Estrogen effects of Daldinia concentrica and Psathyrella efflorescens extracts in vitro.
Daldinia concentrica and Psathyrella efflorescens are two fungi used in African traditional medicine. In the present study, their extracts were evaluated for their steroid activities in estrogen- or androgen-dependent cell lines using as endpoints steroid-dependent transcriptional activity and cell proliferation. Treatment of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells with 15 or 30 microg/ml of Daldinia concentrica or Psathyrellaefflorescens extracts in the absence of 17beta-estradiol (E2) significantly increased the transcriptional activity of an estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent reporter gene, in the same range as E2. Similar data were obtained in gonadotrope cell line alpha-T3-1. All the effects were prevented by the pure estrogen antagonist, ICI 182,780. In the absence of steroid addition, the two extracts induced cell proliferation of ER-dependent MCF-7 and Ishikawa Var-I cell lines by approximately 100% of the E2 response. Combination treatments with E2 showed no competitive or additive effects in the two latter cell lines. Interestingly, the extracts had no androgen-like response in androgen receptor (AR)-positive and ER-negative MDA-MB231 cells, suggesting that fungi effects are estrogen specific and extracts are not toxic at used concentrations. Results provided evidence that Daldinia concentrica or Psathyrellaefflorescens extracts induce estrogen-like effects in ER-positive cell lines, which could be responsible of the effects observed in vivo.
Benie
Tanon
T
Université de Cocody, U.F.R Biosciences, Laboratoire d'Endocrinologie et de Biologie de la Reproduction, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d'Ivoire, France.
Kouakou
Koffi
K
Thieulant
Marie-Lise
ML
D000363:Agaricales; D001203:Ascomycota; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D011372:Progestins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000187:drug effects
D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D004967:Estrogens; D011372:Progestins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen