Comparative Analysis of Bisphenol A and Its Derivatives (BPF and BPS) on Oxidative Injury and Apoptosis in Dermal Fibroblasts

This study provides the first comparative evaluation of Bisphenol A (BPA) and its derivatives, Bisphenol F (BPF) and Bisphenol S (BPS), with oxidative stress, lipid accumulation, and apoptosis levels in fibroblast cells. WST-1 and LDH assays revealed that while all compounds induced dose-dependent cytotoxic effects, BPA resulted in a more significant decrease in cellular viability compared with BPF and BPS. In addition, BPA demonstrated a more significant dose-dependent elevation in DCF fluorescence intensity, indicating a greater level of oxidative damage compared with BPF and BPS. Flow cytometry analyses showed that all bisphenols led to a decrease in cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, which correlated with an increase in the apoptosis and necrosis rate. All exposure groups of BPA, BPF, and BPS were determined to have diminished sizes and a more crescent nuclei morphology. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the BPA group were significantly higher than in the BPF and BPS groups. The lipid droplets were markedly higher in the BPA group when compared with the BPF and BPS groups, indicating that the accumulation of neutral lipids was greater in BPA-treated fibroblast cells. These results uncover that both BPA and its analogues cause cellular toxicity, but their toxicity levels can vary. Accordingly, further studies are needed to elucidate further risk assessment categories.