Bisphenol F diglycidyl ether (BFDGE) is widely used in the synthesis process of plastic products. While exposure to bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), which has a similar structure to BFDGE and which is used for the same purpose, has been reported to cause health risks, there is still little information on BFDGE. Because it is estimated that the industrial workers are exposed to large amounts of BFDGE, the health risks associated with BFDGE exposure need to be clarified. We investigated the toxicity of cutaneous exposure to BFDGE using an in vitro evaluation system and a mouse exposure model. The tumorigenic potential of BFDGE was confirmed by the Bhas 42 cell transformation assay, which showed that BFDGE has both promoter and initiator activity, in vitro. A single dermal application of BFDGE was associated with minor contact hypersensitivity symptoms. In contrast, repeated dermal exposure to BFDGE for 2 weeks induced persistent acute inflammation with features similar to inflammation in human psoriasis. This is the first report evaluating the toxicity of BFDGE in animals, and we showed that BFDGE carries a health risk of inducing skin dermatitis similar to that in human psoriasis in an exposure period-dependent manner.
Keywords: BFDGE; chronic dermatitis; psoriasis-like skin inflammation.
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