Prepubertal bisphenol A exposure interferes with ovarian follicle development and its relevant gene expression

- Prepubertal BPA exposure may have inhibitory effects on ovarian development and function.
- BPA reduced rat ovarian follicle numbers, and interferes with the constituent ratio of follicles.
- BPA could down-regulate follicle development-promoting genes FIGLA and H1FOO expression.
- BPA may induce the up-regulation of the development inhibitory gene AMH and inhibit follicular development through an increase of AMH levels.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is recognized as one of several environmental estrogens. Pre-puberty is an important part of reproductive system development, and even a short-term exposure to BPA during this period may cause serious damage to the reproductive system. In this study, Pre-puberty female Wistar rats were exposed to BPA for one week. The effects of BPA on ovarian structure and function were assessed. The expression levels of follicle development-related genes were analyzed. Our study showed that BPA reduced rat ovarian weights and follicle numbers, and interferes with the constituent ratio of follicles. With increasing doses of BPA, the expression of factor in the germline alpha (FIGLA) and oocyte-specific histone H1 variant (H1FOO) genes decreased, and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) genes expression increased, suggesting that BPA exposure during the pre-pubertal period may inhibit the development of ovaries, and follicle development-related genes may play certain roles in this process.