In vitro screening of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) for interference with seven thyroid hormone system targets across nine assays.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is evaluating the ecological and toxicological effects of per- and polyfluorinated chemicals. A number of perfluorinated chemicals have been shown to impact the thyroid axis in vivo suggesting that the thyroid hormone system is a target of these chemicals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the activity of 136 perfluorinated chemicals at seven key molecular initiating events (MIE) within the thyroid axis using nine in vitro assays. The potential MIE targets investigated are Human Iodothyronine Deiodinase 1 (hDIO1), Human Iodothyronine Deiodinase 2 (hDIO2), Human Iodothyronine Deiodinase 3 (hDIO3), Xenopus Iodothyronine Deiodinase (xDIO3); Human Iodotyrosine Deiodinase (hIYD), Xenopus Iodotyrosine Deiodinase (xIYD), Human Thyroid Peroxidase (hTPO); and the serum binding proteins Human Transthyretin (hTTR) and Human Thyroxine Binding Globulin (hTBG). Of the 136 PFAS chemicals tested, 85 had sufficient activity to produce a half-maximal effect concentration (EC50) in at least one of the nine assays. In general, most of these PFAS chemicals did not have strong potency towards the seven MIEs examined, apart from transthyretin binding, for which several PFAS had potency similar to the respective model inhibitor. These data sets identify potentially active PFAS chemicals to prioritize for further testing in orthogonal in vitro assays and at higher levels of biological organization to evaluate their capacity for altering the thyroid hormone system and causing potential adverse health and ecological effects.

Juxtaposition of intensive agriculture, vulnerable aquifers, and mixed chemical/microbial exposures in private-well tapwater in northeast Iowa.

In the United States and globally, contaminant exposure in unregulated private-well point-of-use tapwater (TW) is a recognized public-health data gap and an obstacle to both risk-management and homeowner decision making. To help address the lack of data on broad contaminant exposures in private-well TW from hydrologically-vulnerable (alluvial, karst) aquifers in agriculturally-intensive landscapes, samples were collected in 2018-2019 from 47 northeast Iowa farms and analyzed for 35 inorganics, 437 unique organics, 5 in vitro bioassays, and 11 microbial assays. Twenty-six inorganics and 51 organics, dominated by pesticides and related transformation products (35 herbicide-, 5 insecticide-, and 2 fungicide-related), were observed in TW. Heterotrophic bacteria detections were near ubiquitous (94 % of the samples), with detection of total coliform bacteria in 28 % of the samples and growth on at least one putative-pathogen selective media across all TW samples. Health-based hazard index screening levels were exceeded frequently in private-well TW and attributed primarily to inorganics (nitrate, uranium). Results support incorporation of residential treatment systems to protect against contaminant exposure and the need for increased monitoring of rural private-well homes. Continued assessment of unmonitored and unregulated private-supply TW is needed to model contaminant exposures and human-health risks.

Tapwater Exposures, Effects Potential, and Residential Risk Management in Northern Plains Nations.

In the United States (US), private-supply tapwater (TW) is rarely monitored. This data gap undermines individual/community risk-management decision-making, leading to an increased probability of unrecognized contaminant exposures in rural and remote locations that rely on private wells. We assessed point-of-use (POU) TW in three northern plains Tribal Nations, where ongoing TW arsenic (As) interventions include expansion of small community water systems and POU adsorptive-media treatment for Strong Heart Water Study participants. Samples from 34 private-well and 22 public-supply sites were analyzed for 476 organics, 34 inorganics, and 3 in vitro bioactivities. 63 organics and 30 inorganics were detected. Arsenic, uranium (U), and lead (Pb) were detected in 54%, 43%, and 20% of samples, respectively. Concentrations equivalent to public-supply maximum contaminant level(s) (MCL) were exceeded only in untreated private-well samples (As 47%, U 3%). Precautionary health-based screening levels were exceeded frequently, due to inorganics in private supplies and chlorine-based disinfection byproducts in public supplies. The results indicate that simultaneous exposures to co-occurring TW contaminants are common, warranting consideration of expanded source, point-of-entry, or POU treatment(s). This study illustrates the importance of increased monitoring of private-well TW, employing a broad, environmentally informative analytical scope, to reduce the risks of unrecognized contaminant exposures.

