Comparative Analysis of Gene Expression Patterns after Exposure to Nonylphenol in Human Cell Lines

Nonylphenol (NP), a byproduct of industrial synthesis, is quite similar to estrogen in structure, and is known as an environmental estrogen that induces estrogenic disturbances. It has been utilized in several industries for the manufacture of skin cleaning materials, kitchen detergents, cosmetics, fabric detergents, and ink binder. Due to its characteristic strong estrogenic potency, NP is capable of disrupting the reproductive hormone system. Exposure to NP for a prolonged period increases the chances of developing breast and lung cancers. In this study, we conducted a comparative study of expression profiles between HK (Human Kidney cell), MCF-7 (Human breast cancer cell), and LNCaP (Human prostate cancer cell) cells treated with NP at the value of IC20, using Agilent whole genome microarrays. After comparative analysis, we detected some specific expression patterns in each of the cell lines. However, the expression patterns from the HK-2 and MCF-7 cells are quite similar. Interestingly, estrogen receptor 1 and 2 genes were downregulated only in MCF-7 cells, whereas the androgen receptor (AR) gene evidenced overexpression in all 3 of the cell lines. The PDZK1 gene, which has been identified as an estrogen-responsive gene, has also been shown to be overexpressed in all 3 of the tested cell lines. The majority of differentially expressed genes in NP treatment were shown to be involved in cell proliferation, transcription, and signaling. These results may establish a framework for understanding the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of NP.