Evaluation of in vitro methods for detecting the effects of various chemicals on the human progesterone receptor, with a focus on pyrethroid insecticides

The progesterone receptor (PR) is associated with physiological events such as implantation and the maintenance of pregnancy. Recently, it has become a social concern that chemicals may exert agonistic or antagonistic effects on hormone receptors. Therefore, we examined the effects of various chemic als on the human PR, with a focus on pyrethroid insecticides, using three i n vitro methods. Eight pyrethroid insecticides (fenvalerate, d-allethrin, d -phenothrin, prallethrin, empenthrin, permethrin, cypermethrin and imiproth rin), examples of environmental pollutants and positive control chemicals w ere subjected to a reporter gene assay (luciferase assay) using human breas t cancer T-47D cells, a two-hybrid assay and a binding assay using the same whole cells or receptors (cell-free). In none of these did the eight pyret hroid insecticides show any binding to the PR, agonistic or antagonistic ef fects. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.