Pre and/or Neonatal Exposure to Bisphenol-A Exacerbates Experimental Parkinsonism

Background: There is considerable evidence suggesting that exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA) may affect the dopaminergic system. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of pre- and postnatal BPA exposure on the severity of experimental Parkinson s disease in adult male rats. Methods: Four groups of pregnant Wistar rats (200 - 230 g) were used: (1) control; (2) sham (solvent); (3) prenatal BPA (50 µg/rat, 10 days), and 4. pre- and postnatal BPA (from 8 - 30 days). Bisphenol-A or its solvent was injected intraperitoneally into the mothers from days 8 to 18 of gestation and into the neonates from days 10 to 30 of life. Thirty days after birth, eight males were randomly selected from each group. At 120 days after birth, the Parkinson-like behavior of the rats was assessed by injecting 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the right striatum. Results: The outcomes showed that exposure to BPA during embryonic and/or fetal periods, especially concurrently, significantly increased the rate of apomorphine-induced rotations and muscle rigidity compared to the control group and decreased the number of neurons in the substantia nigra. Conclusions: Based on the results, exposure to BPA during the pre- and/or neonatal period affects dopaminergic neurons and can exacerbate the effects of 6-OHDA toxicity.