Nonylphenol effects on human prostate non tumorigenic cells

Nonylphenol (NP) is an industrial chemical with estrogenic activity both in vivo and in vitro; estrogens play a critical role in the development of prostate and may be the cause of some pathological states, including cancer. In this study we examined the effects of NP on human prostate non tumorigenic epithelial cells (PNT1A) investigating on cell proliferation, interaction with estrogen receptors (ERs) and gene expression of genes involved in prostate diseases. We found that NP affects cell proliferation at 10(-6) M, promoting a cytoplasm-nucleus translocation of ER alpha and not ER beta, like the natural estrogen 17 beta-estradiol (E2). Moreover, we showed that NP enhances gene expression of key regulators of cell cycle. Estrogen selective antagonist IC1182780 in part reverted the observed effects of NP. These results confirm the estrogenic activity of NP and suggest that other transduction pathways may be involved in NP action on prostate. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.