Aminophenols increase proliferation of thyroid tumor cells by inducing the transcription factor activity of estrogen receptor α.

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 α (ERα) is a key regulator of breast cancer. Recently, it was found that ERα 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 ERα in BHP10-3 cells (a thyroid tumor cell line) was examined using luciferase assays. The promoter recruitment of ERα 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 ERα was significantly increased in BHP10-3 cells, and the recruitment of ERα 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 ERα, our study extends the understanding of the function of aminophenols and suggests that ERα is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of thyroid tumors.