A study on the effects of estradiol and estramustine on gastrointestinal cell lines.

We have studied the effect of estradiol and the combined estradiol/nitrogen mustard compound estramustine on cell lines derived from human gastric and colorectal cancers. Significant stimulation of the two gastric and two fo the colorectal cell lines occurred at physiological concentrations of estradiol. Estramustine showed an inhibitory effect in all of the cell lines at 10 micrograms/l, and a direct dose-dependent inhibition was seen in two of the cell lines. Each of the cell lines was immunohistologically stained using the estrogen-receptor-related protein ERD5, and all of the cell lines except one were positive for this protein. The inhibitory effect of estramustine was lost with increasing concentrations of estradiol, suggesting that the effects of estramustine may be linked to estrogen receptors. We conclude that reduction of circulating levels of estradiol, or treatment with estramustine may have a beneficial effect in the palliation of gastrointestinal malignancy.