Skip to main content
Log in

Estrogenic impurities in tissue culture plastic ware are not bisphenol A

  • Published:
In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Control of the cellular environment is a principal attribute of in vitro cell cultures. Unintentional exposure to environmental compounds can adversely affect cultures and, therefore, experimental results. Estrogenic compounds arising from common plastic ware have been found during cell culture. One such compound, the environmental endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol A, can bind to estrogen receptors and effect cellular changes. We monitored bisphenol A concentrations in culture dishes from six different manufacturers under typical cell-culture conditions. With the use of a gas chromatography mass-spectrometry assay we determined that bisphenol A contamination from the culture dishes did not occur. These findings will allow scientists concerned about possible effects of bisphenol A on their culture systems to choose appropriate plastic ware.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berthios, Y.; Katzenellenbogen, J. A.; Katzenellenhogen, B. S. Phenol red in tissue culture media is a weak estrogen: implications concerning the study of estrogen-responsive cells in culture. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83:2496–2500; 1986.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, D.; Krishnan, A. Estrogens in unexpected places: possible implications for researchers and consumers. Environ. Health Perspect. 103(Suppl. 7):129–133; 1995.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Howdeshell, K. L.; Peterman, P. H.; Judy, B. M.; Taylor, J. A.; Orazio, C. E.; Ruhlen, R. L.; Vom Saal, F. S.; Welshons, W. V. Bisphenol A is released from used polycarbonate animal cages into water at room temperature. Environ. Health Perspect. 111:1180–1187; 2003.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ishikawa, T.; Takano, K.; Yasufuku-Takano, J.; Fujita, T.; Igarashi, T.; Miura, M.; Hata, K. Estrogenic impurities in labware. Nat. Biotechnol. 19:812; 2001.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnan, A. V.; Stathis, P.; Permuth, S. F.; Tokes, L.; Feldman, D. Bisphenol-A: an estrogenic substance is released from polycarbonate flasks during autoclaving. Endocrinology 132:2279–2286; 1993.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, D. Y.; Lee, S. S.; Joo, W. A.; Lee, E. J.; Kim, C. W. Analysis of differentially regulated proteins in TM4 cells treated with bisphenol A. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 68:1201–1208; 2004.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Markey, C. M.; Coombs, M. A.; Sonnenschein, C.; Soto, A. M. Mammalian development in a changing environment: exposure to endocrine disruptors reveals the developmental plasticity of steroid-hormone target organs. Evol. Dev. 5:67–75; 2003.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Markey, C. M.; Wadia, P. R.; Rubin, B. S.; Sonnenschein, S.; Soto, A. M. Long-term effects of fetal exposure to low doses of the xenoestrogen bisphenol-a in the female mouse genital tract. Biol. Reprod. 72:1344–1351; 2005.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moreno-Cuevas, J. F.; Sirbasku, D. A. Estrogen mitogenic action. III. Is phenol red a “red herring”? In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. 36A:447–464; 2000.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munoz-de-Toro, M.; Markey, C. M.; Wadia, P. R.; Luque, E. H.; Rubin, B. S.; Sonnenschein, C.; Soto, A. M. Perinatal exposure to bisphenol-A alters peripubertal mammary gland development in mice. Endocrinology, 146:4138–4147; 2005.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olsen, C. M.; Meussen-Elholm, E. T.; Samuelsen, M.; Holme, J. A.; Hongslo, I. K. Effects of the environmental oestrogens bisphenol A, tetrachlorobisphenol A, tetrabromobisphenol A, 4-hydroxybiphenyl, and 4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl on oestrogen receptor binding, cell proliferation, and regulation of oestrogen sensitive proteins in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 92:180–188; 2003.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richards, J.; Imagawa, W.; Balakrishnan, A.; Edery, M.; Nandi, S. The lack of effect of phenol red or estradiol on the growth response of human, rat, and mouse mammary cells in primary culture. Endocrinology 123:1335–1340; 1988.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singleton, D. W.; Feng, Y.; Chen, Y.; Busch, S. J.; Lee, A. V.; Puga, A.; Khan, S. A. Bisphenol-A and estradiol exert novel gene regulation in human MCF-7 derived breast cancer cells. Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 221:47–55; 2004.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soto, A. M.; Justicia, H.; Wray, J. W.; Sonnenschein, C. p-Nonyl-phenol: an estrogenic xenobiotic released from “modified” polystyrene. Environ. Health Perspect. 92:167–173; 1991.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takao, T.; Nanamiya, W.; Nazarloo, H. P.; Asaba, K.; Hashimoto, K. Possible reproductive toxicity of styrene in peripubertal male mice. Endocr. J. 47:343–347; 2000.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Timms, B. G.; Howdeshell, K. L.; Barton, L.; Bradley, S.; Richter, C. A.; Vom Saal, F. S. Estrogenic chemicals in plastic and oral contraceptives disrupt development of the fetal mouse prostate and urethra. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102:7014–7019; 2005.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vivacqua, A.; Recchia, A. G.; Fasanella, G.; Gabriele, S.; Carpino, A.; Rago, V.; Di Gioia, M. L.; Leggio, A.; Bonofiglio, D.; Maggiolini, M.; Liguori, A. The food contaminants bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol act as agonists for estrogen receptor alpha in MCF7 breast cancer cells. Endocrine 22:275–284; 2003.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vom Saal, F. S.; Richter, C. A.; Ruhlen, R. R.; Nagel, S. C.; Timms, B. G.; Welshons, W. V. The importance of appropriate controls, animal feed, and animal models in interpreting results from low-dose studies of bisphenol A. Birth Defects Res. A Clin. Mol. Teratol. 73:140–145; 2005.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Welshons, W. V.; Wolf, M. F.; Murphy, C. S.; Jordan, V. C. Estrogenic activity of phenol red. Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 57:169–178; 1988.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshimura, Y.; Brock, J.; Makino, T.; Nakazawa, H. Measurement of bisphenol A in human serum by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Anal. Chim. Acta 458:331–336; 2002.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rebecca A. Roberts.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Biswanger, C., Davis, L. & Roberts, R.A. Estrogenic impurities in tissue culture plastic ware are not bisphenol A. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Animal 42, 294–297 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1290/0608050.1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1290/0608050.1

Key words

Navigation