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Inhibition of environmental estrogen-induced proliferation of human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells by flavonoids

  • Toxicology/Chemical Carcinogenesis
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Summary

In the present study, we evaluated the individual and combined effects of environmental estrogens and flavonoids on the proliferation of human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells. These compounds are as follows: (1) pharmaceutical chemicals such as diethylstilbestrol, 17α-ethynylestradiol (17ES), tamoxifen, mestranol, and clomiphene, (2) industrial chemicals such as bisphenol A (BisA), 4-octylphenol (OP), 4-nonylphenol (NP), andp,p′-biphenol, and (3) flavonoids such as daidzein (D), genistein (G), quercetin (Q), and luteolin (L). We found that nanomolar concentrations of 17ES, BisA, OP, and NP were sufficient to stimulate the proliferation of MCF-7 cells. Among then, 1 μM BisA exhibited cell proliferation-stimulating activity as strong as 10 nM 17β-estradiol; and D and G exhibited cell proliferation-stimulating activity at 10 nM. On the other hand, Q and L exhibited cell proliferation-inhibiting activity. We also found that 10 nM flavonoids, such as D, G, Q, and L, were able to inhibit the proliferation-stimulating activity in MCF-7 cells by 1 μM environmental estrogens.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Division of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Science, Graduate School, Kyushu University, 812-8581, Fukuoka, Japan

    Dal-Ho Han & Hirofumi Tachibana

  2. CREST, Japan Science and Technology, Japan

    Koji Yamada

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  1. Dal-Ho Han
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  2. Hirofumi Tachibana
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  3. Koji Yamada
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Correspondence to Koji Yamada.

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Han, DH., Tachibana, H. & Yamada, K. Inhibition of environmental estrogen-induced proliferation of human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells by flavonoids. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Animal 37, 275–282 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02577543

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