Aminophenols, which are widely used as components of hair dye and medicine, may function
as environmental endocrine disruptors by regulating the proliferation of endocrine-related
cancers. Estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) is a key regulator of breast cancer. Recently,
it was found that ER alpha may also participate in the transformation and progression
of thyroid tumors, but its interaction with aminophenols and its function in thyroid
tumors is not clear. In this study, the transcription factor activity of ER alpha
in BHP10-3 cells (a thyroid tumor cell line) was examined using luciferase assays.
The promoter recruitment of ER alpha was examined using chromatin co-precipitation
(ChIP). Additionally, in an in vivo study, BHP10-3 cells were transplanted into nude
mice. Upon administration of aminophenols, the transcription factor activity of ER
alpha was significantly increased in BHP10-3 cells, and the recruitment of ER alpha
to the promoter of its target gene was increased. Aminophenols enhanced the in vitro
and in vivo proliferation of BHP10-3 cells. By discovering that aminophenols induce
the onco-promoting activity of ER alpha, our study extends the understanding of the
function of aminophenols and suggests that ER alpha is a potential therapeutic target
for the treatment of thyroid tumors.
