Fetal Drug Exposure and Sexual Differentiation of Males

摘要: A variety of commonly abused drugs interfere with steroidogenesis in the testes adult animals and men. These suppress hormone synthesis by a direct inhibitory action on testes, and/or disrupting hypothalamic-pituitary stimulation gonads. Plasma testosterone (T) titers are attenuated after use any wide compounds, including licit addictive substances, such as alcohol nicotine, well illicit drugs, marijuana opiates. Some males passively exposed to these substances at very early stages development because women who have become dependent often continue them when pregnant. Based 1988 survey 36 hospitals across United States National Association for Perinatal Addiction Research Education, it is estimated that there over 1,000 babies born each day used opiates, cocaine, phencyclidine (PCP), amphetamines, during pregnancy (NIDA, 1989). That estimate does not include large number additional only more while For many little if effective placental barrier, so developing fetus drug taken mother. Thus, fetal inadvertently that, among other things, T levels.