• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.128-135
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• 2019

This study evaluates the effect of dissolved effluent organic matter (SE-dEfOM) from sewage wastewater treatment plants on the adsorption and estrogenic activity of bisphenol A (BPA). Specific ultraviolet absorbance and fluorescence index analyses indicated that SE-dEfOM was mainly microbially derived non-humic substances differed from Suwannee River natural organic matter (SR-NOM) as reference. Both Langmuir and Freundlich models successfully explained the adsorption of BPA onto both SE-dEfOM and SR-NOM. Additionally, the SE-dEfOM showed higher binding capacities and affinities for BPA than those of SR-NOM, resulting in better reduction of the estrogenic activity of BPA. These findings suggest that the binding and toxicity of BPA are largely dependent on the source of organic matters.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.227-244
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• 2021

Objectives: The Korean National Environmental Health Survey provides representative biomonitoring data for environmental pollutants in South Korea. Over the last decade, there have been various studies published using this data. In this study, we aimed to provide information and implications by reviewing each study. Methods: We searched comprehensive electronic databases from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Naver Academic database using the key words 'Korean National Environmental Health Survey' and 'KoNEHS' through March 2021. A total of 57 studies were selected after reviewing the relevance of the data. Results: The most frequently studied pollutants were heavy metals (10), Cotinine (8), Bisphenol A (7), and Phthalates (6), in that order. In particular, Phthalates, Bisphenol A, and Parabens were often studied together (6). A decline in urinary cotinine and heavy metals in the body was shown over time among studies on exposure association. It was demonstrated that Phthalates and Bisphenol A were significantly related to obesity and diabetes from the studies of health impacts. Cross-section study design, spot urine, and insufficient health status information were mostly reported as limitations of the data. Conclusion: Since research has been focused on adults, further investigations of children and adolescents are required. In this regard, it is necessary to maintain the consistency of the data structure and provide integrated weights for all ages. In addition, it would allow the measurement of several environmental pollutants by considering subsample design. Lastly, integrated studies with multi-cycles and the health effects from co-exposure to multiple chemicals would be expected to provide important knowledge.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.935-944
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• 2021

It has been suggested that bisphenol A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor, interferes with the endocrine system, causing reproductive dysfunction. Recently, BPA has been found in waste water due to incomplete sewage purification, possibly threatening health through its ingestion via tap water. In this study, young male mice (6 - 7 weeks old) were administered water containing BPA (50 mg·kg^-1) for four weeks, while control mice consumed water without BPA. Serum, epididymal spermatozoa and testicular sections were assessed after sacrificing the mice on day 28. No significant differences were obtained between the groups in the body, testis and seminal vesicle weights. However, the epididymal sperm motility and count levels were significantly reduced in BPA-fed mice. Significantly higher hepatotoxicity levels were also observed in mice ingesting BPA as compared to the control mice. The level of serum testosterone was reduced, and testicular sections revealed incomplete and irregular spermatogenesis in BPA-ingested mice. The sperm proteasomal-proteolytic activity level has been implicated in sperm function and is measured in motile spermatozoa using fluorometric substrates. High ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase activity levels were observed in the control mice without BPA. During a mating trial, a low pregnancy rate (71.4%) was observed in females mated with males who had consumed BPA (100% in the control mice). Overall, BPA adversely affected spermatogenesis and quality, as indicated by decreased sperm motility, concentration and serum testosterone levels, resulting in reduced fertility competence.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.195-203
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• 2023

