On January 20, 2015 the Endocrine Society published a press release reporting on a new study linking bisphenol A (BPA, CAS 80-05-7) exposure during pregnancy to oxidative stress in both the mother and child. Oxidative stress, which occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, may increase the risk of developing diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. In the new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Endocrinology, U.S. researchers analyzed blood samples from 24 mother-child pairs to examine the effects of BPA exposure. Blood samples were taken during the first trimester of pregnancy. The women were then divided into two groups based on the measured BPA blood levels (low vs high exposed). Further blood samples were taken from the umbilical cords after delivery and analyzed for chemical by-products created by oxidative stress. The results show that mothers, who have been exposed to high levels of BPA and their children exhibited signs of a specific type of oxidative stress, the so-called nitrosative stress, due to overexposure to nitric oxide-derived free radicals. Additionally, the researchers studied the effects of BPA on pregnancy in sheep, rats and mice. Animals were fed with diets containing either high or low doses of BPA. The oxidative stress on the mothers and their offspring was measured using blood samples. The results of the animal study supported the outcomes of the human study.
Both the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have just recently reaffirmed the safety of BPA for food contact applications.
Read more
Endocrine Society (January 20, 2015). “BPA Exposure during pregnancy causes oxidative stress in child, mother.“
Reference
Veiga-Lopez, A. et al. (2015). “Impact of gestational bisphenol A on oxidative stress and free fatty acids: human association and interspecies animal testing studies.” Endocrinology (published online January 20, 2015).
