Estrogenic activity of chemicals for dental and similar use in vitro

The estrogenic activities of chemicals for dental and similar use were tested by a reporter gene assay (yeast two-hybrid system) and an estrogen/estrogen receptor (ER-alpha) competition binding assay (fluorescence polarization system). Among the 10 chemicals [bisphenol-A (BPA), bis-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA), triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), n-butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), n-butyl phthalyl n-butyl glycolate (BPBG), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), and di-2-ethylhexyl adipate (DOA)], which were diluted with DMSO to concentrations ranging from 5 x 10(-7) to 5 x 10(-3) M, and 17beta-estradiol (E2) as a positive control, BPA and BBP showed estrogenic activity in these two assays, while the remaining eight chemicals did not at the concentrations tested. Additional data, together with in vivo and epidemiological examinations, are required. Such investigations should also provide information on the validity of these methods for testing the estrogenic activity of chemicals.