Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 12, 2026

An Ex vivo Model to Study Hormone Action in the Human Breast
Published on: January 8, 2015
Replacing BPA: Structural Substitutes BPAF Binding to the Progesterone Receptor Elevates Breast Cancer Risk
Xiaotong Ji1, Peilin Li1, Haoyang Wu1
1Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impairment and Prevention, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, P. R. China.
None:
As the global production of bisphenol analogs (BPs) surges to replace regulated bisphenol A (BPA), their pervasive environmental presence and uncharacterized breast cancer risk raise critical public health concerns. Herein, the environmental risks of BPs are deciphered by linking their structural affinity for the progesterone receptor (PR), a master regulator of breast cancer, to oncogenic outcomes across experimental tiers. Molecular simulations reveal that environmental BPAF and BPB exhibited stronger binding to the PR-ligand binding domain (LBD) than BPA. Chemical assays confirm persistent PR-LBD structural changes after BPs exposure, mimicking endocrine disruption patterns. The cellular thermal shift assay also confirms the interaction between the PR and BPs. In vitro, BPAF and BPF boost PR expression at human-relevant concentrations. In addition, BPAF elevates PR expression, and the enhanced migratory and invasive capacities are effectively suppressed by the PR inhibitor. Toxicological Prioritization Index-based risk stratification, weighted by the binding affinity of BPs to the PR and cellular toxicity, ranks BPAF as the highest-risk analog. Alarmingly, low-dose BPAF exposure (30 µg kg-1) accelerates mammary tumor growth in mice, paralleling PR upregulation in tumor tissues. This study underscores that substituting BPA with structurally akin analogs merely shifts, rather than mitigates, environmental health risks.
More Related Videos
07:08Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
Published on: March 6, 2018
08:28Assessment of the Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds on the Development of Vertebrate Neural Network Function Using Multi-electrode Arrays
Published on: April 26, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors
About 48 different soluble family members of nuclear receptors are identified that can be divided into two main classes:
Target Cell Response to Hormones
Notably, the cellular response can be regulated by altering the number of receptors expressed in the cell. For example, prolonged exposure to elevated hormone levels results in a gradual decline or down-regulation in the number of receptors for that specific hormone on the cell surface. Conversely, in response to low hormone levels, cells may use up-regulation, producing an...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity
Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity
Radical Substitution: Allylic Bromination