Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Screening for Phytoestrogens using a Cell-based Estrogen Receptor β Reporter Assay
Published on: June 7, 2020
Regulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor activity by estrogens and phytoestrogens in a HepG2 cell model
Alice J Owen1, Paul D Roach, Mavis Abbey
1Department of Physiology, University of Adelaide, Australia. alice_owen@uow.edu.au
Background/Aims:
Estrogen treatment is thought to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by increasing clearance through hepatic LDL receptors. This study aimed to determine the effect of estrogens and phytoestrogens on LDL receptor activity in a human hepatoma cell line, HepG2.
Methods:
HepG2 cells in culture were incubated for 24 h with estrogen or phytoestrogen and LDL receptor activity was measured by examining the cellular binding of colloidal gold-labelled LDL.
Results:
17Beta-estradiol significantly increased LDL receptor activity whereas estriol had negligible effects. Incubation with the isoflavonoids, formononetin, biochanin A and daidzein, caused significant elevations in receptor activity at concentrations above 40 microM. Coumestrol, a coumestan with a high level of estrogenic activity, caused a 3-fold increase in receptor activity at a concentration of 50 microM. Of the phytoestrogenic mammalian lignans enterolactone and enterodiol, only enterolactone displayed the ability to significantly upregulate LDL receptor activity at 50 microM.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that the LDL receptor-stimulating effect of natural estrogens is mainly due to estradiol and that the cholesterol-lowering effect of diets high in phytoestrogens may be due in part to their ability to increase hepatic LDL receptor activity.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors
About 48 different soluble family members of nuclear receptors are identified that can be divided into two main classes:
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System III: Serum Lipid Profile
Serum lipids are fats and fatty substances in the blood and are crucial for various bodily functions, including energy storage, cellular structure, and hormone production. Serum lipids consist of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids.
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in all body cells. It is crucial for producing hormones, vitamin D, and substances that aid...
Hormonal Regulation
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...

