Reporter cell lines to monitor steroid and antisteroid potential of environmental samples

In order to monitor the (anti)steroid activity of environmental samples, we established stable cell lines expressing luciferase under the control of estrogens, androgens, progestives and glucocorticoids. The breast cancer MCF-7 cells which express the estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha), the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the progesterone receptor (PR) were transfected by an estrogen (ERE-beta Glob-Luc) or a glucocorticoid/progestin/androgen (MMTV-Luc) regulated luciferase plasmid in order to enable the detection of compounds which bind both ER alpha, PR and GR (MELN and MMLN cells). Human prostatic cells PC3 were stably transfected by both an androgen receptor gene and the MMTV-luciferase plasmid (PALM cells). These three cellular models were validated as tools to check the estrogenic, progestive, glucocorticoid and androgenic activities using several potential xenohormones and environmental samples. As these environmental samples were fractionated after solid phase extraction to isolate active compounds, we used these cellular models to monitor the different fractions. In the estrogenic model mid-polar fractions of environmental samples were found active while in the androgenic model, the same fractions had antagonist activity.