Rapid and Sensitive Screening of 17[Beta]-Estradiol Estrogenicity Using Fourier Transform Infrared Imaging Spectroscopy (FT-IRIS)

It is important to develop rapid and sensitive screening assays to assess the biological effects of emerging contaminants. In this contribution, the ability to determine the molecular level effects of 17β-estradiol on single MCF-7 cells using Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS) was investigated. The use of FT-IRIS enabled subcellular imaging of the cells and determination of a dose dependent response in mucin concentration at 24 and 48 h of incubation. The 48 h increase in mucin was comparable to increases in cellular proliferation (Pearson R = 0.978). The EC^sub 50^ values for the E-screen and FT-IRIS assays were 2.29 and 2.56 ppt, respectively, indicating that the molecular changes, which are observed at the single cell level using FT-IRIS, are reflective of physiological changes that are observed as the cell population responds to 17β-estradiol. The FT-IRIS method, when combined with principal component analysis, enabled differentiation and grouping of cells exposed to varying concentrations of 17β-estradiol. The FT-IRIS method shows potential to be used as a rapid and sensitive screening technique for the detection of biological responses to different emerging contaminants in relevant cells or tissues. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]