• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1486-1491
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• 2004

The estrogenicities of six heavy metal compounds, which contaminate frequently in foods, were assayed using a combination of in vitro and in vivo assays. The assays were 1) estrogen receptor dependent transcriptional expression assay, 2) E-screen assay and, 3) the uterotropic assay in mice. The chemicals studied were 17$\beta$ -estradiol, diethylstilbestrol (DES), arsenic oxide, bis(tri-n-butyltin), cadmium chloride, chromium chloride, lead acetate, and mercuric chloride. Using the estrogen receptor dependent transcriptional expression assay, the following estrogenicity ranking was measured: bis(tri-n-butyltin) > cadmium chloride > chromium chloride >> mercuric chloride >lead acetate = arsenic oxide. Using E-screen test, the following estrogenicity ranking was measured: bis(tri-n-butyltin) > cadmium chloride > chromium chloride >> mercuric chloride > lead acetate = arsenic oxide. Results from the uterotropic assay showed that bis(tri-n-butyltin), cadmium chloride, chromium chloride caused an increase in uterine wet weight, while lead acetate, mercuric chloride, and arsenic oxide failed to do so. Bis(tri-n-butyltin), cadmium chloride and chromium chloride showed the highest estrogenicity in three assay systems. Recent studies suggesting that bis(tri-n-butyltin), cadmium chloride have estrogenicities are compatible with the present finding. Furthermore, our study is suggesting that chromium chloride may be estrogenic. The results demonstrate that this three level-assay combination (transcriptional activation, cell proliferation, and an in vivo effect in an estrogen-responsive tissue) could serve as a useful method to assess the estrogenicity of heavy metals.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2000.12a
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• pp.56-56
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• 2000

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.139-139
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• 2004

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2000

The purposes of our study were to optimize the conditions of the screening and testing methods for endocrine disruptors, to characterize these assays using several compounds with well-defined endocrine activity, and to compare the sensitivity between these assays currently undergoing validation. Two in vitro test systems, MCF-7 cells proliferation (E-screen assay) and competitive binding to estrogen receptors (ER) were selected to evaluate the estrogenic effects. 17$\beta$-Estradiol (E2) and diethylstilbestrol (DES) were used as a positive control in vitro test. Also, E2 and ethinyl estradiol (EE) were used as a positive control in vivo uterotrophic assay. In in vitro test, E2 and DES showed a strong estrogenic response at concentration of 1.0 nM. In uterotrophic assay, E2 (0.3 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg) and EE (0.3 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg) produced a significant increase in uterus and vagina weight in both immature and ovariectomized rats. Although we did not com-pared the specificity between in vivo and in vitro assays, these assay systems may serve as a good tool for endocrine disruptors screening methods. Our data indicate that these assay systems exhibit some difference in their sensitivity to the same estrogenic compounds. Therefore, as a first rapid screening assay for estrogenic activity qf unknown chemicals, at least two assay systems should probably be carried out with a view of high sensitivity and standardization conditions. Also, a careful validation tests are necessary to obtain a reasonable degree of reproducibility.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.375-382
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• 2004

This study was designed to investigate potential endocrine disrupting effects of several industrial wastewater effluents discharged from cosmetic, plaiting, paint, textile industry using EROD bioassay and E-Screen assay. The results of E-screen assay showed that textile industrial wastewater could act as a full agonist and cosmetics and plaiting industrial wastewater could act as a partial agonist. On the contrary, the wastewater discharged from paint industry did not show any estrogenic effect. Estrogenic activity in the effluents of cosmetic and paint industrial wastewater was lower than that in the influents indicating that the wastewater treatment process minimized the effects of discharges on water quality. Despite of these results, it was recognized that wastewater treatment was not always minimize toxic impact. In this study, increased estrogenic effect was observed in the effluents of plating and textile wastewater, and EROD activity was increased in the effluents of cosmetic and plating wastewater.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.259-265
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• 2002

Phthalate analogues are a plasticizer and solvent used in industry. Phthalates were reported to be a potential carcinogen classified in the category of suspected endocrine disruptors. Most common human exposure to these compounds may occur with contaminated food. They may migrate into food from plastic wrap or may enter food from general environmental contamination. Since these substances are not limited to the original products, and enter the environment, they have become widespread environmental pollutants, thus leading to a variety of phthalates that possibly threaten the public health. Concern about their use has been mounting. To screen and elucidate the endocrine disrupting activity and their mechanism of phthalate analogues, first of all, E-screen assay was performed in MCF7 human breast cancer cells with seven phthalate analogues. In this cell proliferation assay, only dibutyl phthalate (DBP) showed weak estrogenic activity. Also the yeast-based transcription assay to assess the interactions of DBP with the estrogen, androgen, and progesterone receptors was conducted. DBP in the concentration ranges from 10$^{-16}$ to 10$^{-11}$ M was active in the estrogen transcriptional assay, but it did not show the effect on $\beta$-galactosidase activity in the progesterone and androgen transcriptional assays. These data indicate that DBP shows estrogenic potential and can be classified as weak and/or suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.161-161
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.125-125
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• 2001

It has been hypothesized that environmental estrogens may play roles in the increasing incidence of breast and testicular cancers and another problems of the reproductive systems. Alkylphenols which are widely used as plastic additives and surfactants have been shown to induce estrogenic responses. The E-screen assay was developed to assess the estrogenedity of environmental chemicals using the profiferation effect of estrogens on their target cells as an end point. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 1999.05a
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• pp.61-61
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.159.1-159.1
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• 2000