title: Evaluation of estrogenic activity of organic biocides using ER-binding and YES assay.
abstract: Biocides have been used not only in everyday items such as clothes, kitchenware, daily necessities, and infant utensils, but also in cosmetics and wrapping papers for foodstuffs. Since there is a high possibility of exposure to biocides from such materials, their safety must be assessed adequately using a range of methods. We investigated the estrogenic activity of 20 organic biocides using two in vitro screen assays: estrogen receptor (ER) binding assay and yeast estrogen screen (YES) assay. Twelve of the biocides were positive in the ER-binding assay. Regardless of the presence or absence of rat S9Mix for metabolic activation, 4-chloro-3-methylphenol was positive in both ER-binding and YES assay. 4-Chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol was positive in the ER-binding assay and showed a pseudopositive manner in the YES assay that was observed the dose-independent estrogenic activity at only one dose point. Hiba oil was positive in the ER-binding assay but was positive in the YES assay only in the presence of rat S9Mix. These results suggest that ER-binding and YES assay could be adapted for evaluation of the endocrine-disrupting activity of biocides. The biocides found to be positive in vitro now require assessment by in vivo screening methods.
authors.affiliation: Osaka City Institute of Public Health and Environmental Sciences, 8-34 Tojo-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka 543-0026, Japan. a-nakama@city.osaka.lg.jp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Funasaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D014992:Xylenes
chemical_list: D002733:Chlorophenols; D004202:Disinfectants; D004967:Estrogens; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D014992:Xylenes; C007027:chloroxylenol