Ah receptor and estrogen receptor-dependent modulation of gene expression by extracts of diesel exhaust particles.

The ability of a methylene chloride extract of diesel exhaust particle (EDEP) to activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), bind to and activate the estrogen receptor (ER), and induce gene expression mediated via these nuclear receptors was examined in Hepa1c1c7 mouse hepatoma and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. EDEP was able to induce a protein-DNA complex by gel retardation assays using a [gamma-32P]dATP-labeled dioxin response element (DRE). This complex could be effectively competed by a 150-fold excess of unlabeled DRE but not by a 150-fold excess of unlabeled mutated DRE. In Hepa1c1c7 cells that were transiently transfected with a DRE-regulated luciferase reporter gene, 4.6 ng/microliter EDEP treatment for 24 h resulted in a 22-fold induction of luciferase activity. In the same cell line, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity was significantly induced 20-fold following 24 h treatment with 4.6 ng/microliter EDEP. Using a competitive ligand binding assay, EDEP displaced bound tritiated E2 from the rat uterine ER in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 of approximately 100 ng/microliter compared to the IC50 of E2, which was approximately 4.4x10(-4) ng/microliter (1.6 nM). In MCF-7 human breast cancer cells transiently transfected with a Gal4-regulated luciferase reporter gene (17m5-G-Luc) and a chimeric ER (Gal4-HEG0), treatment with 4.6 ng/microliter EDEP for 24 h resulted in a three-fold increase in luciferase activity (P<0.01) compared with the seven-fold increase observed with E2. This study demonstrates that EDEP is able to activate the AhR and ER and induce transcription of reporter genes regulated by these receptors' DNA response elements. Further study is required to identify the individual compound(s) responsible for the observed activity.