Nephrotoxicity of Bisphenol A (BPA) -An Updated Review

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA), the highest volume chemical produced in the whole world is widely used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are used especially in the manufacture of consumer products. The exposure of BPA to humans occurs through food contamination from polycarbonate bottles and food and beverage cans. Dust is also a contributor to the total daily exposure of BPA. Thus, BPA has a high potential for human consumption. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced concern about the safety of BPA and the need for more research data. This article reviews toxicity of BPA in general and kidney in particular using clinical and experimental literature. BPA is toxic to aquatic organisms, animals and humans. BPA is cytotoxic and mutagenic and exerts various adverse effects on immune, endocrine, reproductive, developmental and nervous systems in animals and human and exhibits toxicity by all routes of exposure. Metabolism of BPA is much more rapid in humans than in rodents. BPA increases estrogen metabolism in the kidney and upregulates cytochrome p-450 aromatase activity by means of steroidogenesis. BPA acts as biomarker for renal disease and exhibits nephrotoxicity. BPA toxicity with reference to human exposure level and also carcinogenicity are lacking. While focusing on kidney, this review suggests that further research is required to evaluate the molecular mechanism of BPA induced nephrotoxicity. Protective role of antioxidants against BPA induced toxicity / nephrotoxicity is discussed in this literature.

The Choice of Hemodialysis Membrane Affects Bisphenol A Levels in Blood

“…12 Experimental studies have identified potential mechanisms of BPA nephrotoxicity through injury of glomerular podocytes, oxidative stress, inflammation, and induction of arterial hypertension. [13][14][15] One argument by government agencies for considering safe the use of BPA in the general population is the almost complete and rapid urinary elimination of the conjugated molecule, which decreases the risks of exposure to BPA. 16 Thus, BPA exposure is assessed as urinary BPA concentration in the general population because serum levels are very low when renal function is normal.…”

Effects of bisphenol A treatment during pregnancy on kidney development in mice: a stereological and histopathological study

“…The symptoms develop slowly and usually begin when more than 80% of kidney function is lost. [5][6][7][8] This hyperplasia is not associated with pathologic alterations and is not considered a preoneoplastic lesion. 57 There were no histopathological lesions that demonstrated the loss of nephrons and/or functional changes in the young adult mice; however, the lower nephron density and the minor lesions found in the BPA-treated animals suggested that they could develop more extensive lesions and/or a greater degree of lesions with ageing than those of the control animals.…”

“…40,47 Exposure to lower levels of BPA is associated with a higher risk of heart and kidney disease among children and adolescents. 6 Animal studies indicated that prenatal exposure to BPA increased the susceptibility of the offspring to develop cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction later in life. 44,48,49 Glomerular enlargement is a common feature in several prevalent pathologies, including hypertension, 14 diabetes mellitus 50 and obesity.…”

“…3,4 The kidney is an extremely common target organ for therapeutic and diagnostic agents. [5][6][7][8] Nephrons are the functional units in the kidney. The number, size and distribution of the nephron components determine the renal function.…”

“…16,17 Several recent studies have shown that BPA exposure may be associated with kidney disease, including low-grade albuminuria or decreased renal function in animals and humans. [5][6][7][8] Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has become a major public health problem, reaching epidemic proportions. With the increasing incidence of T2DM, diabetic nephropathy has emerged as a worldwide public health problem.…”