An assessment of the estrogenic and androgenic properties of tetra- and hexachloronaphthalene by YES/YAS in vitro assays

Many persistent organic pollutants (POPs) exhibit endocrine disrupting activity but studies on some POPs, e.g., polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), are very scarce. The present study investigates the (anti) estrogenic and (anti)androgenic activities of 1,2,3,5,6,7-hexachloronaphthalane (PCN67) and 1,3,5,8-tetrachloronaphthalene (PCN43) using the yeast estrogen and androgen reporter bioassays. Among the tested substances, antiestrogenic response was only shown by PCN67. The strongest inhibition of estrogenic activity (up to 17.4%) was observed in the low concentration ranges (5 pM - 0.5 nM) in the presence of 1.5 nM 17 beta-estradiol. Both tested compounds showed partial estrogenic activity with a hormetic-type response. However, both studied chemicals showed strong antiandrogenic effects: their potency in the presence of 100 nM 17 beta-testosterone for PCN43 (IC50 = 2.59 mu M) and PCN67 (IC50 = 3.14 mu M) was approximately twice that of the reference antiandrogen flutamide (IC50 = 6.14 mu M). It cannot be excluded that exposure to PCNs, together with other endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), may contribute to the deregulation of sex steroid hormone signaling. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study found that 1,2,3,5,6,7-hexachloronaphthalane (PCN67) exhibited antiestrogenic activity, while both 1,3,5,8-tetrachloronaphthalene (PCN43) and PCN67 showed strong antiandrogenic effects. Exposure to PCNs, along with other endocrine disrupting chemicals, may contribute to the deregulation of sex steroid hormone signaling.