Figure 6.

Changes in the E2 response persist after removal of the EDC. A, Diagram depicting the experimental model to test sustained E2 signaling defects. MCF7-F, MCF7-B, and MCF7-G cells were all placed under normal culturing conditions in the absence of BPA and GEN for a minimum of two passages followed by analysis of E2 signaling. B, After either two or nine passages off chronic EDC treatment, ERα protein expression was analyzed as described in Figure 2D. C–E, The response of each cell line to 10 nM E2 was measured by quantitative RT-PCR after two and nine passages of chronic EDC treatment at genes shown to be unaffected (C), mutually repressed (D), and EDC-specifically deregulated (E) in Figure 2. Data are expressed relative to the mean of RPL13a mRNA and are presented as a mean ± SE (n = 3). *, P ≤ .05. Fold activation over basal (EtOH) for each cell line is represented above the E2-treated column.