A Meta-Analysis of Bisphenol A’s Developmental Effects on the Female Reproductive System

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA), a monomer that is polymerized to manufacture polycarbonate plastic products and resins that are used in every day products, has raised alarm in the public health community. Research has shown that BPA may cause detrimental developmental effects in the female reproductive system. This review examines the current literature and presents the effects of BPA in rodent models. The wealth of data shows that there is convincing evidence that BPA acts as an estrogen-disrupting compound by binding to the estrogen receptor (ERα and ERβ) in different tissues in the female reproductive tract. Most often this results in disruption of the neuroendocrine axis, which de-synchronizes the production of hormones and steroids that are essential for normal reproductive function. The de-regulation of the neuroendocrine axis causes degradation of the genetic quality of gametes, deprivation of healthy and mature antral follicles, acceleration of the onset of puberty, and morphological changes to the reproductive tissues resulting in cancers and low fecundity/fertility. It is of vital importance to elucidate the harms of small dose and persistent exposure to this pervasive chemical in our environment. Public health practitioners must work to reduce the amount of BPA circulating in the environment to ensure that the current population, as well as future generations, does not exhibit adverse reproductive alterations.