The use of 3D cultures of MCF-10A and MCF-12A cells by high content screening for effect-based analysis of non-genotoxic carcinogens.

The human breast epithelial cell lines MCF-10A and MCF-12A form well-differentiated acinus-like structures when grown in three-dimensional matrigel culture over a period of 20 days. In the present study, both cell lines were tested for their suitability to serve as an effect-based in vitro test system for non-genotoxic carcinogens. A software solution for automated Acinus Detection And Morphological Evaluation (ADAME) was developed to automatically acquire acinus images and to determine morphological parameters such as acinus size, lumen size, and acinus roundness.

The urinary metabolites of DINCH have an impact on the activities of the human nuclear receptors ERα, ERβ, AR, PPARα and PPARγ.

DINCH (di-isononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate) is a non-phthalate plasticizer that has been developed to replace phthalate plasticizers such as DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) or DINP (di-isononyl phthalate). DINCH is metabolized to its corresponding monoester and subsequently to oxidized monoester derivatives. These are conjugated to glucuronic acid and subject to urinary excretion.

Agonistic and antagonistic effects of phthalates and their urinary metabolites on the steroid hormone receptors ERα, ERβ, and AR.

Phthalate plasticizers have been reported to exert adverse effects via activation of the estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ and inhibition of the androgen receptor AR as molecular initiating events. After oral uptake, phthalates are metabolized to their corresponding monoesters and subsequently to oxidized phthalate monoester derivatives, which are in turn conjugated to glucuronic acid and finally excreted with the urine. In contrast to the parent phthalates, toxicological data regarding their primary and secondary metabolites are rare.

Morphological and molecular characterization of the human breast epithelial cell line M13SV1 and its tumorigenic derivatives M13SV1-R2-2 and M13SV1-R2-N1.

Background: The estrogen receptor-positive M13SV1 breast epithelial cell line was proposed to be a suitable in vitro model for breast cancer research since two derivatives with graduated tumorigenicity-M13SV1-R2-2 and M13SV1-R2-N1-are available for this cell line. In the present study, these three cell lines were comparatively examined for their morphological and their biochemical properties on the molecular level.

Methods: A transcriptomic approach (gene array analysis) was chosen to unravel differences in gene expression among the three cell lines.

Receptor Polymorphism and Genomic Structure Interact to Shape Bitter Taste Perception.

The ability to taste bitterness evolved to safeguard most animals, including humans, against potentially toxic substances, thereby leading to food rejection. Nonetheless, bitter perception is subject to individual variations due to the presence of genetic functional polymorphisms in bitter taste receptor (TAS2R) genes, such as the long-known association between genetic polymorphisms in TAS2R38 and bitter taste perception of phenylthiocarbamide. Yet, due to overlaps in specificities across receptors, such associations with a single TAS2R locus are uncommon.