Preconception paternal bisphenol A exposure induces sex-specific anxiety and depression behaviors in adult rats

PLoS One. 2018 Feb 8;13(2):e0192434. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192434. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental endocrine-disrupting compound, has drawn a great attention for its adverse effect on behavioral development. Maternal exposure to this compound has been reported to induce anxiety and depression in offspring, but the effect of its paternal exposure is rarely discussed. This study investigated whether preconception paternal BPA exposure can affect the emotions of male rats and their offspring. Eighteen adult male rats (F0) received either a vehicle or 50 μg/kg/day BPA diet for 21 weeks and were then mated with non-exposed females to produce offspring (F1). The affective behaviors of F0 and F1 rats were evaluated in the open-field test, the elevated-plus maze and the forced swimming test, and their serum corticosterone were then examined. BPA exposure induced increased anxiety behaviors along with increased serum corticosterone in F0 rats. This paternal exposure also led to increased anxiety behaviors in F1 females and aggravated depression behaviors in both sexes of F1 rats. Furthermore, only F1 females exhibited increased serum corticosterone. Overall, these data indicate that preconception paternal exposure to a low dose of BPA may induce transgenerational sex-specific impairments in the affection of adult rats.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anxiety / chemically induced*
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Benzhydryl Compounds / toxicity*
  • Corticosterone / blood
  • Depression / chemically induced*
  • Female
  • Male
  • Paternal Exposure*
  • Phenols / toxicity*
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Benzhydryl Compounds
  • Phenols
  • bisphenol A
  • Corticosterone

Grants and funding

This research was supported by Xiamen Science and Technology Program of China 3502Z20154071, Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Fujian grants 2016D020 and 2018D0022, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities 2015QN096 and National Natural Science Foundation of China grants 81373007. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.