SAN DIEGO—New studies presented the Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting reveals more evidence that exposure to environmental levels of the industrial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) can lead to serious health conditions.
In one study, researchers observed harmful effects of BPA at the cellular level, specifically in Leydig cells, to determine if early-life exposure to BPA affects testis function in adulthood. Using a combination of analytical methods, investigators studied the development of Leydig cells in male offspring. The capacity for testosterone secretion was assessed at 21, 35 and 90 days of age. The amount of testosterone secreted per Leydig cell was found to be much lower in male offspring after early-life exposure to BPA than in offspring from control unexposed animals.
“Although BPA exposure stopped at 21 days of age, BPA’s effects on Leydig cells, which were seen immediately at the end of exposure and at 35 days, remained apparent until 90 days of age, when the rats reached adulthood,” the researchers wrote. “Therefore, the early life period is a sensitive window of exposure to BPA and exposure at this time may affect testis function into adulthood.”
Another study concluded that women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may be more vulnerable to exposure to BPA. The study found that BPA, a known hormone disrupter, is elevated and associated with higher levels of male hormones in the blood of women with PCOS compared with healthy women. These findings held true for both lean and obese women with PCOS.
“Women with the polycystic ovary syndrome should be alert regarding this environmental contaminant’s potential adverse effects on reproductive aspects of their health problem,” the researchers wrote.
