Potencies of bisphenol A on the neuronal differentiation and hippocampal neurogenesis.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) produce adverse effects on reproductive and immune function or neurological behavior, and may also induce cancer. The environmental EDC bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in the manufacture of plastics and epoxy resins. BPA affects reproductive organ growth and development, but the potential adverse effects of BPA on neuronal development are not fully understood. Here, BPA concentration-dependently decreased proliferation of murine-derived multipotent neural progenitor cells (NPC), and high concentrations produced cytotoxicity. In contrast, low concentrations of BPA, which possess estrogenic activity, stimulated NPC differentiation into a neuronal phenotype. BPA treatment did not affect neonatal brain development in F1 mice. However, BPA treatment (20 mg/kg) accelerated formation of the dentate gyrus in postnatal day 1 mice. Prenatal and postnatal BPA treatment did not affect adult hippocampal neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus in 8-wk-old mice. Data indicate that BPA stimulates neuronal differentiation and might disrupt neonatal brain development.