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Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
Published on: March 6, 2018
Neuroendocrine disruption without direct endocrine mode of action: Polychloro-biphenyls (PCBs) and bisphenol A (BPA)
Anneline Pinson1, Delphine Franssen1, Arlette Gérard1
1Developmental Neuroendocrinology unit, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, Quartier Hôpital, Tour 4, 1(er) étage, avenue Hippocrate 15, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Abstract:
Endocrine disruption is commonly thought to be restricted to a direct endocrine mode of action i.e. the perturbation of the activation of a given type of hormonal receptor by its natural ligand. Consistent with the WHO definition of an endocrine disrupter, a key issue is the "altered function(s) of the endocrine system". Such altered functions can result from different chemical interactions, beyond agonistic or antagonistic effect at a given receptor. Based on neuroendocrine disruption by polychlorinated biphenyls and bisphenol A, this paper proposes different mechanistic paradigms that can result in adverse health effects. They are a consequence of altered endocrine function(s) secondary to chemical interaction with different steps in the physiological regulatory processes, thus accounting for a possibly indirect endocrine mode of action.
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