Endocrine-disrupting agents on healthy human tissues

A vast number of substances have been suggested as possibly contributing to perturbation of the endocrine system. Several have been tested with differ ent approaches ranging from yeast expression system of human oestrogenic re ceptors to human breast cancer cells assays. Surprisingly, no inhibition-bi nding experiments to steroid receptors on healthy human tissue have been pe rformed so far. Our study provides inhibition binding experiments to oestro gens, progesterone, testosterone and retinoic acid receptors in prostate an d uterine human tissue of organochlorine pesticides, phthalate esters, oest rogenic constituents derived from plants and phenol derivates. Affinities o f significant extent of phthalates on oestrogenic, progestinic and androgen ic receptors have not been detected. As for retinoic acid receptors, mono(2 -ethylexyl)phthalate provokes a notable reduction of the binding of the tri tiated retinoic acid, phtalic acid ethyl-n-butyl ester and 4-octylphenol sh ow an affinity comparable to that of isoflavonoid genistein, whereas 4-nony lphenol reduces the binding of retinoic acid in prostate.