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ABSTRACT
Evidence is accumulating that developmental exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), an abundant endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC), affects neurodevelopment and later brain function, including cognitive performance, social and affective behaviors. However, an impact of BPA exposure on the stress system regulators has only recently come into focus. This mini-review aims to summarize and discuss the available findings from animal studies regarding BPA effects on the stress system and the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis in particular. It appears that perinatal exposure of rodents to low doses of BPA, around the human tolerable daily intake, can modify the levels, expression and epigenetic patterning of key stress mediators at later-life stages in a sex-specific way. These observations provide evidence that developmental exposure to one of the most highly produced chemicals today may contribute to the regulation of the stress axis. Given the importance of the HPA axis in coordination of the organisms' global homeostasis and its implications in stress-related disorders, further studies are needed to delineate the underling mechanisms of these BPA actions.
Abbreviations
| ACTH | = | adrenocorticotropic hormone |
| AR | = | Androgen receptor |
| AVP | = | arginine-vasopressin |
| BPA | = | Bisphenol A |
| Bw | = | body weight |
| CRH | = | corticotrophin releasing hormone |
| CRHR1 | = | CRH receptor 1 |
| DNMT | = | DNA methyltransferase |
| EDCs | = | endocrine disruptive chemicals |
| Erα | = | Estrogen receptor α |
| ERβ | = | Estrogen receptor β |
| ERs | = | Estrogen receptors |
| ERRγ | = | estrogen related receptor gamma |
| Fkbp5 | = | FK506 binding protein 5 |
| FKBP51 | = | FK506 binding protein 51 |
| GR | = | glucocorticoid receptor |
| GRE | = | Glucocorticoid responsive element |
| HPA | = | Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal |
| MR | = | mineralocorticoid receptor |
| POMC | = | proopiomelanocortin |
| TDG | = | thymine DNA glycosylase |
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.
Funding
JR receives funding from the Swedish Research Council FORMAS, JR and EK receive funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 634880.