Targeted toxicological testing to investigate the role of endocrine disrupters in puberty disorders.

Puberty is a process regulated by the endocrine system which physiological onset is poorly understood. Factors potentially leading to the disruption of this system may seriously affect the reproductive function development. Altered puberty onset can be an unspecific consequence of general toxicity in juvenile rodents; however, several toxicological studies indicate potential effects of specific substances on puberty development. In particular, the exposure to endocrine disrupters (ED) showing (anti)estrogenic, (anti)androgenic activity or interaction with hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is considered biologically plausible and deserving attention. Risk assessment agencies call for data on children effects for their specific vulnerability or specific exposure situations. On the other hand, no international effort is foreseen to develop robust tools for characterizing chemical hazards in the immature organisms. For some chemicals the available data might be sufficient to trigger precautionary measures but a sound risk analysis needs an interdisciplinary integration between human medicine and experimental toxicology.