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Patricia Hunt, Ph.D. Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used component for the production of polycarbonate plastics used in food and beverage packaging and dental sealants. Though it is a man-made compound, BPA has hormone-like properties that mimic the effects of naturally produced estrogens. Recently, the accidental use of a harsh detergent used to clean animal cages led to the release of small amounts of BPA. Mice housed in the cages were exposed to the compound resulting in meiotic disturbances in the oocytes from the mice. This finding was later replicated in a controlled experiment. Advance: Researchers in the Department of Genetics at Case Western Reserve University noticed the abnormalities and went looking for an answer. When the detergent was determined to be the cause, the researchers dosed mice with environmentally relevant doses of BPA. Eggs from the dosed animals showed increases in problems of meiosis including disorganized or unaligned chromosomes, and an abnormal number of chromosomes, a condition known as aneuploidy. Implication: The kinds of chromosomal abnormalities resulting from both the accidental exposure and the controlled experiment are leading causes of miscarriage, congenital birth defects and mental retardation in humans. Although no direct conclusions can be drawn on human health effects without further study, these results do raise concerns because another study in Germany indicated pregnant women are exposed to similar amounts of BPA. These findings provide the first conclusive link between mammalian aneuploidy and an accidental environmental exposure. The study also suggests that the mouse oocyte may provide a sensitive system for the study of reproductive toxins. Citation: Hunt PA, Koehler KE, Susiarjo M, Hodges CA, Ilagan A, Voigt RC, Thomas S, Thomas BF, Hassold TJ. Bisphenol a exposure causes meiotic aneuploidy in the female mouse. Curr Biol. 2003 Apr 1;13(7):546-53. |
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