MOLECULAR DAMAGE CAN BE OBSERVED AS DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON FETAL DEVELOPMENT, PREGNANCY, AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. IN THIS REVIEW, WE FOCUS ON THE GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO LOW LEVELS OF ARSENIC, PARTICULARLY THOSE AFFECTING EARLY DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES. WE ALSO PRESENT HOW THESE ALTERATIONS OCCURRING DURING EARLY LIFE CAN IMPACT THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN DISEASES IN ADULT LIFE. 2021 10 1767 41 EARLY-LIFE EXPOSURE TO ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS AND LATER-LIFE HEALTH OUTCOMES: AN EPIGENETIC BRIDGE? A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATES THAT ADVERSE EVENTS EARLY IN DEVELOPMENT, AND PARTICULARLY DURING INTRAUTERINE LIFE, MAY PROGRAM RISKS FOR DISEASES IN ADULT LIFE. INCREASING EVIDENCE HAS BEEN ACCUMULATED INDICATING THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF EPIGENETIC REGULATION INCLUDING DNA METHYLATION, HISTONE MODIFICATIONS AND MIRNAS IN DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMMING. AMONG THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS WHICH PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PROGRAMMING OF CHRONIC PATHOLOGIES, THE ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING CHEMICALS (EDCS) THAT HAVE ESTROGENIC, ANTI-ESTROGENIC, AND ANTI-ANDROGENIC ACTIVITY ARE OF SPECIFIC CONCERN BECAUSE THE DEVELOPING ORGANISM IS EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO PERTURBATION BY SUBSTANCES WITH HORMONE-LIKE ACTIVITY. AMONG EDCS, THERE ARE MANY SUBSTANCES THAT ARE CONSTANTLY PRESENT IN THE MODERN HUMAN ENVIRONMENT OR ARE IN WIDESPREAD USE, INCLUDING DIOXIN AND DIOXIN-LIKE COMPOUNDS, PHTHALATES, AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES, POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS, INDUSTRIAL SOLVENTS, PHARMACEUTICALS, AND HEAVY METALS. APART FROM THEIR COMMON ENDOCRINE ACTIVE PROPERTIES, SEVERAL EDCS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO DISRUPT DEVELOPMENTAL EPIGENOMIC PROGRAMMING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF RECENT RESEARCH FINDINGS WHICH INDICATE THAT EXPOSURE TO EDCS DURING IN-UTERO AND/OR NEONATAL DEVELOPMENT CAN CAUSE LONG-TERM HEALTH OUTCOMES VIA MECHANISMS OF EPIGENETIC MEMORY. 2014 11 652 39 BISPHENOL A AS EPIGENETIC MODULATOR: SETTING THE STAGE FOR CARCINOGENESIS? BACKGROUND: BISPHENOL A (BPA) IS ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY PRODUCED CHEMICALS WORLDWIDE AND IS OFTEN USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE CONTAINERS. AS A RESULT OF BPA CONTACT WITH FOOD, DRINK AND TOILETRIES, ITS INGESTION AND ABSORPTION BY HUMANS HAS BEEN GROWING. THE INDUSTRIALIZATION AND MODERN LIFESTYLES BROUGHT A CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO SEVERAL HEALTH-DISTURBING COMPOUNDS AND USHERED A NEW ERA OF CHRONIC DISEASES. THE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOR POTENTIAL OF BPA IS WELL KNOWN, BUT THE RESEARCH AROUND ITS EPIGENOTOXIC EFFECTS RAISED FURTHER CONCERNS WHETHER CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO BPA CAN CONTRIBUTE TO CHRONIC HUMAN ILLNESS, INCLUDING CANCER IN HORMONE-SENSITIVE ORGANS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: FOCUSING ON COMPUTERIZED DATABASES, WE REVIEWED ORIGINAL AND REVIEW ARTICLES WHICH ELUCIDATE AND LINK SOME OF THE INFORMATION ALREADY AVAILABLE ABOUT BPA AND RELATED EPIGENETIC ALTERATIONS. RESULTS: A NUMBER OF STUDIES INDICATE THAT SHORT-TERM ADMINISTRATION OF LOW OR HIGH-DOSES OF BPA MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASED RISK OF EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS, INCREASING THE RISK FOR CARCINOGENESIS. HOWEVER, IT IS CLEAR THAT MORE STUDIES CONSIDERING REAL DAILY EXPOSURES ARE ESSENTIAL TO DEFINE A REAL TOLERABLE DAILY INTAKE AND TO TIGHTEN UP MANUFACTORY REGULATIONS. CONCLUSION: IN THIS REVIEW, WE HIGHLIGHT SOME EVIDENCES SUGGESTING A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BPA EXPOSURE, GENOTOXIC ACTIVITY AND EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS, WHICH MAY PRIME FOR CARCINOGENESIS. 