Nuclear Hormone Receptor Activity of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Their Hydroxylated and Methoxylated Metabolites in Transactivation Assays Using Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

Abstract
BackgroundAn increasing number of studies are reporting the existence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and their hydroxylated (HO) and methoxylated (MeO) metabolites in the environment and in tissues from wildlife and humans.ObjectiveOur aim was to characterize and compare the agonistic and antagonistic activities of principle PBDE congeners and their HO and MeO metabolites against human nuclear hormone receptors.MethodsWe tested the hormone receptor activities of estrogen receptor α (ERα), ERβ, androgen receptor (AR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), thyroid hormone receptor α1 (TRα1), and TRβ1 against PBDE congeners BDEs 15, 28, 47, 85, 99, 100, 153, and 209, four para-HO-PBDEs, and four para-MeO-PBDEs by highly sensitive reporter gene assays using Chinese hamster ovary cells.ResultsOf the 16 compounds tested, 6 and 2 showed agonistic activities in the ERα and ERβ assays, respectively, and 6 and 6 showed antagonistic activities in these assays. 4′-HO-BDE-17 showed the most potent estrogenic activi...

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