Environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals: Disruptors of central and peripheral clock systems

Sep 12, 2025Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews

Environmental hormone-disrupting chemicals may disturb body’s internal clocks in the brain and organs

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may disrupt circadian rhythms, affecting key physiological functions.

Disruption of circadian rhythms is associated with abnormalities in tissue and organ function.
EDCs are known to enter the human body and can significantly affect homeostasis.
Current evidence suggests that EDCs interfere with both central and peripheral clock systems.
Impairments in hepatic energy metabolism and reproductive function may result from EDC exposure.
Emerging findings indicate potential insights into the relationship between central and peripheral rhythms in the context of EDCs.

AI simplified

The essential role of circadian rhythms in various physiological processes has gained increasing recognition. Their disruption leads to abnormalities in tissue and organ function, as well as the development of diseases. Environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), ubiquitous pollutants in the environment, are well known to enter the human body and greatly affect its homeostasis. Growing attention is being directed towards the impact of EDCs on circadian rhythms, potentially resulting in a succession of serious consequences. Therefore, in this review, we focused on the impact of EDCs on the central clock system, highlighting their potential to disrupt circadian rhythms and examining the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, we also summarized current evidence showing that EDCs interfere with the peripheral clock systems, impairing key physiological functions, such as hepatic energy metabolism, reproductive function and more. Another topic of this review was to provide insights into recent findings from pioneering research that may shed light on the future discussion about the influences of the central clock system on the peripheral rhythms in the presence of EDCs. Summarizing the emerging findings on the effects of EDC exposure on both central and peripheral clock systems will deepen our understanding of how EDC exposure influences human health and the underlying mechanisms involved.

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text (XML) ↗View full text ↗

Featured in

Circadian BiologyIssue #2

Night shift workers show pro-inflammatory gut bacteria, plus bright light helps depression regardless of season

↗

Environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals: Disruptors of central and peripheral clock systems

Abstract

Full Text

Featured in

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief