Puppet Gov
Posted by PUPPETGOV on Jul 13th, 2009
BY MONIFA THOMAS~Chicago Suntimes
Exposure to Bisphenol A, a chemical widely used in plastics, may impair the growth and function of female reproductive cells in mice, a new study from the University of Illinois has found.
Previous lab tests in animals have linked BPA to adverse effects in fetuses and newborns, raising concerns about similar effects in people.
Now, researchers from the U. of I.’s Urbana-Champaign campus have found that BPA appears to stunt the growth of follicles in the ovaries of adult female mice. The study is the first to show that chronic exposure to low doses of BPA can impair the growth and function of adult reproductive cells.
Follicles need to grow to maturity in order for ovulation to occur. They also stimulate the production of vital sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.
U. of I. veterinary biosciences professor Jodi Flaws found that mouse follicle cells exposed to a relatively low dose of BPA for at least 120 hours produced 95 percent less testosterone and 97 percent less progesterone.
Flaws will present her research later this month at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction.
She cautioned that further study is needed to determine if BPA would have the same effect on human reproduction and at what level of exposure.
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