Juvenile Toxicity Rodent Model to Study Toxicological Effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) at Dose Levels Derived From Italian Children Biomonitoring Study. (7th November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tassinari, Roberta; Narciso, Laura; Tait, Sabrina; Busani, Luca; Martinelli, Andrea; Di Virgilio, Antonio; Carli, Fabrizia; Deodati, Annalisa; La Rocca, Cinzia; Maranghi, Francesca
• Is Part Of: Toxicological sciences. Volume 173:Number 2(2020)
• Page Start: 387
• Page End: 401
• Publication Date: 2019-11-07
• Subjects: food contaminant -- low-observed-adverse-effect-level -- benchmark dose -- sex-related effects -- hazard characterization; Toxicology -- Periodicals; Toxicology -- Periodicals; Toxicology; Periodicals; 615.9
• DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfz226
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1096-6080

Abstract

Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plasticizer with endocrine disrupting properties particularly relevant for children health. Recently BPA has been associated with metabolic dysfunctions but no data are yet available in specific, long-term studies. This study aimed to evaluate BPA modes of action and hazards during animal juvenile life-stage, corresponding to childhood. Immature Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes were orally treated with 0 (vehicle only—olive oil), 2, 6, and 18 mg/kg bw per day of BPA for 28 days, from weaning to sexual maturity. Dose levels were obtained from the PERSUADED biomonitoring study in Italian children. Both no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL)/low-observed-adverse-effect-level (LOAEL) and estimated benchmark dose (BMD) approaches were applied. General toxicity, parameters of sexual development, endocrine/reproductive/functional liver and kidney biomarkers, histopathology of target tissues, and gene expression in hypothalamic-pituitary area and liver were studied. No mortality or general toxicity occurred. Sex-specific alterations were observed in liver, thyroid, spleen, leptin/adiponectin serum levels, and hypothalamic-pituitary gene expression. Thyroid homeostasis and liver were the most sensitive targets of BPA exposure in the peripubertal phase. The proposed LOAEL was 2 mg/kg bw, considering as critical effect the liver endpoints, kidney weight in male and adrenal histomorphometrical alterations and osteopontin upregulation in female rats. The BMD lower bounds were 0.05 and 1.33 mg/kg bw in males and females, considering liver and thyroid biomarkers, respectively. Overall, BPA evaluation at dose levels derived from children biomonitoring study allowed to identify sex-specific, targeted toxicological effects that may have significant impact on risk assessment for children.