2015 12 3582 25 IMPACT OF PRENATAL AND EARLY LIFE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES ON NORMAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. THE GLOBAL BURDEN AND PATTERN OF DISEASE HAS CHANGED IN RECENT DECADES, WITH FEWER EARLY CHILDHOOD DEATHS AND LONGER LIVES COMPLICATED BY CHRONIC DISEASE. DISRUPTION OF NORMAL HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BY ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES, ESPECIALLY DURING FOETAL DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY POSTNATAL LIFE INCREASE LIFE-LONG RISK OF CHRONIC DISEASE. THE DEVELOPMENTAL TIMING AND METHOD OF ADVERSE EXPOSURE DETERMINES THE LIKELY IMPACT ON HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT. WHILE MANY ORGAN SYSTEMS ARE STRUCTURALLY AND FUNCTIONALLY MATURE AT BIRTH, THE CNS, RESPIRATORY AND IMMUNE SYSTEMS ARE NOT AND UNDERGO PROLONGED PERIODS OF POSTNATAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. AS SUCH, THESE ORGAN SYSTEMS ARE VULNERABLE TO ADVERSE EFFECTS OF BOTH PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES. WHILE THE PRECISE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING CHRONIC DISEASE ARE UNKNOWN, EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS AND THE INDUCTION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS ARE LIKELY TO BE INVOLVED. AN UNDERSTANDING OF THESE PROCESSES IS NECESSARY TO DEVELOP MITIGATION STRATEGIES AIMED AT REDUCING CHRONIC DISEASE PREVALENCE. 2021 13 4496 33 MORE THAN GENES: THE ADVANCED FETAL PROGRAMMING HYPOTHESIS. MANY LINES OF DATA, INITIAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES AS WELL AS SUBSEQUENT EXTENSIVE EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES, INDICATE THAT EARLY-LIFE EVENTS PLAY A POWERFUL ROLE IN INFLUENCING LATER SUCEPTIBILITY TO CERTAIN CHRONIC DISEASES. SUCH EVENTS MIGHT BE OVER- OR UNDERNUTRITION, EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS, BUT ALSO CHANGES IN HORMONES, IN PARTICULAR STRESS HORMONES. TYPICALLY, THOSE EVENTS ARE TRIGGERED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES OF THE MOTHER. HOWEVER, RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT PATERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL OR NUTRITIONAL FACTORS AFFECT THE PHENOTYPE OF THE OFFSPRING AS WELL. THE MATERNAL AND PATERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ACT ON THE PHENOTYPE OF THE OFFSPRING VIA EPIGENETIC MODIFICATION OF ITS GENOME. THE ADVANCED FETAL PROGRAMMING HYPOTHESIS PROPOSES AN ADDITIONAL NON-ENVIRONMENTALLY DRIVEN MECHANISM: MATERNAL AND ALSO PATERNAL GENES MAY INFLUENCE THE MATURATING SPERM, THE OOCYTE, AND LATER THE EMBRYO/FETUS, LEADING TO THEIR EPIGENETIC ALTERATION. THUS, THE OBSERVED PHENOTYPE OF THE OFFSPRING MAY BE ALTERED BY MATERNAL/PATERNAL GENES INDEPENDENT OF THE FETAL GENOME. MEANWHILE, SEVERAL INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATION STUDIES IN HUMANS DEALING WITH METABOLIC AND NEUROLOGICAL TRAITS ALSO SUGGEST THAT MATERNAL GENES MIGHT AFFECT THE OFFSPRING PHENOTYPE INDEPENDENT OF THE TRANSMISSION OF THAT PARTICULAR GENE TO THE OFFSPRING. CONSIDERING THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS HYPOTHESIS, SOME CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM TRANSGENIC OR KNOCKOUT ANIMAL MODELS AND BASED ON THE CAUSALITY BETWEEN A GENETIC ALTERATION AND A PHENOTYPE, NEED TO BE CHALLENGED. POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPY OF HUMAN GENETIC DISEASES HAVE TO BE INVESTIGATED. 2014 14 5097 34 PLASTICS DERIVED ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING COMPOUNDS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON EARLY DEVELOPMENT. