Effects of some endocrine disruptors on the proliferation and viability of human endometrial endothelial cells in vitro

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) pose a potential threat to human reproductive health. We studied the proliferation and viability of human endometrial endothelial cells (HEECs) in vitro after exposure to 2,2-bis(o,p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (o,p′-DDT), 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl (CB 77), 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (CB 126), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), bisphenol A (BPA), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and 17β-oestradiol, progesterone, 17-ethynyl oestradiol and levonorgestrel. Cell proliferation was studied using immunocytochemistry for PCNA expression and a 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine assay. Cell viability was studied by vital staining with propidium iodide and Hoechst 33258. HEECs in primary culture responded with increased proliferation to oestradiol and with decreased proliferation to levonorgestrel and the EDCs. Some EDCs also affected cell viability and increased the proportion of necrotic cells. However, the decrease in proliferation in response to DBP and TCDD cannot be explained by cell death. In light of these results, it is possible that the EDCs could have effects in vivo as well as in vitro, and influence processes involving for example endometrial angiogenesis.