Gestational and Lactational Exposure to the Emergent Alternative Plasticizer 1,2-Cyclohexane Dicarboxylic Acid Diisononyl Ester (DINCH) Impairs Lipid Metabolism to a Greater Extent Than the Commonly Used Di(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) in the Adult Rat Mammary Gland.

Due to their endocrine disruption properties, phthalate plasticizers such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) can affect the hormone-dependent development of the mammary gland. Over the past few years, DEHP has been partially replaced by 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH) which also have potential endocrine disrupting properties. The goal of the present study is to understand the impact of a gestational and lactational exposure to DEHP and DINCH on mammary gland development using Sprague Dawley rats. Both plasticizers altered the adipocytes of the mammary gland fat pad of adult progeny, as demonstrated by a decrease in their size, folding of their membrane, and modulations of the lipid profiles. DEHP treatments decreased the expression of Rxrα and Scd1 at the low and high dose, respectively, but did not affect any of the other genes studied. DINCH modulation of lipid metabolism could be observed at puberty by a decreased expression of genes implicated in triglyceride synthesis, lipid transport, and lipolysis, but by an increased expression of genes of the ß-oxidation pathway and of genes involved in lipid storage and fatty acid synthesis at adulthood, compared with control and DEHP-treated rats. A strong upregulation of different inflammatory markers was observed following DINCH exposure only. Together, our results indicate that a gestational and lactational exposure to DINCH has earlier and more significant effects on lipid homeostasis, adipogenesis, and the inflammatory state of the adult mammary gland than DEHP exposure. The long-term consequence of these effects on mammary gland health remained to be determined.

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) increases proliferation of epithelial breast cancer cells through progesterone receptor dysregulation.

The di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer incorporated to plastic matrices of widely used consumer products. However, it is gradually released from these products, resulting in a chronic exposure for humans. Although DEHP, similar to other members of the phthalates family, is generally considered as an endocrine disruptor, the mechanisms implicated in its toxicity are yet poorly understood. Our objective was to determine the effects of an exposure to DEHP and to one of its major metabolite, the mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) on markers involved in breast carcinogenesis. T-47D cells were exposed to environmentally relevant and higher doses of DEHP and MEHP (0.1-10 000 nM) for 4 days. Our results showed that an exposure to 10 000 nM of DEHP and 0.1 nM of MEHP significantly increased the proliferation of T-47D cells, without inducing apoptosis. In addition, a significant increase in the protein levels of the isoform A of the progesterone receptor (PR) and of nuclear levels of PR were observed in T-47D cells exposed to 10 000 nM of DEHP. Importantly, the increased proliferation and nuclear levels of PR were totally and partially inhibited, respectively, by Mifepristone, a PR antagonist. These results suggest that an exposure to DEHP or MEHP increase cell proliferation by activating PR signaling, which could potentially increase the risks to develop breast cancer. The mechanism of activation of the progesterone pathway by DEHP and the long-term consequences of this activation remained to be elucidated.

Differentiation of human placental BeWo cells by the environmental contaminant benzo(a)pyrene.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) are widely-distributed environmental contaminants known to exert toxic effects in various tissues, including placenta. PAHs have notably been shown to inhibit proliferation of trophoblastic cells. The present study was designed to determine whether PAHs can concomitantly affect differentiated functions of trophoblastic cells. BaP was found to induce expression and secretion of ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) in human trophoblastic BeWo cells. The PAH also increased mRNA expressions of other trophoblastic differentiation markers, including those of the steroid metabolism enzymes CYP19A1 and HSD11B2 and of the fusogenic protein syncytin-2; in parallel, it triggered syncytialisation of BeWo cells. BaP-mediated ß-hCG and syncytin-2 up-regulation was prevented by co-treatment by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) antagonist CH-223191 or by knocking-down AhR expression through siRNA transfection. However, the potent AhR agonist 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) failed to induce expression of ß-hCG and syncytin-2, indicating that activation of the AhR pathway, known to be implicated in most, if not all, effects of PAHs, was required, but not sufficient. Interestingly, the p53 signaling pathway was activated by BaP, but not by TCDD, in BeWo cells and co-treatment by the p53 inhibitor pifithrin-α or siRNAs-mediated silencing of p53 prevented up-regulation of ß-hCG and syncytin-2 induced by BaP. Taken together, these data demonstrate that BaP induces differentiation of placental trophoblastic BeWo cells in an AhR- and p53-dependent manner.

Olfactory ensheathing cells form the microenvironment of migrating GnRH-1 neurons during mouse development.

