Effects of Estrogen and Bisphenol-A Exposure During Adolescent Development: A Behavioral Analysis

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a known endocrine disruptor found in a variety of objects including hard plastic products, epoxy resin linings of canned food, and water/beverage containers. BPA exposure during adolescent development increases anxiety and impairs spatial memory when measured in rats. BPA interacts with Estrogen (E), which is known to be neuroprotective and enhances memory. The current study was designed to examine (1) whether exposure to BPA or E during adolescence would alter behaviors when measured in adulthood and (2) compare the similarity of any BPA and E effects. Female rats were ovariectomized at postnatal day (PND) 21 and received either placebo, BPA, or E injections during adolescence (PND 42-49). In adulthood, starting PND 77, subjects were tested for anxiety (elevated plus maze), locomotor activity (open field), spatial memory (object placement), and non-spatial visual memory (object recognition). BPA exposed rats demonstrated a physiological effect of increased weight gain over time, whereas E displayed less weight gain over time. Surprisingly, there were no significant group differences on any of the behavioral measures. Given that both BPA and E alter adult behaviors, this data suggest that the profound neural alterations occurring during adolescence may mask potential BPA and/or E induced behavioral alterations. Certainly further studies are warranted