Pilot-scale expanded assessment of inorganic and organic tapwater exposures and predicted effects in Puerto Rico, USA.

A pilot-scale expanded target assessment of mixtures of inorganic and organic contaminants in point-of-consumption drinking water (tapwater, TW) was conducted in Puerto Rico (PR) to continue to inform TW exposures and corresponding estimations of cumulative human-health risks across the US. In August 2018, a spatial synoptic pilot assessment of than 524 organic and 37 inorganic chemicals was conducted in 14 locations (7 home; 7 commercial) across PR. A follow-up 3-day temporal assessment of TW variability was conducted in December 2018 at two of the synoptic locations (1 home, 1 commercial) and included daily pre- and post-flush samples. Concentrations of regulated and unregulated TW contaminants were used to calculate cumulative in vitro bioactivity ratios and Hazard Indices (HI) based on existing human-health benchmarks. Synoptic results confirmed that human exposures to inorganic and organic contaminant mixtures, which are rarely monitored together in drinking water at the point of consumption, occurred across PR and consisted of elevated concentrations of inorganic contaminants (e.g., lead, copper), disinfection byproducts (DBP), and to a lesser extent per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalates. Exceedances of human-health benchmarks in every synoptic TW sample support further investigation of the potential cumulative risk to vulnerable populations in PR and emphasize the importance of continued broad characterization of drinking-water exposures at the tap with analytical capabilities that better represent the complexity of both inorganic and organic contaminant mixtures known to occur in ambient source waters. Such health-based monitoring data are essential to support public engagement in source water sustainability and treatment and to inform consumer point-of-use treatment decision making in PR and throughout the US.

In vitro effects-based method and water quality screening model for use in pre- and post-distribution treated waters.

Recent urban public water supply contamination events emphasize the importance of screening treated drinking water quality after distribution. In vitro bioassays, when run concurrently with analytical chemistry methods, are effective tools to evaluating the efficacy of water treatment processes and water quality. We tested 49 water samples representing the Chicago Department of Water Management service areas for estrogen, (anti)androgen, glucocorticoid receptor-activating contaminants and cytotoxicity. We present a tiered screening approach suitable to samples with anticipated low-level activity and initially tested all extracts for statistically identifiable endocrine activity; performing a secondary dilution-response analysis to determine sample EC50 and biological equivalency values (BioEq). Estrogenic activity was detected in untreated Lake Michigan intake water samples using mammalian (5/49; median: 0.21 ng E2Eq/L) and yeast cell (5/49; 1.78 ng E2Eq/L) bioassays. A highly sensitive (anti)androgenic activity bioassay was applied for the first time to water quality screening and androgenic activity was detected in untreated intake and treated pre-distribution samples (4/49; 0.93 ng DHTEq/L). No activity was identified above method detection limits in the yeast androgenic, mammalian anti-androgenic, and both glucocorticoid bioassays. Known estrogen receptor agonists were detected using HPLC/MS-MS (estrone: 0.72-1.4 ng/L; 17α-estradiol: 1.3-1.5 ng/L; 17ß-estradiol: 1.4 ng/L; equol: 8.8 ng/L), however occurrence did not correlate with estrogenic bioassay results. Many studies have applied bioassays to water quality monitoring using only relatively small samples sets often collected from surface and/or wastewater effluent. However, to realistically adapt these tools to treated water quality monitoring, water quality managers must have the capacity to screen potentially hundreds of samples in short timeframes. Therefore, we provided a tiered screening model that increased sample screening speed, without sacrificing statistical stringency, and detected estrogenic and androgenic activity only in pre-distribution Chicago area samples.

Public and private tapwater: Comparative analysis of contaminant exposure and potential risk, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA.

