Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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ENDOCRINE DISRUPTIVE EFFECT OF SELECTED PHYTOESTROGENS FROM SOY AND GREEN TEA IN CASE OF INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINED IN VITRO EXPOSURE

ANCA POP1, DIANA LUPU1, TUDOR CĂTĂLIN DRUGAN2*, FELICIA LOGHIN1, ADRIANA SLAVCOVICI3, BÉLA KISS1

1.Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2.Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3.Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Medical Specialties – Infection Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

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Using the T47D-Kbluc reporter gene assay, this study aimed to evaluate the in vitro (anti)estrogenic potential of coumestrol (COU) and epigalocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in binary mixtures. First, these two phytoestrogens were tested individually and in the presence of 17β-estradiol (E2), for estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects, respectively. EGCG alone did not activate estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent gene transcription below 200 μM, but was able to bind to nuclear estrogen receptors (ERs) and to decrease the ERmediated estrogenic effects of 100 pM E2. In the same cell line, COU (0.001 μM – 100 μM) was able to elicit estrogenic effects when tested alone and antiestrogenic effects when tested in the presence of 100 pM E2. Simultaneous exposure to these two phytoestrogens shows that the estrogenic effect of COU is diminished in the presence of EGCG. By comparing the obtained results with those predicted based on two reference models (concentration addition and independent action) we can conclude that the two compounds interact at the nuclear ERs level. Although EGCG manifests an inhibitory action on COUs estrogenic activity, on the selected experimental domain this inhibition does not depend on EGCG concentration.