Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on the microtubule network in Chinese hamster V79 cells in culture and in Sertoli cells in rats

The effects of ten endocrine disrupting chemicals, i.e., bisphenol A (BPA), p-nonylphenol (NP), p-octylphenol (OP), p-pentylphenol (PP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), tetrabutyltin (TBT), tri-n-butyltin chloride (TBC), and di-n-butyltin dichloride (DBD), as well as 17 beta -estradiol (E-2) as a positive control on the microtubule network in Chinese hamster V79 cells in culture were examined by the indirect immunofluorescence method using anti-beta -tubulin antibody. In the whole-animal system, the effects of BPA, NP, OP, BBP, DBD, and E-2 as well as vinblastine sulfate (VB) as a positive control on microtubules in the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells in rats were examined by electron microscopy. In Chinese hamster V79 cells, TBC and DBD showed higher microtubule-disruptive activity than E-2, while other chemicals had less activity than E-2. The ranking for efficiency on microtubule disruption was (TBC DBD) > (E-2 = TBT) > (BPA = alkylphenols, NP and OP) >> (phthalate esters, BBP, DHP, and DBP). In rats as a whole-animal system, no disrupting effects on the microtubule network in the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells were observed under any environmental chemicals tested, whereas exposure to VB resulted in marked disruption of the microtubule network. The results of this study suggested that some endocrine disrupting chemicals have disrupting effects on the microtubule network in vitro, but no such effects in vivo. Teratogenesis Carcinog. Mutagen. 21:453-462, 2001. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.