BACKGROUND: Humans are primary drivers of environmental contamination worldwide, including in drinking-water resources. In the United States (US), federal and state agencies regulate and monitor public-supply drinking water while private-supply monitoring is rare; the current lack of directly comparable information on contaminant-mixture exposures and risks between private- and public-supplies undermines tapwater (TW) consumer decision-making. METHODS: We compared private- and public-supply residential point-of-use TW at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where both supplies share the same groundwater source. TW from 10 private- and 10 public-supply homes was analyzed for 487 organic, 38 inorganic, 8 microbial indicators, and 3 in vitro bioactivities. Concentrations were compared to existing protective health-based benchmarks, and aggregated Hazard Indices (HI) of regulated and unregulated TW contaminants were calculated along with ratios of in vitro exposure-activity cutoffs. RESULTS: Seventy organic and 28 inorganic constituents were detected in TW. Median detections were comparable, but median cumulative concentrations were substantially higher in public supply due to 6 chlorine-disinfected samples characterized by disinfection byproducts and corresponding lower heterotrophic plate counts. Public-supply applicable maximum contaminant (nitrate) and treatment action (lead and copper) levels were exceeded in private-supply TW samples only. Exceedances of health-based HI screening levels of concern were common to both TW supplies. DISCUSSION: These Cape Cod results indicate comparable cumulative human-health concerns from contaminant exposures in private- and public-supply TW in a shared source-water setting. Importantly, although this study's analytical coverage exceeds that currently feasible for water purveyors or homeowners, it nevertheless is a substantial underestimation of the full breadth of contaminant mixtures documented in the environment and potentially present in drinking water. CONCLUSION: Regardless of the supply, increased public engagement in source-water protection and drinking-water treatment, including consumer point-of-use treatment, is warranted to reduce risks associated with long-term TW contaminant exposures, especially in vulnerable populations.

In vitro screening for chemical inhibition of the iodide recycling enzyme, iodotyrosine deiodinase.

The iodide recycling enzyme, iodotyrosine deiodinase (IYD), is a largely unstudied molecular mechanism through which environmental chemicals can potentially cause thyroid disruption. This highly conserved enzyme plays an essential role in maintaining adequate levels of free iodide for thyroid hormone synthesis. Thyroid disruption following in vivo IYD inhibition has been documented in mammalian and amphibian models; however, few chemicals have been tested for IYD inhibition in either in vivo or in vitro assays. Presented here are the development and application of a screening assay to assess susceptibility of IYD to chemical inhibition. With recombinant human IYD enzyme, a 96-well plate in vitro assay was developed and then used to screen over 1800 unique substances from the U.S. EPA ToxCast screening library. Through a tiered screening approach, 194 IYD inhibitors were identified (inhibited IYD enzyme activity by 20% or greater at target concentration of 200 µM). 154 chemicals were further tested in concentration-response (0.032-200 µM) to determine IC50 and rank-order potency. This work broadens the coverage of thyroid-relevant molecular targets for chemical screening, provides the largest set of chemicals tested for IYD inhibition, and aids in prioritizing chemicals for targeted in vivo testing to evaluate thyroid-related adverse outcomes.

Quantification of the Uncertainties in Extrapolating From In Vitro Androgen Receptor Antagonism to In Vivo Hershberger Assay Endpoints and Adverse Reproductive Development in Male Rats.

Multiple molecular initiating events exist that disrupt male sexual differentiation in utero including androgen receptor (AR) antagonism and inhibition of synthesis, and metabolism of fetal testosterone. Disruption of androgen signaling by AR antagonists in utero reduces anogenital distance (AGD) and induces malformations in F1 male rat offspring. We are developing a quantitative network of adverse outcome pathways that includes multiple molecular initiating events and key events linking anti-AR activities to permanent reproductive abnormalities. Here, our objective was to determine how accurately the EC50s for AR antagonism in vitro or ED50s for reduced tissue growth in the Hershberger assay (HA) (key events in the adverse outcome pathway) predict the ED50s for reduced AGD in male rats exposed in utero to AR antagonists. This effort included in-house data and published studies from the last 60 years on AR antagonism in vitro and in vivo effects in the HA and on AGD after in utero exposure. In total, more than 250 studies were selected and included in the analysis with data from about 60 potentially antiandrogenic chemicals. The ability to predict ED50s for key events and adverse developmental effects from the in vitro EC50s displays considerable uncertainty with R2 values for HA and AGD of < 6%. In contrast, there is considerably less uncertainty in extrapolating from the ED50s in the HA to the ED50s for AGD (R2 value of about 85%). In summary, the current results suggest that the key events measured in the HA can be extrapolated with reasonable certainty to predict the ED50s for the adverse in utero effects of antiandrogenic chemicals on male rat offspring.

