Bisphenol-A exposure during adolescence leads to enduring alterations in cognition and dendritic spine density in adult male and female rats.

We have previously demonstrated that adolescent exposure of rats to bisphenol-A (BPA), an environmental endocrine disrupter, increases anxiety, impairs spatial memory, and decreases dendritic spine density in the CA1 region of the hippocampus (CA1) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) when measured in adolescents in both sexes. The present study examined whether the behavioral and morphological alterations following BPA exposure during adolescent development are maintained into adulthood. Male and female, adolescent rats received BPA, 40μg/kg/bodyweight, or control treatments for one week.

Adolescent exposure to Bisphenol-A increases anxiety and sucrose preference but impairs spatial memory in rats independent of sex.

The endocrine disruptor Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been shown to modulate estrogenic, androgenic, and anti-androgenic effects. The effects of BPA exposure during early organizational periods of development have been well documented. The current study focuses on the effects of short term, low-dose BPA exposure on anxiety, spatial memory and sucrose preference in adolescent rats.