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Qie Y, Qin W, Zhao K, Liu C, Zhao L, Guo LH. Environmental Estrogens and Their Biological Effects through GPER Mediated Signal Pathways. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 278:116826. [PMID: 33706245 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many environmental chemicals have been found to exert estrogenic effects in cells and experimental animals by activating nuclear receptors such as estrogen receptors and estrogen-related receptors. These compounds include bisphenols, pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate flame retardants, phthalates and metalloestrogens. G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) exists widely in numerous cells/tissues of human and other vertebrates. A number of studies have demonstrated that GPER plays a vital role in mediating the estrogenic effects of environmental pollutants. Even at very low concentrations, these chemicals may activate GPER pathways, thus affect many aspects of cellular functions including proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis, resulting in cancer progression, cardiovascular disorders, and reproductive dysfunction. This review summarized the environmental occurrence and human exposure levels of these pollutants, and integrated current experimental evidence toward revealing the underlying mechanisms of pollutant-induced cellular dysfunction via GPER. The GPER mediated rapid non-genomic actions play an important role in the process leading to the adverse effects observed in experimental animals and even in human beings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Qie
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, People's Republic of China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiping Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, People's Republic of China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Keda Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, People's Republic of China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Chang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, People's Republic of China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Lixia Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, People's Republic of China; School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou, 310007, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang-Hong Guo
- Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People's Republic of China; Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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Chevalier N, Hinault C, Clavel S, Paul-Bellon R, Fenichel P. GPER and Testicular Germ Cell Cancer. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:600404. [PMID: 33574796 PMCID: PMC7870790 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.600404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), also known as GPR30, is a widely conserved 7-transmembrane-domain protein which has been identified as a novel 17β-estradiol-binding protein that is structurally distinct from the classic oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ). There are still conflicting data regarding the exact role and the natural ligand of GPER/GPR30 in reproductive tracts as both male and female knock-out mice are fertile and have no abnormalities of reproductive organs. Testicular germ cell cancers (TGCCs) are the most common malignancy in young males and the most frequent cause of death from solid tumors in this age group. Clinical and experimental studies suggested that estrogens participate in the physiological and pathological control of male germ cell proliferation. In human seminoma cell line, while 17β-estradiol (E2) inhibits in vitro cell proliferation through an ERβ-dependent mechanism, an impermeable E2 conjugate (E2 coupled to BSA), in vitro cell proliferation is stimulated by activating ERK1/2 and protein kinase A through a membrane GPCR that we further identified as GPER/GPR30. The same effect was observed with low but environmentally relevant doses of BPA, an estrogenic endocrine disrupting compound. Furthermore, GPER/GPR30 is specifically overexpressed in seminomas but not in non-seminomas and this overexpression is correlated with an ERβ-downregulation. This GPER/GPR30 overexpression could be linked to some genetic variations, as single nucleotide polymorphisms, which was also reported in other hormone-dependent cancers. We will review here the implication of GPER/GPR30 in TGCCs pathophysiology and the arguments to consider GPER/GPR30 as a potential therapeutic target in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Chevalier
- Université Côte d’Azur, CHU, INSERM U1065, C3M, Nice, France
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM U1065, C3M, Nice, France
- *Correspondence: Nicolas Chevalier, ;
| | - Charlotte Hinault
- Université Côte d’Azur, CHU, INSERM U1065, C3M, Nice, France
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM U1065, C3M, Nice, France
| | | | | | - Patrick Fenichel
- Université Côte d’Azur, CHU, INSERM U1065, C3M, Nice, France
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM U1065, C3M, Nice, France
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Fénichel P, Chevalier N. Is Testicular Germ Cell Cancer Estrogen Dependent? The Role of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. Endocrinology 2019; 160:2981-2989. [PMID: 31617897 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Testicular germ cell cancer (TGCC) is the most frequent cancer of the young male, with an increasing incidence worldwide. The pathogenesis and reasons for this increase remain unknown. However, epidemiological and experimental data have suggested that, similar to genital malformations and sperm impairment, it could result from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors including fetal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with estrogenic effects. In this review, we analyze the expression of classic and nonclassic estrogen receptors by TGCC cells, the way they may influence germ cell proliferation induced by EDCs, and discuss how this estrogen dependency supports the developmental and environmental hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Fénichel
- Université Côte d'Azur, CHU de Nice, Service d'Endocrinologie, Diabétologie et Médecine de la Reproduction, Hôpital de l'Archet, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, INSERM U1065/UNS, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Equipe, France
| | - Nicolas Chevalier
- Université Côte d'Azur, CHU de Nice, Service d'Endocrinologie, Diabétologie et Médecine de la Reproduction, Hôpital de l'Archet, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, INSERM U1065/UNS, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Equipe, France
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