De Facto Water Reuse: Bioassay suite approach delivers depth and breadth in endocrine active compound detection.

Although endocrine disrupting compounds have been detected in wastewater and surface waters worldwide using a variety of in vitro effects-based screening tools, e.g. bioassays, few have examined potential attenuation of environmental contaminants by both natural (sorption, degradation, etc.) and anthropogenic (water treatment practices) processes. This study used several bioassays and quantitative chemical analyses to assess residence-time weighted samples at six sites along a river in the northeastern United States beginning upstream from a wastewater treatment plant outfall and proceeding downstream along the stream reach to a drinking water treatment plant. Known steroidal estrogens were quantified and changes in signaling pathway molecular initiating events (activation of estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, peroxisome proliferator-activated, pregnane X receptor, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling networks) were identified in water extracts. In initial multi-endpoint assays geographic and receptor-specific endocrine activity patterns in transcription factor signatures and nuclear receptor activation were discovered. In subsequent single endpoint receptor-specific bioassays, estrogen (16 of 18 samples; 0.01 to 28 ng estradiol equivalents [E2Eqs]/L) glucocorticoid (3 of 18 samples; 1.8 to 21 ng dexamethasone equivalents [DexEqs]/L), and androgen (2 of 18 samples; 0.95 to 2.1 ng dihydrotestosterone equivalents [DHTEqs]/L) receptor transcriptional activation occurred above respective assay method detection limits (0.04 ng E2Eqs/L, 1.2 ng DexEqs/L, and 0.77 ng DHTEqs/L) in multiple sampling events. Estrogen activity, the most often detected, correlated well with measured concentrations of known steroidal estrogens (r2 = 0.890). Overall, activity indicative of multiple types of endocrine active compounds was highest in wastewater effluent samples, while activity downstream was progressively lower, and negligible in unfinished treated drinking water. Not only was estrogenic and glucocorticoid activity confirmed in the effluent by utilizing multiple methods concurrently, but other activated signaling networks that historically received less attention (i.e. peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) were also detected.

Adverse Maternal, Fetal, and Postnatal Effects of Hexafluoropropylene Oxide Dimer Acid (GenX) from Oral Gestational Exposure in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

BACKGROUND: Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid [(HFPO-DA), GenX] is a member of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemical class, and elevated levels of HFPO-DA have been detected in surface water, air, and treated drinking water in the United States and Europe. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to characterize the potential maternal and postnatal toxicities of oral HFPO-DA in rats during sexual differentiation. Given that some PFAS activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), we sought to assess whether HFPO-DA affects androgen-dependent development or interferes with estrogen, androgen, or glucocorticoid receptor activity. METHODS: Steroid receptor activity was assessed with a suite of in vitro transactivation assays, and Sprague-Dawley rats were used to assess maternal, fetal, and postnatal effects of HFPO-DA exposure. Dams were dosed daily via oral gavage during male reproductive development (gestation days 14-18). We evaluated fetal testes, maternal and fetal livers, maternal serum clinical chemistry, and reproductive development of F1 animals. RESULTS: HFPO-DA exposure resulted in negligible in vitro receptor activity and did not impact testosterone production or expression of genes key to male reproductive development in the fetal testis; however, in vivo exposure during gestation resulted in higher maternal liver weights ([Formula: see text]), lower maternal serum thyroid hormone and lipid profiles ([Formula: see text]), and up-regulated gene expression related to PPAR signaling pathways in maternal and fetal livers ([Formula: see text]). Further, the pilot postnatal study indicated lower female body weight and lower weights of male reproductive tissues in F1 animals. CONCLUSIONS: HFPO-DA exposure produced multiple effects that were similar to prior toxicity evaluations on PFAS, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), but seen as the result of higher oral doses. The mean dam serum concentration from the lowest dose group was 4-fold greater than the maximum serum concentration detected in a worker in an HFPO-DA manufacturing facility. Research is needed to examine the mechanisms and downstream events linked to the adverse effects of PFAS as are mixture-based studies evaluating multiple PFAS. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4372.

