men's estrogen? -Reply

[ttweed@wildrockies.org (Tony Tweedale)]

  >Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 13:35:48 -0500
  >To: ttweed@wildrockies.org
  >Subject:  men's estrogen? -Reply
  >
  >An article on this research was carried by Yahoo yesterday in their
  >Current News Health Summary.  Due to the copyright, I'm not giving the
  >entire item.  I suggest going to the journal site at www.nature.com.
  >
  >Wednesday December 3 6:00 PM EST
  >
  >Estrogens Influence Male Fertility
  >
  >NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Experts say estrogen, the 'female' hormone,
  >may strongly influence male fertility and help shape masculine growth
  >and behaviors.
  >
  >"Estrogens may exert more widespread effects in the male and,
  >remarkably, they may even be essential for (male) fertility," said Dr.
  >Richard Sharpe, a fertility expert at the MRC Reproductive Biology Unit
  >in Edinburgh, Scotland.
  >
  >Sharpe's commentary appears in this week's issue of the journal Nature,
  >which also includes an American study investigating the links between
  >estrogen and male fertility.  (snip)
  >
  >Scientists at the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois, focused on the
  >high concentrations of estrogen found in an area of the male reproductive
  >system known as the efferent ducts. These ducts serve as pooling areas
  >for sperm produced by the testes.  The researchers say estrogen present
  >in these ducts seems to trigger the reabsorption of up to 90% of the fluid
  >surrounding freshly produced sperm, "thereby increasing the
  >concentration of sperm" before its (eventual) ejaculation.  (snip)
  >
  >The Illinois findings run counter to recent speculation that the ingestion
  >of environmental pollutants mimicking the effects of estrogen may
  >actually lower male fertility. Sharpe theorizes that "under some
  >circumstances, estrogens may inhibit rather than promote (efferent duct)
  >fluid reabsorption."
  >SOURCE: Nature (1997;390:449-450, 509-512)
  >