Comparison of in vitro cytotoxicity, estrogenicity and anti-estrogenicity of triclosan, perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid.

Abstract

Concern with increasing levels of emerging contaminants exists on a global scale. Three commonly observed emerging environmental contaminants: triclosan (2,4,4-trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether), a synthetic, broad-spectrum antibacterial agent, and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), used in stain- and water-resistant treatments, have become distributed ubiquitously across ecosystems and have been detected in wildlife and humans. MCF-7 BOS human breast cancer cells were used to investigate the potential for cytotoxicity, estrogenicity and anti-estrogenicity of these three compounds at environmentally relevant concentrations using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt assay (MTS) and the E-SCREEN bioassay. The doses used were 0.002-200 µg ml(-1) for triclosan and 0.03-30 µg ml(-1) for PFOS and PFOA. Quantitative results from the MTS assay revealed no significant cytotoxicity at lower concentrations for any of the test compounds; however, both triclosan and PFOA were cytotoxic at the highest concentrations examined (100-200 and 30 µg ml(-1), respectively), while PFOS showed no significant cytotoxicity at any of the concentrations tested. Positive estrogenic responses (P < 0.05) were elicited from the E-SCREEN at all concentrations examined for triclosan and PFOA and at 30 µg ml(-1) for PFOS. Further, significant anti-estrogenic activity (P < 0.05) was detected for all compounds tested at all concentrations when cells were co-exposed with 10(-9) m 17-β estradiol (E(2)). The overall results demonstrated that triclosan, PFOS and PFOA have estrogenic activities and that co-exposure to contaminants and E(2) produced anti-estrogenic effects. Each of these compounds could provide a source of xenoestrogens to humans and wildlife in the environment. Published 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

• Authors: Natasha D Henry, Patricia A Fair
• Journal: Journal of applied toxicology : JAT (J Appl Toxicol) Vol. 33 Issue 4 Pg. 265-72 (Apr 2013) ISSN: 1099-1263 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 21935973 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Published 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Chemical References

• Alkanesulfonic Acids
• Caprylates
• Environmental Pollutants
• Estrogen Antagonists
• Estrogens, Non-Steroidal
• Fluorocarbons
• Tetrazolium Salts
• Thiazoles
• 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium
• Triclosan
• perfluorooctanoic acid
• perfluorooctane sulfonic acid

Topics

• Alkanesulfonic Acids (toxicity)
• Breast Neoplasms (pathology)
• Caprylates (toxicity)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Environmental Pollutants (toxicity)
• Estrogen Antagonists (toxicity)
• Estrogens, Non-Steroidal (toxicity)
• Female
• Fluorocarbons (toxicity)
• Humans
• Tetrazolium Salts (metabolism)
• Thiazoles (metabolism)
• Triclosan (toxicity)