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE ESTROGENIC EFFECTS OF BISPHENOLS WERE FIRST DESCRIBED 80 YEARS AGO, RECENT DATA ABOUT ITS POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BIRTH OUTCOME PARAMETERS RAISES A STRONG RATIONALE TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. THE ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS OF PLASTICS RECOMMEND TO MEASURE THE IMPACTS OF ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING COMPOUNDS (EDCS) SUCH AS BISPHENOLS (BPA, BPS, BPF), BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL) PHTHALATE, AND DIBUTYL PHTHALATE (DBP) IN HUMAN HEALTH. EXPOSURE TO THESE COMPOUNDS IN UTERO MAY PROGRAM THE DISEASES OF THE TESTIS, PROSTATE, KIDNEY AND ABNORMALITIES IN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, AND CAUSE TUMORS, UTERINE HEMORRHAGE DURING PREGNANCY AND POLYCYSTIC OVARY. THESE COMPOUNDS ALSO CONTROL THE PROCESSES OF EPIGENETIC TRANSGENERATIONAL INHERITANCE OF ADULT-ONSET DISEASES BY MODULATING DNA METHYLATION AND EPIMUTATIONS IN REPRODUCTIVE CELLS. THE EARLY DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE IS THE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE WINDOW FOR DEVELOPMENTAL AND GENOMIC PROGRAMMING. THE CRITICAL STAGES OF THE EVENTS FOR A NORMAL HUMAN BIRTH LIE BETWEEN THE MANY TRANSITIONS OCCURRING BETWEEN SPERMATOGENESIS, EGG FERTILIZATION AND THE FULLY FORMED FETUS. AS THE CELLS BEGIN TO GROW AND DIFFERENTIATE, THERE ARE CRITICAL BALANCES OF HORMONES, AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS. DATA ARE EMERGING ON HOW THESE PLASTIC-DERIVED COMPOUNDS AFFECT EMBRYOGENESIS, PLACENTATION AND FETO-PLACENTAL DEVELOPMENT SINCE PREGNANT WOMEN AND UNBORN FETUSES ARE OFTEN EXPOSED TO THESE FACTORS DURING PRECONCEPTION AND THROUGHOUT GESTATION. IMPAIRED EARLY DEVELOPMENT THAT ULTIMATELY INFLUENCES FETAL OUTCOMES IS AT THE CENTER OF MANY DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS AND CONTRIBUTES AN INDEPENDENT RISK FACTOR FOR ADULT CHRONIC DISEASES. THIS REVIEW WILL SUMMARIZE THE CURRENT STATUS ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO PLASTIC DERIVED EDCS ON THE GROWTH, GENE EXPRESSION, EPIGENETIC AND ANGIOGENIC ACTIVITIES OF THE EARLY FETAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND THEIR POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON BIRTH OUTCOMES. 2020 15 1936 34 ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES-AN EXPOSOME APPROACH. TYPE 2 DIABETES IS ONE OF THE MAJOR CHRONIC DISEASES ACCOUNTING FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF DISEASE BURDEN IN WESTERN COUNTRIES. THE MAJORITY OF THE BURDEN OF TYPE 2 DIABETES IS ATTRIBUTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS AND MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS SUCH AS LIFESTYLE. THE ENVIRONMENT WE LIVE IN, AND CHANGES TO IT, CAN THUS CONTRIBUTE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE PREVENTION OF TYPE 2 DIABETES AT A POPULATION LEVEL. THE 'EXPOSOME' REPRESENTS THE (MEASURABLE) TOTALITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL, I.E. NONGENETIC, DRIVERS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE. THE EXTERNAL EXPOSOME COMPRISES ASPECTS OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE LIFESTYLE/FOOD ENVIRONMENT. THE INTERNAL EXPOSOME COMPRISES MEASUREMENTS AT THE EPIGENETIC, TRANSCRIPT, PROTEOME, MICROBIOME OR METABOLOME LEVEL TO STUDY EITHER THE EXPOSURES DIRECTLY, THE IMPRINTS THESE EXPOSURES LEAVE IN THE BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM, THE POTENTIAL OF THE BODY TO COMBAT ENVIRONMENTAL INSULTS AND/OR THE BIOLOGY ITSELF. IN THIS REVIEW, WE DESCRIBE THE EVIDENCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES, FOCUSING ON BOTH THE GENERAL EXTERNAL EXPOSOME AND IMPRINTS OF THIS ON THE INTERNAL EXPOSOME. STUDIES PROVIDED ESTABLISHED ASSOCIATIONS OF AIR POLLUTION, RESIDENTIAL NOISE AND AREA-LEVEL SOCIOECONOMIC DEPRIVATION WITH AN INCREASED RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES, WHILE NEIGHBOURHOOD WALKABILITY AND GREEN SPACE ARE CONSISTENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH A REDUCED RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES. THERE IS LITTLE OR INCONSISTENT EVIDENCE ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE FOOD ENVIRONMENT, OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE. THESE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ARE THOUGHT TO AFFECT TYPE 2 DIABETES RISK MAINLY THROUGH MECHANISMS INCORPORATING LIFESTYLE FACTORS SUCH AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OR DIET, THE MICROBIOME, INFLAMMATION OR CHRONIC STRESS. TO FURTHER ASSESS CAUSALITY OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS, FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD FOCUS ON INVESTIGATING THE LONGITUDINAL EFFECTS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT (AND CHANGES TO IT) IN RELATION TO TYPE 2 DIABETES RISK AND WHETHER THESE ASSOCIATIONS ARE EXPLAINED BY THESE PROPOSED MECHANISMS. 