Brantley S Wyatt, Jessica R Gooding, Suchita Das, Shawn R Campagna, Arnold M Saxton, Stephen Dearth and Brynn H Voy
Children are directly exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) and other putative environmental obesogens through both diet and household products. The purpose of this study was to investigate sex- and genetic-dependent effects of BPA consumption on traits relevant to obesity and Type 2 diabetes in juveniles, using mice as models. Two strains of mice (C57BL/6J and DBA/2J) were chosen to represent distinct genetic backgrounds that differ in susceptibility to obesity and insulin resistance. Male and female mice of each strain consumed BPA at three doses in drinking water from four to eleven weeks of age. Male but not female mice of each strain consuming BPA were significantly fatter than controls. BPA induced corresponding changes in adipose tissue gene expression and metabolite abundance that indicate effects on adipogenesis and energy utilization. BPA consumption also altered the synthesis of adipokines, circulating factors that modulate insulin sensitivity and atherogenesis, in C57BL/6J but not DBA/2J males. Conversely, effects of BPA on plasma insulin were only observed in female mice, and with opposite effects in the two strains. These results suggest that dietary BPA may exacerbate childhood obesity and its consequences, and that sex and genetic background are important determinants of the physiological impact of BPA.