A Conflicted Tale of Two Novel AR Antagonists In Vitro and In Vivo: Pyrifluquinazon Versus Bisphenol C.

Chemicals that disrupt androgen receptor (AR) function in utero induce a cascade of adverse effects in male rats including reduced anogenital distance, retained nipples, and reproductive tract malformations. The objective of this study was to compare the in vitro and in utero activities of two novel AR antagonists, bisphenol C (BPC) and pyrifluquinazon (PFQ). In vitro, BPC was as potent an AR antagonist as hydroxyflutamide. Furthermore, BPC inhibited fetal testis testosterone production and testis gene expression ex vivo. However, when BPC was administered at 100 and 200 mg/kg/d in utero, the reproductive tract of the male offspring was minimally affected. None of the males displayed reproductive malformations. For comparison, in utero administration of flutamide has been shown to induce malformations in 100% of males at 6 mg/kg/d. In vitro, PFQ was several orders of magnitude less potent than BPC, vinclozolin, or procymidone. However, in utero administration of 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg PFQ/kg/d on GD 14-18 induced antiandrogenic effects at all dosage levels and 91% of the males displayed reproductive malformation in the high dose group. Overall, BPC was ∼380-fold more potent than PFQ in vitro, whereas PFQ was far more potent than BPC in utero. Incorporating toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic data into in vitro to in vivo extrapolations would reduce the discordance between the in vitro and in utero effects of PFQ and BPC and combining in vitro results with a short-term Hershberger assay would reduce the uncertainty in predicting the in utero effects of antiandrogenic chemicals.

Generalized Concentration Addition Model Predicts Glucocorticoid Activity Bioassay Responses to Environmentally Detected Receptor-Ligand Mixtures.

Many glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonists have been detected in waste and surface waters domestically and around the world, but the way a mixture of these environmental compounds may elicit a total glucocorticoid activity response in water samples remains unknown. Therefore, we characterized 19 GR ligands using a CV1 cell line transcriptional activation assay applicable to water quality monitoring. Cells were treated with individual GR ligands, a fixed ratio mixture of full or partial agonists, or a nonequipotent mixture with full and partial agonists. Efficacy varied (48.09%-102.5%) and potency ranged over several orders of magnitude (1.278 × 10-10 to 3.93 × 10-8 M). Concentration addition (CA) and response addition (RA) mixtures models accurately predicted equipotent mixture responses of full agonists (r2 = 0.992 and 0.987, respectively). However, CA and RA models assume mixture compounds produce full agonist-like responses, and therefore they overestimated observed maximal efficacies for mixtures containing partial agonists. The generalized concentration addition (GCA) model mathematically permits < 100% maximal responses, and fell within the 95% confidence interval bands of mixture responses containing partial agonists. The GCA, but not CA and RA, model predictions of nonequipotent mixtures containing both full and partial agonists fell within the same statistical distribution as the observed values, reinforcing the practicality of the GCA model as the best overall model for predicting GR activation. Elucidating the mechanistic basis of GR activation by mixtures of previously detected environmental GR ligands will benefit the interpretation of environmental sample contents in future water quality monitoring studies.

Screening the ToxCast Phase 1, Phase 2, and e1k Chemical Libraries for Inhibitors of Iodothyronine Deiodinases.

