Neonatal exposure to Bisphenol A alters estrogen-dependent mechanisms governing sexual behavior in the adult female rat

MONJE LUCAS; VARAYOUD JORGELINA; MUÑOZ-DE-TORO MONICA; LUQUE ENRIQUE H; RAMOS J GUILLERMO

REPRODUCTIVE TOXICOLOGY (ELMSFORD, N.Y.)

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2009 vol. 28 p. 435 - 442

0890-6238

This study examines the effects of neonatal exposure to the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) on the hypothalamic circuitry controlling the female sexual behaviors of adult rats. From postnatal day 1 (PND1) to PND7, pups were injected with corn oil (control) or BPA (BPA20: 20mg/Kg/d, BPA.05: 0.05mg/Kg/d) and at PND85 the rats were bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX). At PND100, OVX-rats received estradiol alone or estradiol and progesterone to evaluate estrogen-dependent gene expression in the hypothalamus and sexual behavior. In BPA-exposed females, estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) expression was down-regulated in both the medial preoptic (MPN) and ventromedial nucleus (VMHvl), while repressor of estrogen receptor activity (REA) expression was up-regulated in the VMHvl. Interestingly, BPA-exposed females displayed significantly lower levels of proceptive behavior. Our results show that BPA permanently alters the hypothalamic estrogen-dependent mechanisms that govern sexual behavior in the adult female rat.