Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an extensively used chemical with endocrine disrupting properties. Although animal and in vivo studies have suggested possible effects of BPA on levels of gonadotropic hormones, human studies are limited and inconclusive. The study examined whether environmental BPA exposure was associated with gonadotropic hormones levels in men. A total of 560 men aged 18–55 years were recruited from Sandu County, Guizhou Province, China. We collected urine samples for measurement of BPA, and blood samples for measurement of reproductive hormones. We examined serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and total testosterone (T). Relative risk (RR) was obtained by log-binominal regression to explore the association between urinary BPA level and hormone levels. BPA was detected in 70.4% of urine samples, with a geometric mean of 0.50 μg/gCr. Men with detectable levels of BPA had a 1.52-fold increased risk of having a high LH level (>75th percentile) when compared with men with undetectable levels of BPA, after adjustment for potential confounders (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04–2.21). The association persisted and slightly intensified among current smokers (adjusted RR (aRR) = 1.76, 95%CI: 1.05–2.95), while it weakened among non-smokers (aRR = 1.17, 95%CI: 0.69–1.96). Urinary BPA level was associated with an increased FSH level among smokers (aRR = 1.64, 95%CI: 1.01–2.67). Urinary BPA level was inversely associated with total T level among males with body max index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2 although this association was of borderline significance (aRR = 0.52, 95%CI: 0.26–1.05). In conclusion, environmental exposure to BPA was associated with increased serum levels of LH and FSH in male smokers, along with decreased serum levels of total T in men with BMI≥25 kg/m2. These findings suggest that the effects of environmental BPA exposure on hormone levels might be modified by smoking and BMI.
Highlights
Bisphenol A (BPA), an exogenous endocrine-disrupting chemical, is extensively used in many consumer products and can be found in the resin linings of cans used for food and beverages, plastics containers, baby bottles, dental sealants, and thermal receipts
Lassen et al.[4] reported that BPA concentrations above the lowest quartile were associated with higher luteinizing hormone (LH) levels compared with the lowest quartile, but not with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels among 308 young men from the general population
We examined the effect of BPA exposure by comparing detected with undetected BPA, while previous studies, where BPA was detectable in more than 90% of the participants with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.12 to 0.50 μg/L, applied linear regression or used the lowest quartile of BPA levels as reference
Summary
Bisphenol A (BPA), an exogenous endocrine-disrupting chemical, is extensively used in many consumer products and can be found in the resin linings of cans used for food and beverages, plastics containers, baby bottles, dental sealants, and thermal receipts. BPA-containing product can leach the chemical into food, water, and ecosystems[1], leading to widespread human exposure. Animal studies have reported the adverse effects of BPA on male reproductive health, including sperm production and quality, steroidogenesis, male urinary tract development, and sexual dysfunction[8]. Rodent studies indicate that BPA exposure decreases testosterone (T) levels in the serum or testis, and affects serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)[9,10,11,12]
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