Deiodinase enzymes play an essential role in converting thyroid hormones between active and inactive forms by deiodinating the pro-hormone thyroxine (T4) to the active hormone triiodothyronine (T3) and modifying T4 and T3 to inactive forms. Chemical inhibition of deiodinase activity has been identified as an important endpoint to include in screening chemicals for thyroid hormone disruption. To address the lack of data regarding chemicals that inhibit the deiodinase enzymes, we developed robust in vitro assays that utilized human deiodinase types 1, 2, and 3 and screened over 1800 unique chemicals from the U.S. EPA's ToxCast phase 1_v2, phase 2, and e1k libraries. Initial testing at a single concentration identified 411 putative deiodinase inhibitors that produced inhibition of 20% or greater in at least 1 of the 3 deiodinase assays, including chemicals that have not previously been shown to inhibit deiodinases. Of these, 228 chemicals produced enzyme inhibition of 50% or greater; these chemicals were further tested in concentration-response to determine relative potency. Comparisons across these deiodinase assays identified 81 chemicals that produced selective inhibition, with 50% inhibition or greater of only 1 of the deiodinases. This set of 3 deiodinase inhibition assays provides a significant contribution toward expanding the limited number of in vitro assays used to identify chemicals with the potential to interfere with thyroid hormone homeostasis. In addition, these results set the groundwork for development and evaluation of structure-activity relationships for deiodinase inhibition, and inform targeted selection of chemicals for further testing to identify adverse outcomes of deiodinase inhibition.

Reconnaissance of Mixed Organic and Inorganic Chemicals in Private and Public Supply Tapwaters at Selected Residential and Workplace Sites in the United States.

Safe drinking water at the point-of-use (tapwater, TW) is a United States public health priority. Multiple lines of evidence were used to evaluate potential human health concerns of 482 organics and 19 inorganics in TW from 13 (7 public supply, 6 private well self-supply) home and 12 (public supply) workplace locations in 11 states. Only uranium (61.9 µg L-1, private well) exceeded a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation maximum contaminant level (MCL: 30 µg L-1). Lead was detected in 23 samples (MCL goal: zero). Seventy-five organics were detected at least once, with median detections of 5 and 17 compounds in self-supply and public supply samples, respectively (corresponding maxima: 12 and 29). Disinfection byproducts predominated in public supply samples, comprising 21% of all detected and 6 of the 10 most frequently detected. Chemicals designed to be bioactive (26 pesticides, 10 pharmaceuticals) comprised 48% of detected organics. Site-specific cumulative exposure-activity ratios (∑EAR) were calculated for the 36 detected organics with ToxCast data. Because these detections are fractional indicators of a largely uncharacterized contaminant space, ∑EAR in excess of 0.001 and 0.01 in 74 and 26% of public supply samples, respectively, provide an argument for prioritized assessment of cumulative effects to vulnerable populations from trace-level TW exposures.

Screening the ToxCast Phase 1 Chemical Library for Inhibition of Deiodinase Type 1 Activity.

Thyroid hormone (TH) homeostasis is dependent upon coordination of multiple key events including iodide uptake, hormone synthesis, metabolism, and elimination, to maintain proper TH signaling. Deiodinase enzymes catalyze iodide release from THs to interconvert THs between active and inactive forms, and are integral to hormone metabolism. The activity of deiodinases has been identified as an important endpoint to include in the context of screening chemicals for TH disruption. To begin to address the potential for chemicals to inhibit these enzymes an adenovirus expression system was used to produce human deiodinase type 1 (DIO1) enzyme, established robust assay parameters for nonradioactive determination of iodide release by the Sandell-Kolthoff method, and employed a 96-well plate format for screening chemical libraries. An initial set of 18 chemicals was used to establish the assay, along with the known DIO1 inhibitor 6-propylthiouracil as a positive control. An additional 292 unique chemicals from the EPA's ToxCast phase 1_v2 chemical library were screened. Chemicals were initially screened at a single high concentration of 200 µM to identify potential DIO1 inhibitors. There were 50 chemicals, or 17% of the TCp1_v2 chemicals tested, that produced >20% inhibition of DIO1 activity. Eighteen of these inhibited DIO1 activity >50% and were further tested in concentration-response mode to determine IC50s. This work presents an initial effort toward identifying chemicals with potential for affecting THs via inhibition of deiodinases and sets the foundation for further testing of large chemical libraries against DIO1 and the other deiodinase enzymes involved in TH function.

