Environmental estrogens: effects on cholesterol lowering and bone in the ovariectomized rat

Representative non-steroidal estrogens, from common environmental sources such as plants, pesticides, surfactants, plastics, and animal health products, demonstrated an ability to lower serum cholesterol and prevent bone loss. Specifically, select environmental estrogens (coumestrol, genistein, methoxychlor, bisphenol A, and zeranol) effectively lowered total serum cholesterol in an estrogen-dependent animal model, the ovariectomized rat. Of these entities, coumestrol, methoxychlor, and zeranol prevented ovariectomy-induced bone loss. In an in vitro environment, these compounds competed with 17beta-estradiol for estrogen receptor binding and stimulated cell proliferation in a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). In addition to their well-documented effects on reproductive tissue, various environmental estrogens can dramatically affect non-reproductive parameters such as cholesterol lowering and bone metabolism.