BPA exposure in pregnant mice changes gene expression of female offspring

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/tes-bei_1062412.php

Public release date: 26-Jun-2012
Contact: Aaron Lohr
The Endocrine Society
BPA exposure in pregnant mice changes gene expression of female offspring

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical found in many common plastic household items, can cause numerous genes in the uterus to respond differently to estrogen in adulthood, according to a study using a mouse model. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

The study, led by Hugh Taylor, MD, professor and chief of the reproductive endocrinology section at Yale University School of Medicine, observed "major and permanent changes in gene expression" in female mice exposed to BPA as a fetus. Taylor said these differences were apparent only after estrogen exposure, either naturally at puberty or with estrogen treatment.

"Hyperresponsiveness to estrogens is a potential mechanism to explain the increased incidence of estrogen-related disorders seen after exposure to endocrine disrupters like BPA," Taylor said.

BPA has estrogen-like properties and has been linked to breast cancer and many female reproductive disorders that are sensitive to estrogen. These problems include uterine fibroids (benign tumors), endometriosis and endometrial hyperplasia, an abnormal thickening of the lining of the uterus that can lead to uterine cancer.