(10 points) A research group at Tufts University School of Medicine found that a
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Question
(10 points) A research group at Tufts University School of Medicine found that an estrogen-dependent breast cancer cell line they had been using for several years in their studies suddenly began to proliferate in the absence of added estrogen. After several months of work, they determined that the manufacturer of the plastic culture dishes used to grow the cells had changed the recipe for the plastic, and that an estrogenic compound was leaching from the new plastic and affecting their cells. This was the first evidence that chemicals used in the production of plastics could affect endocrine systems. There is now great concern by some people that our environment is becoming contaminated with estrogenic (i.e., mimics estrogen action) compounds which can affect development of human offspring. Describe ways in which a synthetic compound can produce estrogenic effects? Consider all aspects of the regulation of estrogen action.
Explanation / Answer
There are many synthetic compounds that produces the estrogenic effects. Some of these compounds are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) ,organochlorin pesticides, phthalate plasticizers or dioxins. These synthetic compounds used either in industry or agriculture. These synthetic compounds show their action by binding to the estrogenic receptor present in the intracellular fluid of the cells. These estrogen receptors regulate many estrogen action thus binding with them causes these synthetic compounds to show estrogen like effect. The estrogen regulate the mineral homeostasis by there effects on bone mineralisation. The primary mode of action of estrogen and synthetic compounds is binding with cytoplasmic estrogen receptor but alternative pathway include binding to transcription factors and binding to plasma membrane. These synthetic compounds mimic the action of estrogen in all aspects and produces estrogenic effects.
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