title: Identification of an endocrine disrupting agent from corn with mitogenic activity.
abstract: A mitogenic agent in corncob bedding and fresh corn products disrupts sexual behavior and estrous cyclicity in rats. The mitogenic activity resides in an isomeric mixture of linoleic acid derivatives with a tetrahydrofuran ring and two hydroxyl groups (THF-diols) that include 9, (12)-oxy-10,13-dihydroxystearic acid and 10, (13)-oxy-9,12-dihydroxystearic acid. Synthetic THF-diols stimulated breast cancer cell proliferation in vitro and disrupted the estrous cycle in female rats at oral doses of approximately 0.30 mg/kg body weight/day. Exposure to THF-diols may disrupt endocrine function in experimental animals at doses approximately 200 times lower than classical phytoestrogens, promote proliferation of breast or prostate cancer, and adversely affect human health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. barrym@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Barry M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Markaverich
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alejandro
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Markaverich
authors.forename: Lois
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zitzow
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Casajuna
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Camarao
authors.forename: Jamal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bhirdo
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Faith
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turk
authors.forename: Jan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Crowley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008934:Mitogens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013229:Stearic Acids / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C450724:12-oxy-10,13-dihydroxystearic acid; C450723:13-oxy-9,12-dihydroxystearic acid; D008934:Mitogens; D013229:Stearic Acids; D004958:Estradiol