Bisphenol A impairs decidualization of human uterine stromal fibroblasts

This study examined the effect of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on human uterine stromal fibroblast cells (HuF) undergoing decidualization. HuF cells were isolated and cultured for eight days in the presence of a decidualization-inducing cocktail, while concurrently exposed to physiological and supra-physiologic doses of BPA (1 ng/mL, 10 ng/mL, 0.5 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL and 20 μg/mL). Decidualization markers, steroid hormone receptors and cell cycle gene expression were detected by qRT-PCR and cellular proliferation was assessed by KI-67 immunofluorescent staining and MTS assay. BPA impaired decidualization at 10 μg/mL and 20 μg/mL, but not at lower doses. Additionally, BPA at 20 μg/mL decreased progesterone receptor and estrogen receptor-alpha compared to controls. The highest dose of BPA also reduced cellular proliferation and cyclin D2 expression compared to controls. These findings demonstrate that BPA disrupts in vitro decidualization of uterine stromal fibroblasts by altering steroid hormone receptor expression at higher concentrations but not at lower physiological doses.