A study published in the scientific peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that Bisphenol S (BPS), a Bisphenol A (BPA) substitute also disrupt the endocrine system and causes cell death at low doses (Vinas and Watson 2013). Researchers from the University of Texas investigated the influence of BPS on signaling pathways in rat pituitary cells. They found that BPS greatly enhanced estradiol induced activity of some enzymes. Like the natural sex hormone estradiol, BPS caused cell proliferation at low concentration (fM and nM range). Together with estradiol, BPS also led to cell death and inhibited estradiol induced prolactin release. Prolactin is a hormone that controls lactation during breast feeding.
BPS has been introduced by some packaging manufacturers as a replacement for the controversial substance BPA. As BPA, the chemical is used as a starting compound for polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resin, and in the coating of thermal paper receipts. Its use is likely to become more widespread as BPA continues to be under discussion. Earlier studies have already shown that BPS mimicked estrogen at high doses (Kitamura, Suzuki et al. 2005, Grignard, Lapenna et al. 2012).
Read more
References
Grignard, E., S. Lapenna and S. Bremer (2012). "Weak estrogenic transcriptional activities of Bisphenol A and Bisphenol S." Toxicology in Vitro 26(5): 727-731.
Kitamura, S., et al. (2005). "Comparative Study of the Endocrine-Disrupting Activity of Bisphenol A and 19 Related Compounds." Toxicological Sciences 84(2): 249-259.
Vinas, R. and Watson, C.. “Bisphenol S disrupts estradiol induced non-genomic signaling in a rat pituitary cell line: effects on cell functions”. Environmental health perspectives doi:10.1289/ehp.1205826 (published online January 17, 2013).