Occurrence and In Vitro Bioactivity of Estrogen, Androgen, and Glucocorticoid Compounds in a Nationwide Screen of United States Stream Waters.

In vitro bioassays are sensitive, effect-based tools used to quantitatively screen for chemicals with nuclear receptor activity in environmental samples. We measured in vitro estrogen (ER), androgen (AR), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity, along with a broad suite of chemical analytes, in streamwater from 35 well-characterized sites (3 reference and 32 impacted) across 24 states and Puerto Rico. ER agonism was the most frequently detected with nearly all sites (34/35) displaying activity (range, 0.054-116 ng E2Eq L-1). There was a strong linear relationship (r2 = 0.917) between in vitro ER activity and concentrations of steroidal estrogens after correcting for the in vitro potency of each compound. AR agonism was detected in 5/35 samples (range, 1.6-4.8 ng DHTEq L-1) but concentrations of androgenic compounds were largely unable to account for the in vitro activity. Similarly, GR agonism was detected in 9/35 samples (range, 6.0-43 ng DexEq L-1); however, none of the recognized GR-active compounds on the target-chemical analyte list were detected. The utility of in vitro assays in water quality monitoring was evident from both the quantitative agreement between ER activity and estrogen concentrations, as well as the detection of AR and GR activity for which there were limited or no corresponding target-chemical detections to explain the bioactivity. Incorporation of in vitro bioassays as complements to chemical analyses in standard water quality monitoring efforts would allow for more complete assessment of the chemical mixtures present in many surface waters.

Differences in sensitivity but not selectivity of xenoestrogen binding to alligator versus human estrogen receptor alpha.

Reproductive abnormalities in alligators exposed to contaminants in Lake Apopka, Florida, USA represent a clear example of endocrine disruption in wildlife. Several of these contaminants that are not able to bind to mammalian estrogen receptors (such as atrazine and cyanazine) have previously been reported to bind to the alligator estrogen receptor from oviductal tissue. Binding of known Lake Apopka contaminants to full length estrogen receptors alpha from human (hERalpha) and alligator (aERalpha) was assessed in a side-by-side comparison within the same assay system. Baculovirus-expressed recombinant hERalpha and aERalpha were used in a competitive binding assay. Atrazine and cyanazine were not able to bind to either receptor. p,p'-Dicofol was able to bind to aERalpha with a concentration inhibiting 50% of binding (IC50) of 4 microM, while only partially displacing 17beta-estradiol (E2) from hERalpha and yielding a projected IC50 of 45 microM. Chemicals that only partially displaced E2 from either receptor, including some dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) metabolites and trans-nonachlor, appeared to have higher affinity for aERalpha than hERalpha. p,p'-Dicofol-mediated transcriptional activation through aERalpha and hERalpha was assessed to further explore the preferential binding of p,p'-dicofol to aERalpha over hERalpha. p,p'-Dicofol was able to stimulate transcriptional activation in a similar manner with both receptors. However, the in vitro results obtained with p,p'-dicofol were not reflected in an in vivo mammalian model, where Kelthane (mixed o,p'- and p,p'-dicofol isomers) did not elicit estrogenic effects. In conclusion, although there was no evidence of exclusively species-specific estrogen receptor binders, some xenoestrogens, especially p,p'-dicofol, had a higher affinity for aERalpha than for hERalpha.

Cumulative and antagonistic effects of a mixture of the antiandrogens vinclozolin and iprodione in the pubertal male rat.

