Mixture Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds In Vitro

The study examined the effects of mixtures of endocrine-disrupting compounds on androgen receptor (AR) activity using in vitro assays. It found that mixtures of similar acting AR antagonists showed additive antagonistic effects, while vinclozolin had agonistic effects at high concentrations. Mixtures of compounds with varying mechanisms, such as finasteride, MEHP, prochloraz, and vinclozolin, also demonstrated additive anti-androgenic effects. Parabens exhibited higher-than-expected AR antagonism, and azole fungicides inhibited testosterone and estradiol production with effects close to additive. The study underscored the complexity of predicting mixture effects and suggested that concentration addition could be a useful model for risk assessment, highlighting the need for further research to improve understanding and risk assessments of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.