Imbalance of testosterone level in male offspring of rats perinatally exposed to bisphenol A.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) through the placenta and milk has any effect on the reproductive system in male offspring. Pregnant rats were treated with BPA at 0, 4, 40 and 400 mg/kg body weight, from gestation day 6 through lactation day 20 by gavage. Plasma testosterone concentrations in offspring at 9 weeks old were significantly high in BPA groups as compared with those of the control. At the age of 36 weeks the hormone concentrations showed an increase in a dose-dependent manner, although without statistical significance. Testosterone content in testes showed a similar tendency to that in plasma, though statistically insignificant. Little alteration in testes weight was seen in BPA-exposed offspring. There was no remarkable change in plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone at 9 weeks old. The pathway of E2 (17beta-estradiol) formation from testosterone seemed not to be affected by BPA. The results indicate that exposure to BPA during the perinatal period has a significant effect on testosterone homeostasis in male offspring of rats.
Watanabe
Sumiko
S
National Institute of Industrial Health, Nagao 6-21-1, Tama-Ku, Kawasaki 214-8585 Japan.
Wang
Rui-Sheng
RS
Miyagawa
Muneyuki
M
Kobayashi
Kenichi
K
Suda
Megumi
M
Sekiguchi
Soichiro
S
Honma
Takeshi
T
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010636:Phenols / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D012016:Reference Values; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D010636:Phenols; D013739:Testosterone; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds