Journal of Clinical Toxicology
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0495
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0495
+44 1478 350008
David R Wallace
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences,
Tulsa, OK 74107-1898
Tanzania
Research Article
Differential Effects of Organic and Inorganic Mercury on Phenotypically
Variant Breast Cancer Cell Lines
Author(s): David R Wallace and Eric BatesDavid R Wallace and Eric Bates
Mercury remains a major environmental contaminant world-wide. Increasing evidence supports heavy metals as estrogenic agents (metalloestrogens), yet the impact of organic and inorganic mercury is unclear. The intent of this study was to increase understanding of mercury compounds as tumor causing agents and their modes of action. Changes in cellular viability, proliferation, and apoptosis after exposure to inorganic (HgCl2) and organic (CH3Hg+) mercury, were examined using a control human breast epithelial cell line (MCF-12A) compared to the human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 (ER+) and MDA-MB-453 (ER-). Exposure to mercuric compounds increased cellular proliferation (2-fold), altered caspase activity and p53 expression in a compound dependent manner in MCF-12A cells. Between the two tumor lines, MDA-MB-453 cells appeared most like MCF-12A cells with regard to the mercury response. .. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2161-0495.1000273