biostudies-literatureHu PNCCIH NIH HHSNational Institutes of Health48-57https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC5528845biostudies-literatureUnknown329Paraben esters and their salts are widely used as preservatives in cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and foods. We previously reported that parabens promoted adipocyte differentiation in vitro and increased adiposity but suppressed serum marker of bone formation in vivo. Here, we investigated the effects of parabens (methylparaben and butylparaben) on modulating cell fate of multipotent stem cell line C3H10T1/2. Both parabens modulated adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells in vitro. Butylparaben markedly promoted adipogenic differentiation, but suppressed osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation whereas methylparaben showed similar but less pronounced effects. Moreover, butylparaben, but not methylparaben, was shown to activate perToxicology and applied pharmacologyMethylparaben and butylparaben alter multipotent mesenchymal stem cell fates towards adipocyte lineage.PMC5528845R15AT008733R15 AT008733Zhao LHeal EChen JShen CLWang SOverby HHu PfalseMethylparaben and butylparaben alter multipotent mesenchymal stem cell fates towards adipocyte lineage.Paraben esters and their salts are widely used as preservatives in cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and foods. We previously reported that parabens promoted adipocyte differentiation in vitro and increased adiposity but suppressed serum marker of bone formation in vivo. Here, we investigated the effects of parabens (methylparaben and butylparaben) on modulating cell fate of multipotent stem cell line C3H10T1/2. Both parabens modulated adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells in vitro. Butylparaben markedly promoted adipogenic differentiation, but suppressed osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation whereas methylparaben showed similar but less pronounced effects. Moreover, butylparaben, but not methylparaben, was shown to activate per2017-01-01T00:00:00Z2017 Aug2025-04-04T02:59:34.422Z2019-03-26T23:51:02ZS-EPMC55288452852791510.1016/j.taap.2017.05.019