How do Endocrine Disruptors work?
From animal studies, researchers have learned much about the mechanisms through which endocrine disruptors influence the endocrine system and alter hormonal functions. Endocrine disruptors can: • mimic or partly mimic naturally occurring hormones in the body like estrogens (the female sex hormone) and androgens (the male sex hormone) and thyroid hormones, potentially producing overstimulation • bind to a receptor within a cell and block the endogenous hormone from binding. The normal signal then fails to occur and the body fails to respond properly. Examples of chemicals that block or antagonize hormones are antiestrogens or anti-androgens. • interfere or block the way natural hormones or their receptors are made or controlled, for example by blocking their metabolism in the liver.
