Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals on Pancreas Development and the Related Mechanisms

Key words: 
• endocrine disrupting chemicals /
• pancreas development /
• islet β cell

Abstract: Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are released into the environment from different sources. Recent experimental studies on animal models have shown that multiple EDCs can disrupt the pancreas development in early life and increase the risk of metabolic diseases in adulthood. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study focused on reviewing the effects of EDCs on pancreas development of different animal models. These effects mainly include islet β cell structure damage and dysfunction, decreased islet size, islet malformation, delayed secondary islet formation, and shortened pancreas length, etc. Further, mechanisms underlying these effects were reviewed in aspects of transcription factors, oxidative stress, and epigenetic modifications. This review will provide reference for the health risk assessment of EDCs.