Comparative study on the in vitro/in vivo estrogenic potencies of 17beta-estradiol, estrone, 17alpha-ethynylestradiol and nonylphenol.

The estrogenic activity of compounds was evaluated in a comparative approach both with in vitro and in vivo assays. By comparing simultaneously obtained experimental data, we evaluated the differences in response sensitivity (by EC10) and concentration-response relationships (including EC50) in order to get an idea about the predictive value of in vitro assays for in vivo estrogenic potencies or effects in fish. Two human estrogen receptor-based assays, the MVLN-assay (transformed MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line) and the yeast estrogen screen (YES-screen) were used for the in vitro evaluation of the estrogenic potencies. An in vivo model with the female zebrafish (Danio rerio) with plasma vitellogenin (VTG) as a biomarker for exposure and the ovarian somatic index (OSI) as an effect endpoint was used for the in vivo work. Compounds tested were 17beta-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), 17alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and the alkylphenolic compound nonylphenol (NP). All compounds were found to be estrogenic in both in vitro assays and were able to induce VTG and to reduce the ovarian somatic index in female zebrafish. The MVLN-assay appeared up to 15 times more sensitive than the YES-screen. Concentration-response relationships, determined by EC10 and EC50 (concentration of test compound causing 10% or 50% effect compared to control) for VTG and OSI were of the same order of magnitude, indicating that VTG induction as an exposure biomarker can be predictive for effects on ovaries in females. We further demonstrated that for E1 and NP, the in vitro observed estrogenic potencies, based on EC50 values, were of the same order of magnitude as the in vivo estrogenic potencies. For EE2, a difference between in vitro and in vivo relative estrogenic potency was observed, being about 25 times more potent in vivo than could be expected based on the in vitro results. These experimental results showed the suitability of in vitro assays for screening purposes with qualitative assessment of estrogenicity, but they meanwhile point to the need of in vivo tests for an accurate hazard assessment for wildlife.