Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a non-persistent anthropic and environmentally ubiquitous compound widely employed and detected in many consumer products and food items; thus, human exposure is prolonged. Over the last ten years, many studies have examined the underlying molecular mechanisms of BPA toxicity and revealed links among BPA-induced oxidative stress, male and female reproductive defects, and human disease. Because of its hormone-like feature, BPA shows tissue effects on specific hormone receptors in target cells, triggering noxious cellular responses associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. As a metabolic and endocrine disruptor, BPA impairs redox homeostasis via the increase of oxidative mediators and the reduction of antioxidant enzymes, causing mitochondrial dysfunction, alteration in cell signaling pathways, and induction of apoptosis. This review aims to examine the scenery of the current BPA literature on understanding how the induction of oxidative stress can be considered the “fil rouge” of BPA’s toxic mechanisms of action with pleiotropic outcomes on reproduction. Here, we focus on the protective effects of five classes of antioxidants—vitamins and co-factors, natural products (herbals and phytochemicals), melatonin, selenium, and methyl donors (used alone or in combination)—that have been found useful to counteract BPA toxicity in male and female reproductive functions.
Highlights
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a heterogeneous group of substances that are able to interfere with the hormonal-signaling pathways and alter metabolic and reproductive functions.Among EDCs, bisphenol A (BPA) is a non-persistent anthropic compound widely employed in the last decades as a component of plastic for multiple applications so it is environmentally ubiquitous
The protective treatment with methyl donors results in persistent effects on pork quality meat, affecting glutathione and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) expression via BPA has become a target of intense research based on its metabolic and endocrine interference and its association with human diseases such as obesity, diabetes, reproductive disorders, and cancer
This review provides a framework for understanding how the induction of oxidative stress may contribute to the pleiotropic reproductive adverse effects observed after BPA exposure
Summary
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a heterogeneous group of substances that are able to interfere with the hormonal-signaling pathways and alter metabolic and reproductive functions. Exposure to BPA is associated with deleterious health effects for animals and humans and affects endocrine and reproductive organs and immune and central nervous systems through several mechanisms, including oxidative stress [3]. Growing evidence from research on laboratory animals shows that this non-persistent compound alters male and female reproductive function even at extremely low exposure levels [4]. This is relevant because BPA exposure may be chronic, making it functionally equivalent to a persistent compound. The review examines the effect of antioxidant substances on the BPA-induced toxicity and analyzes their possible efficacy as a therapeutic strategy to limit the damage on female and male reproductive organs and their functions
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