Efectos del bisfenol A en la reproducción masculina: estudios en modelos animales

Abstract

Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor, a chemical substance capable of mimicking or modulating the hormonal system. It is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the world today and is found in most canned goods and plastics. The population is chronically exposed to this endocrine disruptor with oestrogenic function. Its levels in human samples are often higher than the concentrations required to obtain oestrogenic positive responses in in vitro tests. Studies on the effects of bisphenol A in male animal models suggest a negative impact on testicular function, since it produces a reduction in the number of sperm and a worse sperm motility. Bisphenol A also affects antioxidant enzymes, producing an increase in oxidative stress that can damage germ cells, and therefore the sperm, with a possible epigenetic effect through aberrant DNA methylations. These observations suggest that foetal, perinatal, or adult exposure to bisphenol A can cause negative and long-lasting effects on male fertility in adulthood, which that can also be transgenerational.