Bisphenol A induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the liver and affect epididymal semen quality in adults Sprague-Dawley rats

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, induced by Bisphenol A (BPA) may cause mammalian sperm damage according to research findings. BPA is a known contaminant that with increased exposure in the body can exert both toxic and estrogenic effects in mammalians cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of BPA-induced oxidative stress in the liver on epididymal semen quality in adult rat. BPA was mixed in corn oil and intra-peritoneally administered for 20 days in dose dependent manner. After 24 h of the last treatment, rats were weighed, sacrificed and organs harvested for analysis. BPA caused a reduction in the epididymal semen quality and sperm count in a dose dependent manner. Sperm analyses results showed that there was oligozoospermia (˂20 × 106 spermatozoids/ml) and asthenozoospermia (motility ˂50%) in the treatment group compared to the control groups. The levels malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased significantly in the treatment group compared to the control group (P ˂ 0.05; P ˂ 0.01, respectively). While, the levels of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) decreased in the treatment group compared to the control group (P ˂ 0.01). These results indicate that exposure of graded doses of BPA may elicit depletion of antioxidant system and induce oxidative stress in epididymal sperm of rat thereby decreasing sperm count and quality. These findings provide a possible toxicological evidence of an adverse effect of BPA on semen quality. Key words: Bisphenol A (BPA, 2, 2-bis (4-hidroxyphenyl) propane), semen quality, oxidative stress, sperm count, rat, reactive oxygen species (ROS).