Soluble guanylyl cyclase alpha1 subunit as a biomarker of toxicity: applications to investigate endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Abstract

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a growing group of naturally occurring and synthetic substances in the environment that negatively impacts human and wildlife health. Most persist in water and soil for many years, being able to bioaccumulate and act at very low doses. Xenoestrogens, a subgroup of EDCs, can mimic estrogen actions directly related with endocrine disorders and cancer. Identification and characterization of these compounds by several toxicity assays are increasingly important. The present work discusses current detection methods of estrogen-like activities of EDCs and reviews the advantages of including new markers of exposure such as soluble guanylyl cyclase alpha1 subunit (sGCα1) in in vitro assays.