Glyphosate induces human breast cancer cells growth via estrogen receptors
Abstract
Glyphosate is an active ingredient of the most widely used herbicide and it is believed to be less toxic than other pesticides. However, several recent studies showed its potential adverse health effects to humans as it may be an endocrine disruptor. This study focuses on the effects of pure glyphosate on estrogen receptors (ERs) mediated transcriptional activity and their expressions. Glyphosate exerted proliferative effects only in human hormone-dependent breast cancer, T47D cells, but not in hormone-independent breast cancer, MDA-MB231 cells, at 10⁻¹² to 10⁻⁶M in estrogen withdrawal condition. The proliferative concentrations of glyphosate that induced the activation of estrogen response element (ERE) transcription activity were 5-13 fold of control in T47D-KBluc cells and this activation was inhibited by an estrogen antagonist, ICI 182780, indicating that the estrogenic activity of glyphosate was mediated via ERs. Furthermore, glyphosate also altered both ERα and β expression. These results indicated that low and environmentally relevant concentrations of glyphosate possessed estrogenic activity. Glyphosate-based herbicides are widely used for soybean cultivation, and our results also found that there was an additive estrogenic effect between glyphosate and genistein, a phytoestrogen in soybeans. However, these additive effects of glyphosate contamination in soybeans need further animal study.
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At this concentration in vitro, G alone is known to induce human breast cancer cell growth via estrogen receptors.
“At this concentration in vitro, G alone is known to induce human breast cancer cell growth via estrogen receptors [64].”
From Republished study: long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerantgenetically modified maize (2014) · cites this paper as [64]
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- Authors
- Thongprakaisang, S., Thiantanawat, A., Rangkadilok, N., Suriyo, T., & Satayavivad, J.
- Affiliations
- Chulabhorn Graduate Institute (TH)
- Chulabhorn Research Institute (TH)
- Corresponding author
- Satayavivad, Jutamaad
- Venue
- Food and Chemical Toxicology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-09
- Volume
- 59
- Pages
- 129-136
- ISSN
- 0278-6915 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2152824469
- Cited by
- 424
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 60 · 2021: 53 · 2020: 49 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 44 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 12.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Food and Chemical Toxicology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Pesticide Exposure and Toxicity
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Estrogen and related hormone effects
- Keywords
- glyphosate, breast cancer, estrogen receptor, estrogenic activity, endocrine disruptors, estrogen response element, estrogen receptor alpha, estrogen receptor beta, T47D cells, MDA-MB-231 cells, genistein, soybean, herbicide toxicity, fulvestrant
- MeSH terms
- Glyphosate, Breast Neoplasms, Cell Survival, Drug Synergism, Estrogen Antagonists, Estrogens, Female, Glycine, Herbicides, Humans, Neoplasm Proteins, Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent, Transcriptional Activation, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Genes, Reporter, Genistein, Response Elements, Cell Line, Tumor, Estrogen Receptor alpha, Estrogen Receptor beta, Cell Proliferation, Endocrine Disruptors
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