Running Title: CLARITY-BPA and Behavior

D ow nloaded from Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high volume production chemical and has been identified as an endocrine disruptor, prompting concern that developmental exposure could impact brain development and behavior. Rodent and human studies suggest that early life BPA exposure may result in an anxious, hyperactive phenotype, but results are conflicting and data from studies using multiple doses below the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) are limited. To address this, the present studies were conducted as part of the CLARITY-BPA (Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on BPA Toxicity) program. The impact of perinatal BPA exposure (2.5, 25, or 2500 µg/kg body weight (bw)/day) on behaviors related to anxiety and exploratory activity was assessed in juvenile (pre-pubertal) and adult NCTR Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes. Ethinyl estradiol (EE; 0.5 µg/kg bw/day) was used as a reference estrogen. Exposure spanned gestation and lactation with dams gavaged from gestational day 6 until birth, and then the offspring gavaged directly through weaning (n = 12/sex/group). Behaviora