Bisphenol A exposure alters developmental gene expression in the fetal rhesus macaque uterus

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 23;9(1):e85894. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085894. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure results in numerous developmental and functional abnormalities in reproductive organs in rodent models, but limited data are available regarding BPA effects in the primate uterus. To determine if maternal oral BPA exposure affects fetal uterine development in a non-human primate model, pregnant rhesus macaques carrying female fetuses were exposed orally to 400 µg/kg BPA or vehicle control daily from gestation day (GD) 50-100 or GD100-165. Fetal uteri were collected at the completion of treatment (GD100 or GD165); tissue histology, cell proliferation, and expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PR) were compared to that of controls. Gene expression analysis was conducted using rhesus macaque microarrays. There were no significant differences in histology or in the percentage of cells expressing the proliferation marker Ki-67, ERα, or PR in BPA-exposed uteri compared to controls at GD100 or GD165. Minimal differences in gene expression were observed between BPA-exposed and control GD100 uteri. However, at GD165, BPA-exposed uteri had significant differences in gene expression compared to controls. Several of the altered genes, including HOXA13, WNT4, and WNT5A, are critical for reproductive organ development and/or adult function. We conclude that second or third trimester BPA exposure does not significantly affect fetal uterus development based on morphological, proliferation, and steroid hormone receptor assessments. However, differences in expression of key developmental genes after third trimester exposure suggest that BPA could alter transcriptional signals influencing uterine function later in life.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Benzhydryl Compounds / toxicity*
  • Endocrine Disruptors / toxicity*
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha / genetics
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha / metabolism
  • Female
  • Fetal Development / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / drug effects*
  • Gene Regulatory Networks
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Maternal Exposure
  • Maternal-Fetal Exchange
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Phenols / toxicity*
  • Pregnancy
  • Receptors, Progesterone / genetics
  • Receptors, Progesterone / metabolism
  • Transcriptome / drug effects
  • Uterus / drug effects*
  • Uterus / embryology
  • Uterus / metabolism
  • Uterus / pathology
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • Benzhydryl Compounds
  • Endocrine Disruptors
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha
  • Phenols
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • beta Catenin
  • bisphenol A