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Updated: Apr 4, 2026
Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
Published on: March 6, 2018
Pubertal BPA exposure changes central ERα levels in female mice
Cheng J Yu1, Qian Q Fang2, Fa D Tai2
1Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China; School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China.
Abstract:
Despite many studies on the effects of perinatal Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on the brain, its effects on brain estrogen receptor (ERα) expression during puberty remain unclear. Here, mice were injected subcutaneously with BPA (50μg/kg), estradiol (10μg 17β-E2/kg) or oil (0.05ml sesame oil) daily during puberty (postnatal days 23-30). Immunohistochemistry was used to examine changes in ERα immunoreactive neurons in different brain regions. Compared to control animals, pubertal exposure to BPA significantly increased ERα immunoreactive neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), arcuate hypothalamic nucleus (Arc), ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and medial amygdaloid nucleus (MeA) in females. E2 exposure during puberty also increased ERα immunoreactive neurons in the lateral septum (LS) of females. No effect was detected in males. These results indicate that the effects of estrogenic chemicals on ERα immunoreactive neurons are sex-dependent.
