Biochemical and molecular changes at the cellular level in response to exposure to environmental estrogen-like chemicals
- Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, AL (United States); and others
Estrogen-like chemical are unique because the estrogenic property of these compounds allows them to act like sex hormones. Whether weak or strong, the estrogenic response of a chemical, if not overcome, will add extra estrogenic burden to the system. At elevated doses, natural estrogens and environmental estrogen-like chemicals are known to produce adverse effects. The source of extra or elevated concentration of estrogen could be either endogenous or exogenous. The potential of exposure for humans and animals to environmental estrogen-like chemicals is high. Only a limited number of estrogen-like compounds, such as diethylstibestrol (DES), bisphenol A, nonylphenol, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), have been used to assess the biochemical and molecular changes at the cellular level. This article is focused mainly on DES-related observations. In addition to estrogenic effects, environmental estrogen-like chemical produce multiple and multitype genetic and/or nongenetic hits. Exposure of Syrian hamsters to stilbene estrogen (DES) produces several changes in the nuclei of target organ for carcinogenesis (kidney). Exposure of Noble rats to DES also produces several changes in the mammary gland. Some other estrogenic compounds may also follow a similar pattern of effects to DES, because these compounds alter cell cycle kinetics, produce telomeric associations, and produce chromosomal aberrations. It should be noted that a particular or multitype hit(s) will depend upon the nature of the environmental estrogen-like chemical. The role of individual attack leading to a particular change is not clear at this stage. Consequences of these multitypes of attack on the nuclei of cells could be (1) nuclear toxicity/cell death; (2) repair of all the hits and then acting as normal cells; or (3) sustaining most of the hits and acting as unstable cells. 180 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 456706
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Vol. 50, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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