Bisphenol A Exposure Linked to Adverse Effects in Developing Primates

28 Feb, 2014 | Labroots
bpaBisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical found in a variety of products, such as food cans, water bottles, and even paper receipts. It is a hormone mimic that has been shown to alter signaling mechanisms in estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormones. Studies in mice and rats have previously demonstrated that maternal exposure to even very low doses of BPA can cause significant damage to developing fetuses. Now, the same results have been shown in primates. Researchers at the University of Missouri collected tissue samples and analyzed BPA blood levels in pregnant female rhesus monkeys and their fetuses after a series of low dose exposures to BPA. The team found significant adverse effects in the mammary glands, ovaries, brain, uterus, lung, and heart tissues in those fetuses exposed to BPA compared to those with no exposure. These results suggest that traditional toxicological analyses most likely underestimate human exposures and that the BPA does transfer from mother to fetus. The researchers also explain that the very low level of BPA exposure in the monkeys is far less than the everyday exposure to humans, creating concern over the wide-spread use of BPA in every day products.
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