Review Articles Estrogens and Antiestrogens

[45] S. SAFE: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and related compounds: envi- ronmental and mechanistic considerations which support the de- velopment of toxic equivalency factors (TEFs). C. R. C. Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 21, 51 (1990)

[46] K. CHALOUVKA; V. KRISHNAN; S. SAFE: Polynuclear aromatic hy- drocarbon carcinogens as antiestrogens in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Role of the Ah receptor. Carcinogenesis 13, 2223 (1992)

[47] C. A. BRADFIELD; L. F. BJELDANES: Structure-activity relationships of dietary indoles: a proposed mechanism of action as modifiers of xenobiotic metabolism. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 21,311 (1987)

[48] L. F. BJELDANES; J. Y. KIM; K. R. GROSE; J. C. BARTHOLOMEW; C. A. BRADFIELD: Aromatic hydrocarbon responsiveness-receptor agonists generated from indole-3-carbinol in vitro and in vivo - comparisons with 2,3,7,8-tetxachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. Proc. Nad. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 9543 (1991)

[49] O. VANG; M. B. JENSEN; H. AUTRUP: Induction of cytochrome P450IA1 in rat colon and liver by indole-3-carbinol and 5,6-benzoflavone. Carcinogenesis 11, 1259 (1990)

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[53] K.R. GROSE; L. F. BJELDANES: Oligomerization of Indole-3- carbinol in Aqueous Acid. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 5, 188 (1992)

[54] R. LOTAN: Different susceptibilities of human melanoma and breast carcinoma cell lines to retinoic acid-induced growth inhibition. Cancer Res. 39, 1014 (1979)

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[61] G. SCAMBIA; F .O. RANELLETTI; P. BENEDETTI PANICI; M. PIANTELLI; G. BONANNO; R. DE VINCENZO; G. FERRANDINA; L. PIEP, ELta; A. CmELLI; S. MANCUSO: Quercetin inhibits the growth of a multidrug-resistant estrogen-receptor-negative MCF-7 human breast-cancer cell line expressing type II estrogenbinding sites. Can- cer Chemother. Pharmacol. 28, 255 (1991)

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News & Views

Database ABIOTIKx

- Assessment of the chemical life of organic substances in the troposphere

On September 25, 1991, the Database ,,ABIOTIKx" was presented within the frame- work of the VCI (Verband der Chemischen Industrie = German Chemical Industry Association) information meeting on ,Photo- degradation of Substances in the Environment = Test Methods, Data, and Evaluation". This database written on the basis of dBase III + or IV for IBM-PC contains the rate constants (koH , kNo3, ko3 ) and (if available) the quan- tum yields of direct phototransformation (O) of approximately 550 substances. The data is indispensable for the assessment of the chem- ical life of organic substances in the tropo-

sphere. The database was developed by the Battelle Institute, Frankfiart/Main, within the scope of a research project financed in equal shares by large chemical enterprises (coordina- ted by VCI) and the Umweltbtmdesamt (Fed- eral Environmental Agency - UBA). Program- ming was subcontracted to Daniel Electronic, Frankfurt. For the development of the program, user friendliness was of utmost importance.

The database is available on a floppy and user manual from C.A.U. GmbH. The related re- search report and a hard copy of the data has been published as ,UBA Texte 51/91" series. The VCI information meeting offered an in- troduction by. I. MEERKAMP van EMBDEN, Ph. D., as well as the following lectures: Prof. Dr. W. SL~LVa.ER (Bayer): ,,Photodegradation of organic substances - an introduction"; Ms. P. GREINER, Ph.D. (UBA): ,Significance for the assessment of substances: Test regulations

and their apphcation"; Prof. Dr. W. KLOPFFER (C.A.U.): ,Data collection of photodegrada- tion: Presentation of the joint project of UBA / VCI"; Prof. Dr. C. ZETZSCH (Flag Hannover): ,Photodegradation in the air~; Prof. Dr. J. HOIGNE (EAWAG, Diibendorf, Switzerland): ,Photodegradation in water ~. All lectures were vividly discussed among the more than 40 invited guests.

Conclusion: Abiotic - mainly photochemi- cal - degradation is taken seriously not only in research; also, in the Federal Environmen- tal Agency (UBA) and in the chemical indus- try a growing number of experts and the en- vironmentally consciou s public are becoming more aware of the issues.

Prof. Dr. Walter Kt6pffer C.A.U. GmbH Daimlerstrage 23 D-63303 Dreieich/Frankfurt, Germany

ESPR-Environ. Sci. & Pollut. Res. 1 (1) 1994 33