Neuroendocrine and Behavioral Effects of Maternal Exposure to Oral Bisphenol a in Female Mice
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L NAULE´ and others Gestational and lactational BPA 220:3 375–388 Research in female mice Neuroendocrine and behavioral effects of maternal exposure to oral bisphenol A in female mice Lydie Naule´1,2,3, Marie Picot1,2,3, Mariangela Martini4,5,6, Caroline Parmentier1,2,3, He´le`ne Hardin-Pouzet1,2,3, Matthieu Keller4,5,6, Isabelle Franceschini4,5,6 and Sakina Mhaouty-Kodja1,2,3 1Sorbonne Universite´ s, UPMC University Paris 06, UMR 7224, 2Institut National de la Sante´ et de la Recherche Me´ dicale (INSERM) UMR_S 952 and 3Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7224, Physiopathologie des Maladies du Syste` me Nerveux Central (PMSNC), Universite´ Pierre et Marie Curie, Correspondence 9 Quai St Bernard Baˆ tB2e` me E´ tage, F75005 Paris, France should be addressed 4Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) UMR85, Physiologie de la Reproduction et des to S Mhaouty-Kodja Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France Email 5CNRS UMR 7247, F-37380 Nouzilly, France sakina.mhaouty-kodja@ 6Universite´ Franc¸ois Rabelais, F-37000 Tours, France snv.jussieu.fr Abstract Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widespread estrogenic compound. We investigated the effects of Key Words maternal exposure to BPA at reference doses on sexual behavior and neuroendocrine " bisphenol A functions offemale offspring in C57BL/6J mice. The dams were orally exposed to vehicle alone " female mice or vehicle-containing BPA at doses equivalent to the no observed adverse effect level (5 mg/kg " nervous system " Journal of Endocrinology body weight per day) and tolerable daily intake (TDI, 0.05 mg/kg body weight per day) level reproduction from gestational day 15 until weaning. Developmental exposure to BPA increased the lordosis " behaviors quotient in naive females exposed to BPA at the TDI dose only. BPA exposure had no effect on " kisspeptin olfactory preference, ability to express masculine behaviors or number of calbindin-positive cells, a sexually dimorphic population of the preoptic area. BPA at both doses selectively increased kisspeptin cell number in the preoptic periventricular nucleus of the rostral periventricular area of the third ventricle in adult females. It did not affect the number of GNRH-positive cells or percentage of kisspeptin appositions on GNRH neurons in the preoptic area. These changes were associated with higher levels of estradiol (E2) at the TDI dose while levels of LH, estrus cyclicity, ovarian and uterine weights, and fertility remained unaffected. Delay in the time of vaginal opening was observed during the postnatal period at TDI dose, without any alteration in body growth. This shows that developmental exposure to BPA at reference doses did not masculinize and defeminize the neural circuitry underlying sexual behavior in female mice. The TDI dose specifically exacerbated responses normally induced by ovarian E2, through estrogen receptor a, during the postnatal/prepubertal period. Journal of Endocrinology (2014) 220, 375–388 Introduction Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most abundant endocrine beverages. Environmental and health concerns about disrupters. It is used in epoxy resins and a wide variety of the extensive use of polycarbonate plastic have been raised, polycarbonate containers for the storage of foods and in particular, concerning BPA leaching from plastic. http://joe.endocrinology-journals.org Ñ 2014 Society for Endocrinology Published by Bioscientifica Ltd. DOI: 10.1530/JOE-13-0607 Printed in Great Britain Downloaded from Bioscientifica.com at 09/27/2021 09:45:02PM via free access Research L NAULE´ and others Gestational and lactational BPA 220:3 376 in female mice Most individuals in industrialized nations are exposed to sexual behavior in female mice. The studies investigating BPA contamination (Calafat et al. 2005, Vandenberg et al. the effects of BPA on reproductive physiology report 2007). BPA remains widely used in industry despite some various effects on vaginal opening, fertility, and the estrus countries recently banning the use of polycarbonate in cycle. Exposure to BPA during prenatal or postnatal life the production of baby bottles. Known for its estrogenic resulted in advanced- (Honma et al. 2002, Nikaido et al. activity, BPA binds to estrogen receptors (ERs) with a lower 2004, Nah et al. 2011), delayed- (Nikaido et al. 2005), or affinity than that of estradiol (E2)(Dodds & Lawson 1936) unaffected- (Howdeshell et al. 1999, Tyl et al. 2008) vaginal and acts as a partial agonist (Delfosse et al. 2012). opening. Fertility was either reduced or unaltered in The sexual differentiation of reproductive behavior females exposed to BPA (Honma et al. 2002, Tyl et al. and neuroendocrine function in