Altered social interactions in male juvenile cynomolgus monkeys prenatally exposed to bisphenol A

Takayuki Negishi; Akiko Nakagami; Katsuyoshi Kawasaki; Yoshiro Nishida; Toshio Ihara; Yoichiro Kuroda; Tomoko Tashiro; Takamasa Koyama; Yasuhiro Yoshikawa

doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2014.05.004

Altered social interactions in male juvenile cynomolgus monkeys prenatally exposed to bisphenol A

Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2014 Jul-Aug:44:46-52. doi: 10.1016/j.ntt.2014.05.004. Epub 2014 May 29.

Authors

Takayuki Negishi¹, Akiko Nakagami², Katsuyoshi Kawasaki³, Yoshiro Nishida⁴, Toshio Ihara⁴, Yoichiro Kuroda⁵, Tomoko Tashiro⁶, Takamasa Koyama², Yasuhiro Yoshikawa⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, 150 Yagotoyama, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi 468-8503, Japan; Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, Aoyama Gakuin University, 5-10-1 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5258 Japan. Electronic address: taka-u@yayoi.club.ne.jp.
² Department of Psychology, Japan Women's University, 1-1-1 Nishi-ikuta, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8565, Japan.
³ Department of Psychology, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan.
⁴ Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories, Ltd. 2438 Miyanoura, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima 891-1394, Japan.
⁵ Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, 2-6 Musashidai, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8526, Japan.
⁶ Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, Aoyama Gakuin University, 5-10-1 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5258 Japan.
⁷ Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.

PMID: 24882564
DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2014.05.004

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widespread environmental contaminant, and humans are routinely exposed to BPA. We investigated whether prenatal exposure to BPA influences behavioral development in juvenile cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). Pregnant cynomolgus monkeys were implanted with subcutaneous pumps and exposed to 10μg/kg/day BPA or vehicle (control) from gestational day 20 to 132. Both BPA-exposed and control juvenile monkeys (aged 1-2years) were assessed using the peer-encounter test that was conducted to evaluate behaviors in social interaction with a same-sex, same-treatment peer. In the encounter test, prenatal BPA exposure significantly reduced environmental exploration and presenting, a gesture related to sexual reproduction, and increased visual exploration, but only in males; furthermore, it significantly reduced the typical sexual dimorphism of the aforementioned behaviors normally observed between male and female juvenile cynomolgus monkeys. This study demonstrates that prenatal BPA exposure affects behavioral development during adolescence and results in the demasculinization of key sexually dimorphic behaviors in male juvenile monkeys.

Keywords: Bisphenol A; Cynomolgus monkey; Sexual differentiation; Social behavior.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Age Factors
Animals
Benzhydryl Compounds / toxicity*
Female
Macaca fascicularis
Male
Phenols / toxicity*
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects*
Sexual Behavior, Animal / drug effects
Social Behavior*

Substances

Benzhydryl Compounds
Phenols
bisphenol A