Perinatal administration of bisphenol A alters the expression of tight junction proteins in the uterus and reduces the implantation rate

•Perinatal BPA treatment induced alterations in the implantation rate.•Perinatal BPA treatment induced alterations in progesterone and estradiol serum levels.•BPA-H altered claudin −1, −3, and −4 expression in rat uterine cells during early pregnancy.•BPA-L altered claudin −4, and −7 expression in rat uterine cells during early pregnancy.•BPA treatment blocked the synchronized expression of TJ proteins in the uterine epithelium.

We studied the effect of bisphenol-A (BPA) administration to rats, during the perinatal period, on the fertility of F1 generation and on the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins in the uterus during early pregnancy. Pregnant Wistar dams (F0) received: BPA-L (0.05 mg/kg/day), BPA-H (20 mg/kg/day) or vehicle, from gestational day (GD) 6 to lactation day 21. F1 female pups were mated at 3 months of age and sacrificed at GD 1, 3, 6, and 7. Serum hormonal levels, ovulation rate, number of implantation sites and expression of TJ proteins in the uterus of F1 females were evaluated. BPA treatment induced no change in ovulation rate, but induced alterations in progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) serum levels, and in implantation rate. With regards to TJ proteins, BPA-H increased claudin-1 during all GDs; eliminated the peaks of claudins −3 and −4 at GD 3 and 6, respectively; and decreased claudin-7 at GD 6, ZO-1 from GD 1-6, and claudin-3 at GD 7 in stromal cells. BPA-L instead, eliminated claudin-3 peak at GD 3, increased claudin-4 and decreased claudin-7 from GD 1-6, decreased claudin-1 at GD 3 and 7 and claudin-4 at GD 7 in stromal cells. BPA-L also decreased ZO-1 at GDs 1 and 3 and increased ZO-1 at GD 6. Thus, BPA treatment during perinatal period perturbed, when the animals reached adulthood and became pregnant, the particular expression of TJ proteins in the uterine epithelium and reduced in consequence the number of implantation sites.