Endocrine disruption induced by bisphenol A in young and adult female Sprague Dawley rats

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is involved chemically in the production of some plastics and as a coating for the inner surface of food containers. The current work aimed to investigate the endocrine-disrupting effect of BPA in young and adult female Sprague Dawley rats. Young and adult female rats were exposed orally to 330 mg/kg body weight of BPA dissolved in ethyl alcohol and suspended in corn oil, day after day for 12 weeks. Control rats dosed orally by the solvent only. The samples were collected every 2 weeks for hormonal assays and histopathological examination. The hormonal assays revealed that there was an increase in estradiol concentration in young female; however, in adult ones, estradiol concentration was decreased after 10 and 12 weeks. Progesterone concentration was decreased in adult ones only at 4 weeks, while testosterone hormone was increased in young female rats. The histopathological finding revealed that there were polycystic follicles in the ovaries of young female, while in adult ones, there were atretic follicles. In conclusion, BPA exposure resulted in endocrine disruption indicated by different responses in hormonal and histopathological changes in both young and adult female rats.