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.