Vinclozolin and iprodione are dicarboximide fungicides that display antiandrogenic effects in the male rat, which suggests that a mixture would lead to cumulative effects on androgen-sensitive end points. Iprodione is a steroid synthesis inhibitor, but androgen receptor antagonist activity, which is displayed by vinclozolin, has not been fully evaluated. Here, we demonstrate that iprodione binds to the human androgen receptor (IC(50) = 86.0 microM), reduces androgen-dependent gene expression, and reduces androgen-sensitive tissue weights in castrated male rats (Hershberger assay). Since vinclozolin and iprodione affect common targets in the pubertal male rat, we tested the hypothesis that a mixture would have cumulative antiandrogenic effects. An iprodione dose, that does not significantly affect androgen-dependent morphological end points, was combined with vinclozolin doses (2 x 5 factorial design). Sprague-Dawley rats were dosed by gavage with vinclozolin at 0, 10, 30, 60, and 100 mg/kg/day with and without 50 mg iprodione/kg/day from postnatal day (PND) 23 to 55-57 (n = 8 per group). The age at puberty (preputial separation [PPS]), organ weights, serum hormones, and ex vivo testis steroid hormone production were measured. Vinclozolin delayed PPS, reduced androgen-sensitive organ weights, and increased serum testosterone. The addition of iprodione enhanced the vinclozolin inhibition of PPS (PND 47.5 vs.49.1; two-way ANOVA: iprodione main effect p = 0.0002). The dose response for several reproductive and nonreproductive organ weights was affected in a cumulative manner. In contrast, iprodione antagonized the vinclozolin-induced increase in serum testosterone. These results demonstrate that these fungicides interact on common targets in a tissue-specific manner when coadministered to the pubertal male rat.

Comparison of chemical binding to recombinant fathead minnow and human estrogen receptors alpha in whole cell and cell-free binding assays.

Mammalian receptors and assay systems are generally used for in vitro screening of endocrine-disrupting chemicals with the assumption that minor differences in amino acid sequences among species do not translate into significant differences in receptor function. Objectives of the present study were to evaluate the performance of two different in vitro assay systems (a whole cell and a cell-free competitive binding assay) in assessing whether binding of chemicals differs significantly between full-length recombinant estrogen receptors from fathead minnows (fhERalpha) and those from humans (hERalpha). It was confirmed that 17beta-estradiol displays a reduction in binding to fhERalpha at an elevated temperature (37 degrees C), as has been reported with other piscine estrogen receptors. Several of the chemicals (17beta-estradiol, ethinylestradiol, alpha-zearalanol, fulvestrant, dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, and cadmium chloride) displayed higher affinity for fhERalpha than for hERalpha in the whole cell assay, while only dibutyl phthalate had a higher affinity for fhERalpha than for hERalpha in the cell-free assay. Both assays were effective in identifying strong binders, weak binders, and nonbinders to the two receptors. However, the cell-free assay provided a less complicated and more efficient binding platform and is, therefore, recommended over the whole cell binding assay. In conclusion, no strong evidence showed species-specific binding among the chemicals tested.

Development of a competitive binding assay system with recombinant estrogen receptors from multiple species.

In the current study, we developed a new system using full-length recombinant baculovirus-expressed estrogen receptors which allows for direct comparison of binding across species. Estrogen receptors representing five vertebrate classes were compared: human estrogen receptor alpha (hERalpha), quail estrogen receptor alpha (qERalpha), alligator estrogen receptor alpha (aERalpha), salamander estrogen receptor alpha (sERalpha), and fathead minnow estrogen receptor alpha (fhERalpha). Saturation binding analyses indicated 17beta-estradiol (E2) dissociation constants (Kd) were 0.22+/-0.02nM for hERalpha, 0.28+/-0.04nM for sERalpha, 0.44+/-0.04nM for aERalpha, 0.58+/-0.10nM for qERalpha, and 0.58+/-0.05nM for fhERalpha. Binding specificity to each of the receptors was evaluated using E2, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), corticosterone (C), and ethinylestradiol (EE). E2 and EE were strong binders in all species with IC50's ranging from 0.65nM with hERalpha to 1.01nM with sERalpha for E2 and from 0.68nM with sERalpha to 1.20nM with qERalpha for EE. DHT was a weak binder with IC50's ranging from 3.3microM with hERalpha to 39microM with fhERalpha, and C did not bind any of the receptors at concentrations up to 100microM. This system provides a convenient in vitro approach for directly comparing chemical binding to estrogen receptors across multiple species without the need to sacrifice animals.