2022 16 3610 30 IN UTERO EXPOSURE TO ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING CHEMICALS, MATERNAL FACTORS AND ALTERATIONS IN THE EPIGENETIC LANDSCAPE UNDERLYING LATER-LIFE HEALTH EFFECTS. WIDESPREAD PERSISTENCE OF ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING CHEMICALS (EDCS) IN THE ENVIRONMENT HAS MANDATED THE NEED TO STUDY THEIR POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S LONG-TERM HEALTH AFTER BOTH ACUTE AND CHRONIC EXPOSURE PERIODS. IN THIS REVIEW ARTICLE A PARTICULAR FOCUS IS GIVEN ON IN UTERO EXPOSURE TO EDCS IN RODENT MODELS WHICH RESULTED IN ALTERED EPIGENETIC PROGRAMMING AND TRANSGENERATIONAL EFFECTS IN THE OFFSPRING CAUSING DISRUPTED REPRODUCTIVE AND METABOLIC PHENOTYPES. THE LITERATURE TO DATE ESTABLISHES THE IMPACT OF TRANSGENERATIONAL EFFECTS OF EDCS POTENTIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH EPIGENETIC MEDIATED MECHANISMS. THEREFORE, THIS REVIEW AIMS TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF EPIGENETIC PROGRAMMING AND IT'S REGULATION IN MAMMALS, PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON THE EPIGENETIC PLASTICITY AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO EXOGENOUS HORMONE ACTIVE CHEMICALS DURING THE EARLY DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD. FURTHER, WE HAVE ALSO IN DEPTH DISCUSSED THE EPIGENETIC ALTERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXPOSURE TO SELECTED EDCS SUCH AS BISPHENOL A (BPA), DI-2-ETHYLHEXYL PHTHALATE (DEHP) AND VINCLOZLIN UPON IN UTERO EXPOSURE ESPECIALLY IN RODENT MODELS. 2022 17 3848 28 IS EPIGENETICS AN IMPORTANT LINK BETWEEN EARLY LIFE EVENTS AND ADULT DISEASE? BACKGROUND: EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS PROVIDE ONE POTENTIAL EXPLANATION FOR HOW ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES IN EARLY LIFE CAUSE LONG-TERM CHANGES IN CHRONIC DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY. WHEREAS EPIGENETIC DYSREGULATION IS INCREASINGLY IMPLICATED IN VARIOUS RARE DEVELOPMENTAL SYNDROMES AND CANCER, THE ROLE OF EPIGENETICS IN COMPLEX CHRONIC DISEASES, SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, TYPE 2 DIABETES AND OBESITY, REMAINS LARGELY UNCHARACTERIZED. EXTENSIVE WORK IN ANIMAL MODELS IS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP SPECIFIC HYPOTHESES THAT CAN BE PRACTICABLY TESTED IN HUMANS. ANIMAL MODELS: WE HAVE DEVELOPED A MOUSE MODEL SHOWING THAT METHYL DONOR SUPPLEMENTATION PREVENTS TRANSGENERATIONAL AMPLIFICATION OF OBESITY, SUGGESTING A ROLE FOR DNA METHYLATION IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL ESTABLISHMENT OF BODY WEIGHT REGULATION. CONCLUSIONS: COUPLING SUCH MODELS WITH RECENTLY DEVELOPED EPIGENOMIC TECHNOLOGIES SHOULD ULTIMATELY ENABLE US TO DETERMINE IF EPIGENETICS IS AN IMPORTANT LINK BETWEEN EARLY LIFE EVENTS AND ADULT DISEASE. 2009 18 653 35 BISPHENOL A, HYPERTENSION, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL, LABORATORY, AND CLINICAL TRIAL EVIDENCE. BISPHENOL A (BPA) EXPOSURE HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST COMMON ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL EXPOSURES IN HUMANS. