Exposure to low-dose bisphenol A during the juvenile period of development disrupts the immune system and aggravates allergic airway inflammation in mice:

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins and found in many consumer products. Previous studies have reported that perinatal exposure to BPA through the oral route promotes the development of allergic airway inflammation. We investigated the effects of exposure to low-dose BPA during the juvenile period of development on allergic airway inflammation. Six-week-old male C3H/HeJ mice were intratracheally administered ovalbumin (OVA, 1 μg) every 2 weeks and/or BPA (0, 0.0625, 1.25, and 25 pmol/animal/week) once per week for 6 weeks. Following the final intratracheal instillation, we examined the cellular profile of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, histological changes and expression of inflammatory/anti-inflammatory mediators in the lungs, OVA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) production, serum corticosterone levels, and changes in the lymphoid tissues (mediastinal lymph node (MLN) and spleen). Exposure to OVA + BPA enhanced inflammatory cell infiltration and protein e...