Title:Bisphenol A-Induced Endocrine Dysfunction and its Associated Metabolic
Disorders
Volume: 23
Issue: 4
Author(s): Meenu Maniradhan and Latchoumycandane Calivarathan*
Affiliation:
- Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur - 610 005, Tamil Nadu, India
Keywords:
Bisphenol A, endocrine disruptor, metabolic syndrome, obesogen, xenoestrogen, mitochondrial dysfunction.
Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical widely present in many consumer
goods that poses a significant threat to our health upon exposure. Humans are exposed to
BPA, which directly or indirectly causes endocrine dysfunctions that lead to metabolic disorders
like obesity, fatty liver diseases, insulin resistance, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and other endocrine-
related imbalances. The duration, quantity, and period of exposure to BPA, especially
during the critical stage of development, determine its impact on reproductive and non-reproductive
health. Because of its endocrine-disrupting effects, the European Chemical Agency has
added BPA to the candidate list of chemicals of very serious concern. Due to its estrogenic properties
and structural similarities with thyroid hormones, BPA disrupts the endocrine system at
different levels. It interacts with estrogen receptors at the molecular level and acts as an antagonist
or agonist via an estrogen receptor-dependent signaling pathway. In particular, BPA binds
to G-protein coupled receptors and estrogen receptors, activating signaling pathways that influence
cellular apoptosis, proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation. BPA acts as an obesogen
that promotes adipogenesis and correlates with increased lipid accumulation and elevated
expression of adipogenic markers. As a metabolic and endocrine disruptor, BPA impairs cellular
homeostasis by increasing oxidative mediators and decreasing antioxidant enzymes, resulting in
mitochondrial dysfunction. Due to its endocrine-disrupting properties, BPA exposure induces
endocrine dysfunctions, causing metabolic syndrome. This review article gives recent development
and novel insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of BPA-induced endocrine
dysfunctions and their associated metabolic disorders.