Abstract
In this study we found that the ultraviolet sunscreen component 3-(4-methylbenzylidine)camphor (4MBC) is uterotrophic in immature rats when administered by either subcutaneous injection or oral gavage. These data confirm earlier reports of uterotrophic activity for this agent when administered to immature rats in the diet or by whole-body immersion; however, they are in contrast to negative unpublished immature rat uterotrophic assay results. Data also indicate that 4MBC binds to isolated rat uterine estrogen receptors and shows activity in a human estrogen receptor yeast transactivation assay; however, we considered both of these effects equivocal. In this study, we confirmed the original observation that 4MBC was active as a mitogen to MCF-7 breast cancer cells. We evaluated and discounted the possibility that the estrogenic activity of 4MBC is related to its bulky camphor group, which is of similar molecular dimensions to that of the weak estrogen kepone. Uncertainty remains regarding the mechanism of the uterotrophic activity of 4MBC.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (573.0 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Ashby J., Tinwell H., Pennie W., Brooks A. N., Lefevre P. A., Beresford N., Sumpter J. P. Partial and weak oestrogenicity of the red wine constituent resveratrol: consideration of its superagonist activity in MCF-7 cells and its suggested cardiovascular protective effects. J Appl Toxicol. 1999 Jan-Feb;19(1):39–45. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1263(199901/02)19:1<39::aid-jat534>3.0.co;2-m. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ashby J., Tinwell H. Uterotrophic activity of bisphenol A in the immature rat. Environ Health Perspect. 1998 Nov;106(11):719–720. doi: 10.1289/ehp.98106719. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bolt H. M., Guhe C., Degen G. H. Comments on "In vitro and in vivo estrogenicity of UV screens". Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Aug;109(8):A358–A361. doi: 10.1289/ehp.109-a358. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jobling S., Reynolds T., White R., Parker M. G., Sumpter J. P. A variety of environmentally persistent chemicals, including some phthalate plasticizers, are weakly estrogenic. Environ Health Perspect. 1995 Jun;103(6):582–587. doi: 10.1289/ehp.95103582. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Routledge E. J., Sumpter J. P. Structural features of alkylphenolic chemicals associated with estrogenic activity. J Biol Chem. 1997 Feb 7;272(6):3280–3288. doi: 10.1074/jbc.272.6.3280. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schlumpf M., Cotton B., Conscience M., Haller V., Steinmann B., Lichtensteiger W. In vitro and in vivo estrogenicity of UV screens. Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Mar;109(3):239–244. doi: 10.1289/ehp.01109239. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shelby M. D., Newbold R. R., Tully D. B., Chae K., Davis V. L. Assessing environmental chemicals for estrogenicity using a combination of in vitro and in vivo assays. Environ Health Perspect. 1996 Dec;104(12):1296–1300. doi: 10.1289/ehp.961041296. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zacharewski T. R., Meek M. D., Clemons J. H., Wu Z. F., Fielden M. R., Matthews J. B. Examination of the in vitro and in vivo estrogenic activities of eight commercial phthalate esters. Toxicol Sci. 1998 Dec;46(2):282–293. doi: 10.1006/toxs.1998.2505. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]