Bisphenol S Exposure Perturbs Epididymis Function of Adult Male Golden Hamster, <i>Mesocricetus auratus</i>

Abstract

Bisphenols are widely used in industrial and commercial products that exhibit endocrine-disrupting properties. Bisphenol S (BPS) has been reported to show adverse impact on human health. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of BPS on epididymal function in the adult male golden hamster Mesocricetus auratus. Different doses of BPS (25, 50 and 75mg/kg BW/day) were orally administered for 28 days. BPS administration caused a reduction in body and epididymis weight, sperm count and sperm viability. BPS exposure also caused a reduction in the serum testosterone levels, suggesting its impact on testicular steroidogenesis. Further, the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and catalase) in the epididymis were markedly decreased, while the levels of lipid peroxidation increased significantly in epididymis of BPStreated hamsters. Epididymides obtained from BPS treated hamsters showed degenerative changes in the caput, corpus and cauda along with a decreased sperm count in the lumen. In conclusion, we demonstrate that exposure to BPS caused oxidative stress in the epididymis, which may lead to impaired reproductive function.