MATERNAL EXPOSURE TO XENOESTROGEN BISPHENOL A ON EMBRYO FETAL DEVELOPMENT AND TERATOGENIC POTENTIAL IN RATTUS NORVEGICUS

Abstract

The potential teratogenic effects and fetal toxicity of environmental estrogenic endocrine disruptors have become
a great concern in recent years, and they have yet to be fully characterized. Humans are routinely exposed to
bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogenic compound that leaches from dental materials and plastic bottles and beverage
containers. The present study was conducted to evaluate embryo toxic and teratogenic effects of BPA exposure
during the period of pregnancy in Rattus norvegicus. Pregnant rats were administered 600mg/kg of BPA orally
using olive oil as a vehicle from days 0 - 15 of gestation. The control group received olive oil only. On completion
of the treatment period, the half of the experimental animals were sacrificed under light anesthesia using ether
and the other half was allowed to complete their term and deliver their pups. The body weight, the gravid uterine
weight, organ weight, number of implantations, number of corpus lutea, litter size, litter weight and growth rate
of the viable offsprings were altered after BPA administration. BPA also induced some abnormal changes in
gestation such as resorption of fetuses and teratogenicity. The present study suggested that BPA adversely affected
the embryo fetal development of the pregnant female rats.