Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) have been shown to mimic endogenous hormones. The exposure to EDC involves risk to reproductive organs is well documented, but the influence of EDC on emotional development has not been studied. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the influence of EDC on aggression in male mice. From gestation days 11-17, female mice were fed bisphenol A at 2 ng/g of body weight or 20 ng/g. Aggressive evaluation and blood sampling of the offspring (n= 76) were done at 8,12, and 16 weeks of age. Aggression scores increased significantly (p<0.01) at 8 weeks of age in male mice exposed to bisphenol A at 2 ng/g and 20 ng/g concentrations compared with a control group, but no difference was found after 12 weeks. Testis weight/g body weight was significantly (p<0.05, p<0.01) lower at 8 and 12 weeks in mice treated at 2 ng/g than in the controls. Serum testosterone concentration in mice treated with bisphenol A was not different than that of the controls. These results demonstrate that bisphenol A temporarily activates male aggressive behavior at the beginning of puberty and that low doses of bisphenol A interfere with the normal development of reproductive organs. The mechanism activating this aggressive behavior was not testosterone concentration.
