Assessment of the immunotoxicity of Bisphenols

抄録

Bisphenols are used as curing or crosslinking agents in the processing of fluorocarbon elastomers, rubber processing, and specialty polymers due to their thermal stability, chemical resistance, and compression set resistance. These properties have led to widespread use in consumer products such as food storage containers and medical devices. We have investigated the impact of oral exposure to Bisphenol AF (BPAF) on the developing immune system of Harlan Sprague Dawley (HSD) rats. Dosed feed was provided ad libitum to pregnant HSD rats at BPAF concentrations of 250, 500 and 1000 ppm from gestation day 6 (GD6) through weaning on postnatal day 28 (PND28). F1 pups were provided dosed feed through 11-12 weeks of age. No major reproductive effects were observed in F0 rats exposed to BPAF at doses up to 1000 ppm during gestation and lactation although there was a decrease in dam bodyweights at the highest dose level. Gender- and treatment-specific effects in lymphoid organ weights and hematological effects in erythroid and myeloid cell populations were observed in the F1 generation. The antibody forming cell response to sheep red blood cells was suppressed in F1 male rats treated with the highest dose of BPAF, but unaffected in similarly exposed F1 females. T cell proliferation was suppressed in F1 female rats in in the 500 and 1000 ppm exposure groups but unaffected in F1 male rats. Taken together, these studies suggest that bisphenol analogues demonstrate the ability to modulate the immune system and can both stimulate and suppress immune function. As BPA analogues are used with increasing frequency their toxicity should be investigated fully to protect public health. This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH and performed under contract HHSN273201400017C.