title: Atrazine exposure leads to altered growth of HepG2 cells.
abstract: Atrazine is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States. While effective on target plants, it has been associated with harmful health effects in non-target organisms such as fish, amphibians and mammals. In this study, growth effects on human liver cells were determined after exposure to increasing concentrations of this herbicide. Growth of immortalized human hepatoma HepG2 cells was inhibited by atrazine concentrations of 625 ppb after 72 h exposure and flow cytometry analysis demonstrated HepG2 cells exposed to 100 ppb atrazine accumulated in S phase after 48 h compared to untreated cells. Expression of cell cycle specific cyclin proteins was altered after atrazine exposure with cyclin E levels significantly decreased after a 24h exposure and cyclin B levels decreased after 48 h. This study demonstrates that relatively low levels of atrazine exposure can affect growth and lead to disruptions in the cell cycle regulation of immortalized human liver cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0421, USA.
authors.forename: Erin R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: Noha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Faldladdin
authors.forename: April D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Rand
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pelzer
authors.forename: Erin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Schrunk
authors.forename: Kavita R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Dhanwada
mesh_terms: D001280:Atrazine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006540:Herbicides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016213:Cyclins; D006540:Herbicides; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C022616:thiazolyl blue; D001280:Atrazine