Zhang Wenjing, Huang Ruofan, Chen Jiahao, Ren Lulu, Wang Lei, Chen Qionghua, Zhou Weidong
Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Reprod Biomed Online. 2025 Jul;51(1):104831. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.104831. Epub 2025 Jan 20.
Does adolescent exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) induce polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-like phenotypes in female rats?
Adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats (6-8 weeks old) were administered BPA (50 mg/kg body weight) in corn oil, or corn oil vehicle alone, daily for 10 weeks via gastric gavage. The rats' oestrous cycle was consistently evaluated from the initiation of BPA exposure, and observation was continued for 21 days after the exposure had ended. Serum sex hormone concentrations, blood glucose metabolism, ovarian morphology and fertility were investigated.
Adolescent exposure to BPA resulted in irregular oestrous cycles and abnormal ovulation in female rats. Compared with the control group, BPA exposure increased the serum concentrations of testosterone, LH, insulin and glucagon, but reduced the serum concentrations of oestradiol, prolactin, sex hormone-binding globulin and anti-Müllerian hormone. BPA exposure during adolescence caused ovarian atrophy in the rats in adulthood but did not lead to polycystic changes in the ovaries. Moreover, female rats exposed to BPA showed a significant decrease in terms of litter number and weight.
Exposure of adolescent female rats to BPA induced a PCOS-like syndrome that was similar to clinical subtype B of PCOS in adulthood and led to a marked decline in fertility. The findings further extend the research on endocrine-disrupting chemicals in reproduction, which would help to shed light on the pathogenesis of PCOS.
青春期接触双酚A（BPA）是否会在雌性大鼠中诱发多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）样表型？
将青春期斯普拉格-道利大鼠（6-8周龄）通过胃管每日给予玉米油中的BPA（50毫克/千克体重），或仅给予玉米油载体，持续10周。从开始接触BPA起持续评估大鼠的发情周期，并在接触结束后继续观察21天。研究血清性激素浓度、血糖代谢、卵巢形态和生育能力。
青春期接触BPA导致雌性大鼠发情周期不规律和排卵异常。与对照组相比，接触BPA会增加血清睾酮、促黄体生成素、胰岛素和胰高血糖素的浓度，但会降低血清雌二醇、催乳素、性激素结合球蛋白和抗苗勒管激素的浓度。青春期接触BPA会导致成年大鼠卵巢萎缩，但不会导致卵巢多囊性改变。此外，接触BPA的雌性大鼠产仔数和体重显著下降。
青春期雌性大鼠接触BPA会诱发一种PCOS样综合征，类似于成年期PCOS的临床B亚型，并导致生育能力显著下降。这些发现进一步扩展了对生殖内分泌干扰化学物质的研究，有助于阐明PCOS的发病机制。
