How does bisphenol A damage cells? Studies on the freshwater shrimp <i>Neocaridina davidi</i>

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic compound used in the production of numerous plastics, which poses a real threat to health and life. Although BPA is poorly soluble in water, its presence in marine and freshwater environments has been recorded at quite high levels. Numerous studies are being conducted on the impact of this xenobiotic on the population size, fertility, and reproduction of various animals. A freshwater shrimp Neocaridina davidi (Crustacea) originates from Asia and enjoys great interest among breeders and researchers studying the influence of various xenobiotics on the functioning of freshwater animals. Therefore, we selected this species to analyze the cytotoxicity of BPA and possible changes in cells leading to their protection. The study aimed to determine whether BPA only causes degenerative changes in the midgut epithelium of freshwater crustaceans or whether cell and tissue protection processes (e.g. stem cell proliferation) will be visible at the ultrastructural level. The most important goals were to establish whether the cytotoxicity of BPA is connected with its concentration and the period of animal exposure and whether it proceeds in the same manner in different organs. Thus, we used different concentrations of BPA, corresponding to its concentrations in different waters and different times of the animals’ breeding in a contaminated environment. Shrimps were exposed to three concentrations of BPA: 1, 5, and 10 mg/L for 24, 48, and 72 h. Two organs that form the midgut were isolated – the intestine and hepatopancreas. The results revealed that the concentration and exposure time of freshwater animals affect the functioning of stem cells. However, autophagy and lipid digestion play an important role in protecting cells against the effects of BPA, which is also related to the increased energy demand of cells. Further studies connected with cell death processes and antioxidative mechanisms are needed.