Male mice exposed to BPA become demasculinized

 

A study from the University of Missouri demonstrated that female mice would not want to mate with BPA exposed male mice.

According to the lead investigator, Professor Cheryl Rosenfeld, Females do not want to mate with BPA-exposed male deer mice, and BPA-exposed males perform worse on spatial navigation tasks that assess their ability to find female partners in the wild. This study sets the stage for BPA researchers to examine how BPA might differentially impact the behavioral and cognitive patterns of boys versus girls. Investigators looking for obvious BPA-induced differences, such as chromosome deletions or DNA mutations, could be missing subtle behavioral differences that eventually lead to long-term adverse outcomes, including demasculinization of male behaviors with ensuing decreased reproductive fitness.

What’s the story with BPA?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic estrogen like compound used to make plastic products.

BPA as a possible cause of prostate cancer

In animal models, estrogens can drive carcinogenesis of the prostate and have long been suspected of playing a role in human prostate cancer. Scientists have hypothesized that prenatal exposure to estrogen-like compounds, including BPA, may account for recent increases in rates of prostate cancer. A rat study at the University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Urology provides the first evidence of a direct link between low-dose BPA exposure during development and later prostate cancer (Ho et al. 2006).

In the study groups of newborn rats were given high or low doses of estradiol or an environmentally relevant dose of BPA. One key prostate gene that normally fuels cell growth during development stayed turned on in the prostates of male rats exposed to BPA or elevated estradiol from birth. (Ho al. 2006)

BPA decrease male sexual function

In one study of 427 male workers in regions where high levels of BPA exposure existed revealed that increase urine BPA level was associated with worsening male sexual function. The study authors concluded, Our results reveal a correlation between a biological measure of urine BPA level and declining male sexual function. This finding may enhance the understanding of the BPA effect in human populations, and may have important public health implications given the widespread human exposure to BPA.( Li et al. 2010)

My take on this

Research is emerging on the association between prostate cancer , male health dysfunction and environmental toxins. It is tough to sustain a high level of health. One must develop and sustain discipline and determination. This may be a small price to pay, however, for long health and vitality. Eating healthy, exercising and remembering to take targeted supplements is hard enough. Should you now have to avoid drinking plastic bottled spring water?

Here is the deal. Most of the studies, with  few exceptions, associating BPA to numerous male diseases have been on animal studies. Making extrapolations from animal studies to apply to humans can be a stretch at times. The goal of this post is to present new research without writing a dissertation – so this is not complete by any means. At this point the data that does exist linking BPA to cancer and disease is compelling, however.

What to do:

To reduce BPA exposure here are some tips:

1. Reduce the use of can foods

2.Choose glass bottles instead of plastic.

3. Avoid #7 plastics in food containers. Most plastics marked #7 contain BPA.

4. Never heat foods or beverages in plastic containers

5. Avoid microwaving in plastic containers if you must microwave at all

6. Use stainless steel water bottles instead of plastic. Mountain valley spring water is a high quality water company.

 

 

 

Sources:

Ho, S-M, W-Y Tang, J Belmonte de Frausto, and GS Prins. 2006. Developmental Exposure to Estradiol and Bisphenol A Increases Susceptibility to Prostate Carcinogenesis and Epigenetically Regulates Phosphodiesterase Type 4 Variant 4. Cancer Research 66: 5624-5632.

Li DK, Zhou Z, Miao M, He Y, Qing D, Wu T, Wang J, Weng X, Ferber J, Herrinton LJ, Zhu Q, Gao E, Yuan W.Relationship between urine bisphenol-A level and declining male sexual function. J Androl. 2010 Sep-Oct;31(5):500-6.