Exposure to bisphenol A affects GABAergic neuron differentiation in neurosphere cultures

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 29; no. 9; p. 712
• Main Authors: Fukushima, Nobuyuki, Nagao, Tetsuji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 13.06.2018
• Subjects: Animals; Benzhydryl Compounds - pharmacology; Calbindins - metabolism; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Central Nervous System Agents - pharmacology; Cerebral Cortex - drug effects; Cerebral Cortex - growth & development; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - physiology; GABAergic Neurons - drug effects; GABAergic Neurons - physiology; Mice, Inbred ICR; Neurogenesis - drug effects; Neurogenesis - physiology; Oligodendroglia - drug effects; Oligodendroglia - physiology; Phenols - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1473-558X
• DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000001021

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) influence not only endocrine functions but also neuronal development and functions. In-vivo studies have suggested the relationship of EDC-induced neurobehavioral disorders with dysfunctions of neurotransmitter mechanisms including γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic mechanisms. However, whether EDCs affect GABAergic neuron differentiation remains unclear. In the present study, we show that a representative EDC, bisphenol A (BPA), affects GABAergic neuron differentiation. Cortical neurospheres prepared from embryonic mice were exposed to BPA for 7 days, and then neuronal differentiation was induced. We found that BPA exposure resulted in a decrease in the ratio of GABAergic neurons to total neurons. However, the same exposure stimulated the differentiation of neurons expressing calbindin, a calcium-binding protein observed in a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons. These findings suggested that BPA might influence the formation of an inhibitory neuronal network in developing cerebral cortex involved in the occurrence of neurobehavioral disorders.