Memory impairment associated with a dysfunction of the hippocampal cholinergic system induced by prenatal and neonatal exposures to bisphenol-A

Neurosci Lett. 2007 May 18;418(3):236-41. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2007.01.088. Epub 2007 Apr 11.

Abstract

One of the most common chemicals that behaves as an endocrine disruptor is the compound 4,4'-isopronylidenediphenol, called bisphenol-A. In the previous study, we reported that exposure to bisphenol-A induced the abnormality of dopamine receptor functions in the mouse limbic area, resulting in a supersensitivity of drugs of abuse-induced pharmacological actions. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether prenatal and neonatal exposures to bisphenol-A could alter other behavioral abnormalities such as anxiogenic behavior, motor learning behavior, or memory. In the present study, adult female mice were chronically treated with bisphenol-A-admixed powder food from mating to weaning. All experiments were performed using male pups. Here we found that prenatal and neonatal exposures to bisphenol-A failed to induce anxiogenic effects and motor-learning impairment using the light-dark test, elevated plus maze test, and rota-rod test. On the other hand, we found that prenatal and neonatal exposures to bisphenol-A induced the memory impairment using the step-through passive avoidance test. Immunohistochemical study showed the dramatic reduction in choline acetyltransferase-like immunoreactivity, which is a marker of acetylcholine (ACh) production, in the hippocampus of mice prenatally and neonatally exposed to bisphenol-A. These results suggest that chronic exposures to bisphenol-A could induce the memory impairment associated with the reduction in ACh production in the hippocampus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholine / metabolism*
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Benzhydryl Compounds
  • Bisphenol A Compounds
  • Choline O-Acetyltransferase / metabolism
  • Female
  • Hippocampus / drug effects*
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Hippocampus / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Memory Disorders / chemically induced*
  • Memory Disorders / pathology
  • Memory Disorders / physiopathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Motor Activity / drug effects
  • Phenols / toxicity*
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects* / chemically induced
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects* / pathology
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects* / physiopathology
  • Reaction Time / drug effects

Substances

  • Acetylcholine
  • Benzhydryl Compounds
  • Choline O-Acetyltransferase
  • Phenols
  • bisphenol A
  • Bisphenol A Compounds