Exposure to environmental chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals, during the gestational period can have profound adverse effects on several organs in offspring. Bisphenol A (BPA) can infiltrate the human body through food and drinks, and its metabolites can cross both the placental and the blood-brain barriers. In this study, we investigate the effect of gestational exposure to BPA on epigenetic, biochemical, and histological modifications in the uterine tissues of F1 adult offspring rats. Pregnant rats were exposed to BPA from gestational day 8-15, and changes in global DNA methylation in uterine tissues obtained from adult offspring born to the exposed mothers were analyzed. Global DNA methylation analysis revealed that gestational exposure to BPA resulted in DNA hypomethylation in the uterus. Progesterone receptor (PR) protein expression in uterine tissues was monitored using western blot analysis, which revealed that the PR protein content was considerably higher in all BPA-exposed groups than in the control. Immunohistochemical examination for the PR revealed that intense PR-positive cells were more frequently observed in the BPA-exposed group than in the control group. To date, the evidence that the upregulation of PRs observed in the present study was caused by the non-methylation of specific PR promoter regions is lacking. Conclusively, these results indicate that exposure to BPA during gestation induces epigenetic alterations in the uteri of adult female offspring. We speculate that the global DNA hypomethylation and upregulation of the PR observed simultaneously in this study might be associated with the uterus.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.161-165
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• 2005

Bisphenol A (SPA), a environmental endocrine disruptor, is considered to bind to estrogen receptors and to regulate the expressions of estrogen responsive genes. This study was to evaluate the effect of SPA administration on body weight, sex ratio and litter size on 18 days in prenatal periods, the effect of reproductive organ weight and blood hematological values on 24 days postpartum in pregnant mice. The female mice was administrated to low doses of SPA (0, 0.05, 0.5 and 5.0 mg/kg B.W.) by intraperitoneal injection in gestation days $0\~15$ with 5 times at 3 days interval. The maternal body weight, litter size and sex ratios were similar to in all experimental groups, but body weights of male and female offspring was significantly lower in 5.0mg SPA group when compared to any other groups (P<0.05). No treatment-related effects on body weight, ovary weight and blood hematological values were observed in dams on 24 days after delivery. The uterine weight in 5.0mg SPA group was slightly higher than those of any other groups, but not significantly difference. The histological evaluation of ovary in dam mice on 24 days after dilivery was not difference in all experimental groups, but the endometriosis of uterus in dam mice were significantly increased in 0.5mg SPA group when compared to control group. These results indicates that low concentration of SPA should not be considered as a selective reproductive toxicant.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.289-297
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• 2013

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogenic endocrine disrupter. However, depending on a way of treatment, the harmful effects of BPA have not been confirmed. Also, trans-generational effects of BPA on male reproduction are still controversial. Because the reabsorption of testicular fluid in the efferent ductules (ED) and initial segment (IS) is important for sperm maturation, the present study was designed to determine trans-generational effect of BPA administrated orally on expression of water transport-related molecules in the mouse ED and IS. Ethanol-dissolved BPA was diluted in water to be 100 ng (low), $10{\mu}g$ (medium), and $1mg/m{\ell}$ water (high). BPA-containing water was provided for two generations. Expression of ion transporters and water channels in the ED and IS were measured by relative real-time PCR analysis. In the ED, BPA treatment caused expressional increases of carbonic anhydrase II, cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator, $Na^+/K^+$ ATPase ${\alpha}1$ subunit, and aquaporin (AQP) 1. No change of $Na^+/H^+$ exchange (NHE) 3 expression was detected. BPA treatment at medium dose resulted in an increase of AQP9 expression. In the IS, the highest expressional levels of all molecules tested were observed in medium-dose BPA treatment. Generally, high-dose BPA treatment resulted in a decrease or no change of gene expression. Fluctuation of NHE3 gene expression by BPA treatment at different concentrations was detected. These findings suggest that trans-generational exposure to BPA, even at low dose, could affect gene expression of water-transport related molecules. However, such effects of BPA would be differentially occurred in the ED and IS.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 2002

A study on the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on sex differentiation and gonadal development in medaka, Oryzias latipes, was investigated by histological examination. The fish were exposed to aqueous solutions of BPA at nominal concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L from newly-hatched larvae stage to 70 d. The ovaries of female fish were composed of oocytes at the chromatin nucleolus and peri-nucleolus stages at 20 d after the exposure. The testes contained a number of spermatogonia and spermatocytes at 30 d. In the process of sex differentiation. gonadal development was not different in all experimental groups until 30 d after the exposure. At 70 d after the exposure, however, advanced development of oocytes in the ovary and inhibition of spermatogenesis in the testis were observed in the BPA-treated groups compared to the non-treated controls. More females than males were identified in the 50 and 100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L BPA-treated groups, in comparison to the 200 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L BPA-treated group and non-treated controls. Medaka exposed to 200 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L BPA were bigger compared to other experimental groups. The present study suggests that BPA may lead to problems in either mating or sexual behavior due to the difference in growth and disparity of sexual maturation between male and female fish.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2017

