Comparative Study of Bisphenol A and Its Selected Analogues on the Induction of Mitochondrial Mass Loss and Apoptosis in Human Granulosa Cells

Abstract

It has been confirmed that the occurrence of a variety of chronic diseases including female infertility is closely related to bisphenol A (BPA) exposure. BPA is now being gradually replaced by its analogues. Although the adverse health effects of BPA have been extensively studied, little is known about the female reproductive toxicity of its analogues, particularly BPS, BPF and BPAF. The present study evaluated the effects of BPA and its analogues BPS, BPF and BPAF on mitochondrial mass and potential to induce apoptosis in KGN cells. We observed that BPA and its analogues, especially BPA and BPAF exposure can significantly reduce mitochondrial mass. This reduction in mitochondrial mass was confirmed by flow cytometry after labelling the NAO probe. The significant induction effect of BPA and its analogues on KGN cell apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry. Compared with BPA and BPAF, the interference effect of BPS and BPF on KGN cells was smaller, although there were significant differences between the high-concentration treatment groups and the control group. Our study revealed the possible mechanisms of BPA and its analogues on granulosa cell damage and female sterility. In addition, it also suggests that the safety of BPA analogues in female reproduction needs to be reconsidered.