Study of endocrine disruptors (EDRs) and sex hormones in PE.

• Grant number: 23/06651-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Valeria Cristina Sandrim
• Grantee: Bárbara Campos Jorge
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/12010-7 - Endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, AP.TEM

Abstract

In recent years, the dysregulation of steroid hormones has emerged as a significant endocrinopathy associated with clinical manifestations of Preeclampsia. Progesterone and estrogens play a regulatory role in uterine vessels by reducing resistance in spiral uterine arteries and influencing the production and release of angiogenic factors by the placenta. Conversely, androgens have the opposite effect. Previous studies have demonstrated that women with Preeclampsia exhibit altered serum concentrations of sex steroid hormones. Hormonal disruptions during fetal or neonatal development can predispose individuals to future diseases or dysfunctions. Pregnant women are exposed to various environmental factors, particularly endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are external substances that adversely affect the body's health by disrupting endocrine functions. Given that vascular endothelium and smooth muscle contain steroid receptors, they become potential targets for EDC. This study aims to compare the levels of potential EDCs in urine samples obtained from pregnant women with and without Preeclampsia. Furthermore, the potential association between EDC and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction in urine and plasma from pregnant women with Preeclampsia will also be investigated.