Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A disrupts adrenal steroidogenesis in adult mouse offspring

• BPA increased adrenal gland but not body weight in adult mouse offspring.
• BPA elevated basal plasma corticosterone levels independent of plasma ACTH.
• BPA did not alter expression of the key steroidogenic transcription factor SF-1.
• BPA up-regulated adrenal expression of StAR and CYP11A1 in female offspring only.

The present study sought to determine if prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) alters adrenal steroidogenesis in adult offspring. Pregnant mice were exposed to BPA (25 mg BPA/kg food pellet) via diet from day 7 to the end of pregnancy. At eight weeks of age, offsprings were sacrificed, blood samples and adrenal glands were collected for hormone assays and western blot analysis, respectively. We found that: (1) BPA increased adrenal gland weight in both males and females; (2) although BPA elevated plasma corticosterone levels in both sexes, it stimulated the expression of StAR and cyp11A1, the two rate-limiting factors in the steroidogenic pathway, only in female adrenal glands; and interestingly (3) BPA did not alter plasma ACTH levels or adrenal expression of the key steroidogenic transcription factor SF-1 in either sex. Taken together, the present study provides novel insights into the long-term consequences of developmental BPA exposure on adrenal steroidogenesis.