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE REGARDING AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BPA EXPOSURE, HYPERTENSION, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVD). IF BPA EXPOSURE IS INDEED ASSOCIATED WITH RAISED BLOOD PRESSURE AND CVD, IT WOULD BE A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM. THEREFORE, WE REVIEWED THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL, LABORATORY, AND CLINICAL TRIAL EVIDENCE FOR AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BPA EXPOSURE, CVD, AND HYPERTENSION, AND DISCUSSED THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS IN THIS ARTICLE. CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES IN VARIOUS ETHNICITIES SUGGESTED A POSSIBLE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BPA EXPOSURE AND HYPERTENSION; THIS ASSOCIATION WAS SUPPORTED BY A PANEL STUDY AND A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. DESPITE THE DISCORDANCE AMONG CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES ABOUT AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BPA EXPOSURE AND CVD, A LONGITUDINAL STUDY SHOWS THAT BPA EXPOSURE IS A RISK FACTOR FOR CVD. THE EFFECTS OF BPA EXPOSURE SUCH AS ENDOCRINAL DISTURBANCE, INDUCTION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS AND INFLAMMATION, EPIGENETIC CHANGE, AND LINKS WITH OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES MAY HIGHLIGHT A POSSIBLE MECHANISM BETWEEN BPA EXPOSURE, CVD, AND HYPERTENSION. TO CLARIFY THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP, WELL-DESIGNED STUDIES ARE NEEDED IN THE FUTURE. 2016 19 1938 36 EPIDEMIOLOGIC EVIDENCE FOR ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES IN EARLY LIFE AND EPIGENETIC VARIATION: A POTENTIAL LINK TO DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY? A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE RISK OF DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESSION OF A VARIETY OF HUMAN CHRONIC DISEASES DEPENDS ON EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS TRIGGERED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CUES DURING EARLY LIFE SENSITIVE STAGES. EXPOSURES TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS SUCH AS ADVERSE NUTRITIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS, AS WELL AS POLLUTANTS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN EARLY LIFE, HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE IMPORTANT DETERMINANTS OF EPIGENETIC PROGRAMMING OF CHRONIC PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN HUMAN POPULATIONS. OVER THE PAST YEARS, IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY CLEAR DUE TO THE EPIGENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES (EWASS) THAT EARLY LIFE ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS MAY TRIGGER WIDESPREAD AND PERSISTENT ALTERATIONS IN TRANSCRIPTIONAL PROFILING. SEVERAL CANDIDATE GENES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED UNDERLYING THESE ASSOCIATIONS. IN THIS CONTEXT, DNA METHYLATION IS THE MOST INTENSIVELY STUDIED EPIGENETIC PHENOMENON. IN THIS REVIEW, THE CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE ROLE OF EPIGENETIC FACTORS IN MEDIATING THE LINK BETWEEN EARLY LIFE EXPERIENCES AND LONG-TERM HEALTH OUTCOMES ARE SUMMARIZED. 2015 20 5434 28 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES IN CHILDREN AND ADULT LUNG DISEASE: THE CASE FOR OUTDOOR EXPOSURES. THERE IS A GROWING UNDERSTANDING THAT CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASES IN ADULTS HAVE THEIR ORIGINS IN EARLY LIFE. ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES OCCURRING IN VULNERABLE PERIODS DURING LUNG GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE FETAL PERIOD AND IN EARLY CHILDHOOD THAT ALTER LUNG STRUCTURE AND LIMIT THE GROWTH IN LUNG FUNCTION MAY HAVE LIFELONG CONSEQUENCES. EVIDENCE IS INCREASING THAT EXPOSURE TO THE AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING AIR POLLUTANTS, PERSISTENT TOXIC SUBSTANCES, WATER POLLUTANTS AND RESPIRATORY VIRAL INFECTIONS, CAN INHIBIT LUNG FUNCTION GROWTH AND PREDISPOSE TO CHRONIC NON-MALIGNANT LUNG DISEASES. THESE EXPOSURES GENERALLY INTERACT WITH A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION, AND GENE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS AND EPIGENETIC PHENOMENA ARE ATTRACTING CONSIDERABLE STUDY. AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW AMBIENT EXPOSURES IMPACT ON NORMAL LUNG GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WILL AID IN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASES OF ADULTS DEVELOP AND MAY LEAD TO NEW PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES. 2010