Obstructive voiding disorder (CVD) is a common disease during aging in men, and while less common, it aisc occurs in women. The proposed experiments concern the role of prenatal and postnatal (lifespan) exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) on the development of OVD in both male and female SD rats reared and treated with different doses of BPA under a GLP protocol at the NCTR. Preliminary studies with both male and female rats and mice show that changes in periurethral gland development and malformations ofthe urethra are caused by estrogenic chemicals, including BPA, but specific effects are different at low and high doses. Preliminary studies also show that prenatal exposure to BPA results in OVD in male mice exposed to exogenous estrogen during adulthood. Our hypothesis is that fetal exposure to low doses of BPA will predispose both male and female SD rats to development of OVD during aging as a result of continued exposure to the same dose of BPA during postnatal life.
In specific aim 1 we will examine the effects of BPA on male and female fetal (gestation day 21) periurethral gland structure (using computer-assisted reconstruction of serial sections) and function of epithelium and stroma, using laser capture microdissection (LCM) coupled with next generation sequencing (NGS) for examination of gene expression and epigenetic changes in DNA, as well as immunohistochemistry to identify specific cell types, proliferation and apoptosis.
In Specific Aim 2 the urethra will be collected from adult male and female rats that develop OVD or at specific ages in non-diseased controls. We will examine periurethral gland and stroma structure and function using the same outcomes described for fetuses (histopathology, immunohistochemistry, LCM to capture epithelial and stromal cells for analysis of mRNA and genomic DNA using NGS to determine transcriptomal profiles and to determine genome-wide methylation profiles of genomic DNA. The combination of detailed morphological and functional analyses of fetal and adult urethral tissues exposed to different doses of BPA is highly innovative.

Public Health Relevance

Obstructive voiding disorder (OVD) commonly occurs during aging in men and at a lower frequency it also occurs in women. The causes of OVD are at present unknown, making decisions about appropriate therapy difficult. We have developed an animal model for OVD in male mice that involves exposing fetuses to the estrogenic chemical bisphenol A (BPA). The proposed research offers the potential to determine the role of the ubiquitous environmental contaminant BPA in the etiology of a common disease ofthe urinary tract.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Project--Cooperative Agreements (U01)
Project #
5U01ES020952-02
Application #
8334563
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZES1-JAB-J (BP))
Program Officer
Heindel, Jerrold
Project Start
2011-09-19
Project End
2015-05-31
Budget Start
2012-06-01
Budget End
2013-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$189,039
Indirect Cost
$64,261
Name
University of Missouri-Columbia
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
153890272
City
Columbia
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
65211
Trasande, Leonardo; Vandenberg, Laura N; Bourguignon, Jean-Pierre et al. (2016) Peer-reviewed and unbiased research, rather than 'sound science', should be used to evaluate endocrine-disrupting chemicals. J Epidemiol Community Health 70:1051-1056
vom Saal, Frederick S; Welshons, Wade V (2014) Evidence that bisphenol A (BPA) can be accurately measured without contamination in human serum and urine, and that BPA causes numerous hazards from multiple routes of exposure. Mol Cell Endocrinol 398:101-13
Vandenberg, Laura N; Welshons, Wade V; Vom Saal, Frederick S et al. (2014) Should oral gavage be abandoned in toxicity testing of endocrine disruptors? Environ Health 13:46