rodents occurs during 2008, Cabaton et al. 2011). Irregular (Honma et al. 2002, the perinatal (late gestational and early neonatal) and Nikaido et al. 2004) or normal estrus cycles (Tyl et al. 2008) postnatal periods. This process is tightly regulated by have been described for BPA-exposed females. This gonadal hormones and is therefore highly sensitive to diversity in effects could be related to factors including hormonal changes or exposure to exogenous factors differences in mouse strains, BPA dose, and time of exhibiting hormone-mimetic activities. exposure. At the neuroanatomical level, only one study In males, testosterone liberated from fetal and reported increased levels of Kiss1 and Gnrh mRNAs after neonatal testes permanently potentiates male (masculini- exposure to high doses of oral BPA (Xi et al. 2011). These zation) and inhibits female (defeminization) behavioral genes code for kisspeptin and GNRH, two important and neuroanatomical characteristics (Phoenix et al. 1959, neuropeptides for the central regulation of reproductive Morris et al. 2004). The organizational effects of testoster- function throughout life and known targets of a variety of one result in the adult expression of male-typical behaviors estrogeno-mimetic endocrine disruptors (Gore 2010, (such as preference for a receptive female, mounts and Tena-Sempere 2010, Franceschini & Desroziers 2013). thrusts) and an inability to adopt the female posture Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of BPA (lordosis), which is triggered by male mounts. Testosterone exposure on sexual differentiation of copulatory behavior also acts perinatally to suppress the neuroanatomical and reproductive physiology, as well as to investigate the characteristics required for sex steroids to induce the neuronal populations involved in the regulation of these ovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) during responses in female mice. Indeed, documenting oral BPA adulthood (Corbier 1985, Homma et al. 2009). Sex steroids exposure in mice is of great interest because transgenic Journal of Endocrinology regulate gonadotropin release through an inhibitory or mice could be used to unravel the molecular mechanisms stimulatory feedback effect. Both male and female rodents underlying BPA effects. Female C57BL/6J strain mice, respond to negative feedback, but only females respond to widely used in reproductive and transgenic studies, were positive feedback. Testosterone effects are mainly induced thus studied following maternal exposure during the by E2, which is derived from neural aromatization of critical developmental periods for brain sexual differen- testosterone by aromatase cytochrome P450. tiation. BPA was orally administered to dams at the two In females, the ovaries are initially inactive, and selective dose levels set by the European Food Safety Agency and US binding of a-fetoprotein to maternal- and male sibling- Environmental Protection Agency as protective measures: derived E2 protects the perinatal brain from its masculinizing the ‘no observed adverse effect level’ (NOAEL) and the ‘100- effects (Bakker et al.2006). Significant levels of E2 are liberated fold lower tolerable daily intake’ (TDI) dose. This mimicked from the ovaries around postnatal day 7. Ovarian liberation the major route of contamination for animals and humans. of E2 between postnatal days 15 and 25 is important for a full The levels of environmental exposure to BPA could expression of female sexual behavior during adulthood actually be similar to the TDI dose (Vom Saal et al. 2007). (Bakker et al. 2002, Brock et al.2011), suggesting that this prepubertal period is also an important time window for the differentiation of female reproductive behaviors. Materials and methods BPA does not bind to a-fetoprotein (Milligan et al. Animals 1998) and could therefore act in the female brain to masculinize reproductive behaviors and functions during C57BL/6J mice, purchased from Janvier (Le Genest, the perinatal period. It could also interfere with E2 effects France), were group housed under a controlled photo- during the prepubertal period. No studies, to our knowl- period (12 h light:12 h darkness cycle – lights on at edge, have explored the effects of BPA exposure on the 0700 h), maintained at 22 8C, and fed with a standard http://joe.endocrinology-journals.org Ñ 2014 Society for Endocrinology Published by Bioscientifica Ltd. DOI: 10.1530/JOE-13-0607 Printed in Great Britain Downloaded from Bioscientifica.com at 09/27/2021 09:45:02PM via free access Research L NAULE´ and others Gestational and lactational BPA 220:3 377 in female mice diet with free access to food and water. Estrus females were Body length (nose to base of tail) and anogenital caged with males overnight, and successful mating was distance were measured. The ovaries and uterine horns of determined by the presence of a vaginal