Effect of nonylphenol and octylphenol on gene expression of endometrial cells cultured from shed endometrium

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We attempt to analyze whether NP or OP may cause the change of gene expression in endometrial cells cultured from shed endometrium.DESIGN: Experimantal study.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Shed endometrium was obtained from women who visit our infertility clinic by collecting menstrual blood on menstrual day 2 or 3. The endometrium was dissociated and cultured in DMEM/F-12 medium. The treatment concentration of NP and OP was determined by MTT assays. To analyze the change of gene expression, quantitative real-time RT-PCR was performed at 48hr after treatment of NP and OP. Expression of ERα, β, AR, PR, AhR, Cox2, PPARα, β, γ were analyzed.RESULTS: Cell viability was decreased rapidly when the cells were exposed to more than 100 μM of NP or OP. Therefore, the cells were exposed to 80 μM of NP or 100 μM of OP. After exposure to NP, the expressions of ERα, β, AhR, Cox2, PPARα, β, γ were increased significantly (P<0.05) compared to cells that were not exposed to NP. Especially, the expressions of ERβ and Cox2 were increased more than 60-fold. Similar results were obtained after treatment of OP. The expressions of ERα, β, AhR, Cox2, PPARα, β, γ were increased significantly (P<0.05). The expression of Cox2 was increased more than 40-fold.CONCLUSION: There are many kinds of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) around us and they threaten human health. According to our results, NP and OP caused the significant change of gene expression in endometrial cells cultured from shed endometrium. Therefore, uterine environment and female reproductive health might be affected by EDCs such as NP, OP and so on. Of course, further researches are needed to assess how the change of gene expression caused by NP or OP affects the change of uterine environment. And also, the effect of these changes on human reproductive health has to be assessed. OBJECTIVE: We attempt to analyze whether NP or OP may cause the change of gene expression in endometrial cells cultured from shed endometrium. DESIGN: Experimantal study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Shed endometrium was obtained from women who visit our infertility clinic by collecting menstrual blood on menstrual day 2 or 3. The endometrium was dissociated and cultured in DMEM/F-12 medium. The treatment concentration of NP and OP was determined by MTT assays. To analyze the change of gene expression, quantitative real-time RT-PCR was performed at 48hr after treatment of NP and OP. Expression of ERα, β, AR, PR, AhR, Cox2, PPARα, β, γ were analyzed. RESULTS: Cell viability was decreased rapidly when the cells were exposed to more than 100 μM of NP or OP. Therefore, the cells were exposed to 80 μM of NP or 100 μM of OP. After exposure to NP, the expressions of ERα, β, AhR, Cox2, PPARα, β, γ were increased significantly (P<0.05) compared to cells that were not exposed to NP. Especially, the expressions of ERβ and Cox2 were increased more than 60-fold. Similar results were obtained after treatment of OP. The expressions of ERα, β, AhR, Cox2, PPARα, β, γ were increased significantly (P<0.05). The expression of Cox2 was increased more than 40-fold. CONCLUSION: There are many kinds of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) around us and they threaten human health. According to our results, NP and OP caused the significant change of gene expression in endometrial cells cultured from shed endometrium. Therefore, uterine environment and female reproductive health might be affected by EDCs such as NP, OP and so on. Of course, further researches are needed to assess how the change of gene expression caused by NP or OP affects the change of uterine environment. And also, the effect of these changes on human reproductive health has to be assessed.