Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) are hormonally active, synthetic or natural chemicals that interfere with normal functioning of the endocrine system, most notably the reproductive endocrine axis. Concern about EDC has mainly been fueled by studies that point to likely effects of EDC exposure on humans including dramatic increases in estrogen sensitive cancers, decline in human sperm quality and quantity, a notable rise in endometriosis, and early puberty in women. Because of the universal and crucial role estradiol plays in reproduction and other biologic processes, estrogenic pollutants in the environment are of particular concern. Given that sex steroids play a crucial role in organ differentiation during development, it is reasonable to expect in utero exposure to exogenous steroid mimics may alter the developmental trajectory of the fetus culminating in adult reproductive dysfunction. Our preliminary studies using sheep as a model revealed that prenatal exposure to the plasticizer bisphenol A (BPA), an environmentally relevant EDC, at levels approaching that found in human maternal blood and amniotic fluids, resulted in low birth weight female offspring, early postnatal hypergonadotropism, and cycle defects manifested as severe dampening of the LH surge. In this proposal, we will test the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to BPA, an environmental estrogen mimic, at levels similar to what human fetuses are exposed to, will disrupt adult reproductive function by disrupting the mechanisms controlling postnatal neuroendocrine feedback controls of GnRH/LH secretion and ovarian sensitivity to gonadotropins. Further, prenatal exposure to BPA will exacerbate postnatal reproductive susceptibility to steroid exposure and culminate in reproductive failure.
Three Specific Aims will test these hypotheses.
In Specific Aim 1, we will determine if unconjugated BPA in the maternal circulation reaches the fetus and at levels seen by the human fetus disrupt adult reproductive function.
In Specific Aim 2, we will determine if prenatal BPA effect is mediated at the neuroendocrine or ovarian level and involves disruption of the mechanisms controlling postnatal neuroendocrine feedback controls of GnRH/LH secretion and/or ovarian sensitivity to gonadotropins.
In Specific Aim 3, we will determine if prenatal exposure to BPA exacerbates reproductive susceptibility to postnatal estradiol exposure culminating in reproductive failure. The proposal targets key elements of strategic plans that emanated from workshops convened by the NICHD in 2000-01 by focusing on three targeted areas: fetal antecedents of disease, reproductive health for the 21st century, and developmental biology. The findings will be relevant to research on fetal origin of infertility and the threat estrogenic environmental disruptors at current exposure levels pose to human health.

Public Health Relevance

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) are hormonally active, synthetic or natural chemicals that interfere with normal functioning of the endocrine system, most notably the reproductive endocrine axis. Because of the universal and crucial role estradiol plays in reproduction and other biologic processes, estrogenic EDCs in the environment are of particular concern. This proposal will determine the mechanisms by which fetal exposure to bisphenol-A, an environmental estrogenic EDC, at levels similar to what human fetuses are exposed to will disrupt reproductive function in the female and if such effects are exaggerated with continued exposure to estrogenic compounds. The findings will be of relevance to the threat estrogenic environmental disruptors pose at current exposure levels to reproductive health.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01ES016541-04
Application #
8197911
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-EMNR-A (02))
Program Officer
Heindel, Jerrold
Project Start
2009-02-11
Project End
2013-11-30
Budget Start
2011-12-01
Budget End
2012-11-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$404,319
Indirect Cost
$142,624
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Pediatrics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
Veiga-Lopez, Almudena; Pu, Yong; Gingrich, Jeremy et al. (2018) Obesogenic Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Identifying Knowledge Gaps. Trends Endocrinol Metab 29:607-625
Koneva, L A; Vyas, A K; McEachin, R C et al. (2017) Developmental programming: Interaction between prenatal BPA and postnatal overfeeding on cardiac tissue gene expression in female sheep. Environ Mol Mutagen 58:4-18
MohanKumar, S M J; Rajendran, T D; Vyas, A K et al. (2017) Effects of prenatal bisphenol-A exposure and postnatal overfeeding on cardiovascular function in female sheep. J Dev Orig Health Dis 8:65-74
Veiga-Lopez, Almudena; Moeller, Jacob; Sreedharan, Rohit et al. (2016) Developmental programming: interaction between prenatal BPA exposure and postnatal adiposity on metabolic variables in female sheep. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 310:E238-47
Neier, Kari; Marchlewicz, Elizabeth H; Dolinoy, Dana C et al. (2015) Assessing Human Health Risk to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: a Focus on Prenatal Exposures and Oxidative Stress. Endocr Disruptors (Austin) 3:
Cardoso, Rodolfo C; Puttabyatappa, Muraly; Padmanabhan, Vasantha (2015) Steroidogenic versus Metabolic Programming of Reproductive Neuroendocrine, Ovarian and Metabolic Dysfunctions. Neuroendocrinology 102:226-37
Veiga-Lopez, Almudena; Pennathur, Subramaniam; Kannan, Kurunthachalam et al. (2015) Impact of gestational bisphenol A on oxidative stress and free fatty acids: Human association and interspecies animal testing studies. Endocrinology 156:911-22
Peretz, Jackye; Vrooman, Lisa; Ricke, William A et al. (2014) Bisphenol a and reproductive health: update of experimental and human evidence, 2007-2013. Environ Health Perspect 122:775-86
Veiga-Lopez, A; Beckett, E M; Abi Salloum, B et al. (2014) Developmental programming: prenatal BPA treatment disrupts timing of LH surge and ovarian follicular wave dynamics in adult sheep. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 279:119-28
Delaney, Angela; Padmanabhan, Vasantha; Rezvani, Geoffrey et al. (2014) Evolutionary conservation and modulation of a juvenile growth-regulating genetic program. J Mol Endocrinol 52:269-77

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