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a monomer used in a polymerization reaction in the production of polycarbonate plastics. It has been used in many consumer products, including plastics, polyvinyl chloride, food packaging, dental sealants, and thermal receipts. However, there is little information available on the inhalation toxicity of BPA. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine its inhalation toxicity and effects on the estrous cycle, spatial learning, and memory. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 0, 10, 30, and $90mg/m^3$ BPA, 6 hr/day, 5 days/week for 8 weeks via whole-body inhalation. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight, hematology, serum chemistry, estrous cycle parameters, performance in the Morris water maze test, and organ weights, as well as gross and histopathological findings, were compared between the control and BPA exposure groups. Statistically significant changes were observed in serum chemistry and organ weights upon exposure to BPA. However, there was no BPA-related toxic effect on the body weight, food consumption, hematology, serum chemistry, organ weights, estrous cycle, performance in the Morris water maze test, or gross or histopathological lesions in any male or female rats in the BPA exposure groups. In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that the no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) for BPA in rats is above $90mg/m^3$/6 hr/day, 5 days/week upon 8-week exposure. Furthermore, BPA did not affect the estrous cycle, spatial learning, or memory in rats.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.503-511
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• 2018

Triclosan (TCS) and bisphenol A (BPA) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that interfere with the hormone or endocrine system and may cause cancer. Kaempferol (Kaem) and 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) are phytoestrogens that play chemopreventive roles in the inhibition of carcinogenesis and cancer progression. In this study, the influence of TCS, BPA, Kaem, and DIM on proliferation and apoptotic abilities of VM7Luc4E2 breast cancer cells were examined. MTT assay revealed that TCS ($0.1-10{\mu}M$), BPA ($0.1-10{\mu}M$) and E2 ($0.01-0.0001{\mu}M$) induced significant cell proliferation of VM7Luc4E2 cells, which was restored to the control (0.1% DMSO) by co-treatment with Kaem ($30{\mu}M$) or DIM ($15{\mu}M$). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production assays showed that TCS and BPA inhibited ROS production of VM7Luc4E2 cells similar to E2, but that co-treatment with Kaem or DIM on VM7Luc4E2 cells induced increased ROS production. Based on these results, the effects of TCS, BPA, Kaem, and DIM on protein expression of apoptosis and ROS production-related markers such as Bax and Bcl-xl, as well as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related markers such as $eIF2{\alpha}$ and CHOP were investigated by Western blot assay. The results revealed that TCS, and BPA induced anti-apoptosis by reducing ROS production and ER stress. However, Kaem and DIM effectively inhibited TCS and BPA-induced anti-apoptotic processes in VM7Luc4E2 cells. Overall, TCS and BPA were revealed to be distinct xenoestrogens that enhanced proliferation and anti-apoptosis, while Kaem and DIM were identified as natural chemopreventive compounds that effectively inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation and increased anti-apoptosis induced by TCS and BPA.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.306-312
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• 2016

Microalgae are the potential bioindicators of environmental changes, for the environmental risk assessment as well as to set limits for toxic chemical release in the aquatic environment. Here, we evaluated the effects of two endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), namely bisphenol A (BPA) and Aroclor 1016, on the green algae Tetraselmis suecica, diatom Ditylum brightwellii, and dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum. Each species showed wide different sensitivity ranges when exposed to these two EDCs; the 72 h effective concentration ($EC_{50}$) for these test species showed that Aroclor 1016 was more toxic than BPA. $EC_{50}$ values for the diatom D. birghtwellii were calculated at 0.037 mg/L for BPA and 0.002 mg/L for Aroclor 1016, representing it was the most sensitive when compared to the other species. In addition, these results suggest that these EDC discharge beyond these concentrations into the aquatic environments may cause harmful effect to these marine species.