Low Dose BPA Alters Gene Expression in the Fetal Mouse Ovary
Patricia Hunt, Ph.D.
Washington State University
NIEHS Grant R01ES013527
NIEHS grantee Dr. Patricia Hunt at Washington State University reports that gene expression changes in fetal mouse ovaries occur as soon as 12 hours after the mother has been exposed to bisphenol A. These changes may produce adverse reproductive outcomes as the mice grow and develop.
Bisphenol A is a ubiquitous chemical found in many forms of plastic that humans come in contact with daily. It is used in water and baby bottles, in the plastic linings of food and beverage cans, and in other consumer products. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that it is an endocrine disruptor at all stages of life.
The research shows that bisphenol A affects the earliest stages of egg production in the ovaries of developing mice fetuses suggesting that their offspring may suffer genetic defects in biological processes such as mitosis and DNA replication. This is an example of a “transgenerational” effect in that the grandchildren of the exposed animals are still at risk for adverse health effects.
The research team also reports finding down-regulation of mitotic or cell cycle genes raising the possibility that bisphenol A exposure might act to shorten the reproductive lifespan by reducing the pool of fetal oocytes that later mature into eggs. If this effect is true in humans, it could result in premature menopause in women.
Citation: Lawson C, Gieske M, Murdoch B, Ye P, Li Y, Hassold T, Hunt PA. Gene Expression in the Fetal Mouse Ovary Is Altered by Exposure to Low Doses of Bisphenol A. Biol Reprod. 2010 Aug 25.
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