Evaluation of Reproductive Toxicity Potential of Bisphenol A in Sprague Dawley Rats

Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in manufacturing industries and is an environmental toxicant.It is commonly detected in polycarbonate plastics and is reported to exert oestrogenic effects which may be harmful to their productive system.The present study was carried out to observe the effects of oral administration of BPA on the reproductive toxicity potential in male and female Sprague Dawley rats.Rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups having twenty four rats (twelve males and twelve females) in each group: Group 1 (G1)-Vehicle control group administered with 0.3% w/v Carboxy Methyl Cellulose as vehicle, Group 2 (G2)-Low dose: 75 mg/kg body weight of BPA, Group 3 (G3)-Mid dose: 250 mg/kg body weight of BPA, Group 4 (G4)-High dose: 750 mg/kg body weight of BPA.BPA caused significant reduction of vital gonadal hormones such as Luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicular Stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone and estradiol at varying dose levels in 75, 250 and 750 mg/kg body in Sprague Dawley rats.There was an increase in non-progressive and non-motile sperms and sperm abnormality while epididymal total sperm count and progressive sperm motility percentage were decreased significantly in a dose dependent manner in 250 mg/kg and 750 mg/kg dose groups.In female rats, BPA caused increased oestrous cyclicity in 250 mg/kg and 750 mg/kg dose groups.There was a BPA-treatment related decrease in pregnancy rate, total number of pups, and implantation index in 250 mg/kg and 750 mg/kg dose groups while it was observed that early resorptions, total number of resorptions, preimplantation loss etc. were increased in a dose dependent manner in these groups thus indicating early embryonic toxicity of BPA.There were mild to moderate histopathological lesions such as degeneration/necrosis of germinal layers and spermatogonial cells in the seminiferous tubules in testes of BPA-treated rats in a dose dependent manner.Thus, it appears that BPA is a male reproductive toxicant affecting the germ cells leading to impairment of spermatogenesis.