During development, GnRH-1 neurons differentiate extracerebraly from the nasal placode and migrate from the vomeronasal organ to the forebrain along vomeronasal and terminal nerves. Numerous studies have described the influence of different molecules on the migration of GnRH-1 neurons, however, the role of microenvironment cells remains poorly understood. This study used GFAP-GFP transgenic mice to detect glial cells at early developmental stages. Using nasal explant cultures, the comigration of glial cells with GnRH-1 neurons was clearly demonstrated. This in vitro approach showed that glial cells began migrating from the explants before GnRH-1 neurons. They remained ahead of the GnRH-1 migratory front and stopped migrating after the GnRH-1 neurons. The association of these glial cells with the axons combined with gene expression analysis of GFAP-GFP sorted cells enabled them to be identified as olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the presence of multiple glial cell-type markers showing several OEC subpopulations surrounding GnRH-1 neurons. Moreover, these OEC expressed genes whose products are involved in the migration of GnRH-1 neurons, such as Nelf and Semaphorin 4. In situ data confirmed that the majority of the GnRH-1 neurons were associated with glial cells along the vomeronasal axons in nasal septum and terminal nerves in the nasal forebrain junction as early as E12.5. Overall, these data demonstrate an OEC microenvironment for migrating GnRH-1 neurons during mouse development. The fact that this glial cell type precedes GnRH-1 neurons and encodes for molecules involved in their nasal migration suggests that it participates in the GnRH-1 system ontogenesis.

AhR- and NF-κB-dependent induction of interleukin-6 by co-exposure to the environmental contaminant benzanthracene and the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α in human mammary MCF-7 cells.

Co-exposure to environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and interleukin (IL)-1ß induces expression of the tumor-promoting cytokine IL-6 in cancer cells. The present study was designed to determine whether such an IL-6 up-regulation also occurs in response to co-treatment by PAHs and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, an inflammatory cytokine commonly found in tumor microenvironment. Co-exposure to the prototypical PAH benzanthracene (BZA) and TNF-α was found to markedly induce mRNA expression and secretion of IL-6 in human breast cancer cells MCF-7, whereas exposure to either BZA or TNF-α alone was without significant effect. Co-treatment by BZA and TNF-α-containing conditioned media from human inflammatory macrophages similarly up-regulated IL-6 expression in MCF-7 cells. BZA/TNF-α-mediated IL-6 induction in MCF-7 cells was counteracted by silencing aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), known to mediates most of PAH effects. IL-6 up-regulation was moreover associated with NF-κB activation and was abolished by using chemical NF-κB inhibitors or knocking-down expression of the p65/RelA NF-κB subunit. Taken together, these data indicate that co-exposure to BZA/TNF-α induces IL-6 expression by AhR- and NF-κB-dependent pathways in MCF-7 cancer cells. This regulation of IL-6 by environmental PAHs, that is dependent of inflammatory cytokine microenvironment, may contribute to the well-known carcinogenic properties of these organic pollutants.

Phorbol ester-modulation of estrogenic genomic effects triggered by the environmental contaminant benzanthracene.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor-dependent genomic effects of environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been shown to be modulated by non-genomic protein kinase C (PKC)-related pathways. The present study was designed to determine whether PKC activation may also impair estrogenic genomic response triggered by PAHs. Treatment by the PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was found to markedly and differentially impair the up-regulation of estrogenic markers triggered by the estrogenic PAH benzanthracene (BZA) in cultured human mammary cells; BZA-mediated mRNA up-regulation of pS2 and amphiregulin was thus increased, whereas that of progesterone receptor and CXCL12 was repressed. BZA/PMA cotreatment however failed to alter BZA-mediated increase of activity of a luciferase gene reporter construct driven by an estrogen response element, thus discarding any global effect of PMA toward BZA-triggered estrogen receptor activation. Various chemicals inhibiting PKCs or extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) as well as the knock-down of PKCδ expression counteracted the PMA-mediated increase of pS2 mRNA up-regulation triggered by BZA, demonstrating that it was dependent on PKCs, including PKCδ isoform, and ERKs. This non-genomic modulation of estrogenic effects of PAHs by PKC activation may have to be considered when considering the deleterious effects of these environmental contaminants towards the endocrine system.

Environmental chemicals as substrates, inhibitors or inducers of drug transporters: implication for toxicokinetics, toxicity and pharmacokinetics.

INTRODUCTION: Membrane drug transporters are well recognized as important contributing factors to pharmacokinetics, notably involved in drug-drug interactions. Besides drugs, environmental chemicals, to which humans are commonly exposed, are also substrates, inhibitors or inducers of drug transporters, which may have notable consequences toward toxicokinetics, toxicity and pharmacokinetics. AREA COVERED: This review summarizes key data about the interactions of main environmental contaminants with drug transporters, including the nature of drug transporters involved in contaminant transport, or inhibited or induced by these chemicals. Implications for toxicokinetics and toxicity of pollutants and pharmacokinetics of drugs administrated to pollutant-exposed humans are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION: Although various structurally unrelated environmental chemicals have been already demonstrated to interact with drug transporters, further in vitro and in vivo studies are probably required to characterize pollutant-transporter interplays in a more extensive and accurate way. Data obtained should be next confronted with known exposure levels of humans to pollutants, with the aim to fully determine the relevance of environmental contaminant-transporter interactions in terms of toxicokinetics, toxicity and putative pollutant-drug interactions.