title: Effects of 2,4-D and DCP on the DHT-induced androgenic action in human prostate cancer cells.
abstract: 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and its metabolite 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) are used extensively in agriculture as herbicides, and are suspected of potential endocrine disruptor activity. In a previous study, we showed that these compounds exhibited synergistic androgenic effects by co-treatment with testosterone in the Hershberger assay. To elucidate the mechanisms of the synergistic effects of these compounds on the androgenicity of testosterone, the androgenic action of 2,4-D and DCP was characterized using a mammalian detection system in prostate cancer cell lines. In in vitro assay systems, while 2,4-D or DCP alone did not show androgenic activity, 2,4-D or DCP with 5alpha-dihydroxytestosterone (DHT) exhibited synergistic androgenic activities. Co-treatment of 10 nM 2,4-D or DCP with 10 nM DHT was shown to stimulate the cell proliferation by 1.6-fold, compared to 10 nM DHT alone. In addition, in transient transfection assays, androgen-induced transactivation was also increased to a maximum of 32-fold or 1.28-fold by co-treatment of 2,4-D or DCP with DHT, respectively. However, 2,4-D and DCP exerted no effects on either mRNA or protein levels of AR. In a competitive AR binding assay, 2,4-D and DCP inhibited androgen binding to AR, up to 50% at concentrations of approximately 0.5 microM for both compounds. The nuclear translocation of green fluorescent protein-AR fusion protein in the presence of DHT was promoted as the result of the addition of 2,4-D and DCP. Collectively, these results that 2,4-D and DCP enhanced DHT-induced AR transcriptional activity might be attributable, at least in part, to the promotion of AR nuclear translocation.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Korea University, 1, 5-Ka, Anam-dong, Sungbuk-ku, Seoul 136-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young In
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Mi-Sook
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D015084:2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000633:toxicity*; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D002733:Chlorophenols; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D015084:2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid; C004762:2,4-dichlorophenol