Effects of in Utero and Lactational Exposure to Bisphenol A on Thyroid Status in F sub(1) Rat Offspring

Bisphenol A (BPA), a xenoestrogen, has been reported to mimic the actions of estrogen or to affect the endocrine glands in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we examined whether in utero and lactational exposure to BPA alters thyroid status in rat F sub(1) offspring. Dams were orally administered various doses of BPA (0, 4 or 40 mg/kg body weight per day) from gestation day (GD) 6 through postnatal day (PND) 20. The BPA and control groups did not differ significantly with respect to plasma thyroxine (T sub(4)) concentration. The thyroid glands from the BPA groups had normal T sub(4) responses to exogenous thyroid-stimulating hormone in vivo. These results suggest that in utero and lactational exposure (indirect exposure) to BPA (4-40 mg/kg/day, GD 6 - PND 20) does not affect thyroid functions in the F sub(1) generation of male and female rats.