Bisphenol A Exposure Induces Small Intestine Damage Through Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Microbiota Alteration in Rats
Bisphenol A (BPA), a widespread environmental contaminant used in plastics and resins, poses significant health risks due to its endocrine-disrupting properties and potential for inducing intestinal toxicity. This study explored the toxicological effects of BPA on the small intestine of rats, focusi...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Toxics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/5/331 |
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| author | Kai Wang Juan Tang Dan Shen Yansen Li Kentaro Nagaoka Chunmei Li |
| author_facet | Kai Wang Juan Tang Dan Shen Yansen Li Kentaro Nagaoka Chunmei Li |
| author_sort | Kai Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bisphenol A (BPA), a widespread environmental contaminant used in plastics and resins, poses significant health risks due to its endocrine-disrupting properties and potential for inducing intestinal toxicity. This study explored the toxicological effects of BPA on the small intestine of rats, focusing on the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Histopathological evaluation revealed that the duodenum experienced the most severe structural damage, including villous atrophy, epithelial shedding, and mitochondrial degeneration. BPA exposure disrupted oxidative stress homeostasis by reducing superoxide dismutase activity and increasing malondialdehyde levels, along with upregulating antioxidant-related genes like <i>GPX2</i> and <i>HO-1</i> upregulated, indicating lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage. Inflammatory markers such as <i>IL-1</i> and <i>NFκB</i> were significantly upregulated, highlighting an active inflammatory response and epithelial cell apoptosis. BPA also altered lipid metabolism, with increased expression of lipogenic genes such as <i>SREBP-1c</i> and <i>FAS</i>, indicating metabolic dysregulation. Fecal microbiota analysis revealed reduced α-diversity, enrichment of pathogenic taxa like <i>Escherichia-Shigella</i>, and depletion of beneficial genera such as <i>Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group</i>, exacerbating gut inflammation and barrier dysfunction. These findings suggest that BPA-induced small intestinal damage is driven by oxidative stress, inflammation, and gut dysbiosis, with the duodenum and jejunum being the more vulnerable segments. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-c4e7c1f8529845a0bb9505c87d3dc6752025-08-20T03:12:15ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042025-04-0113533110.3390/toxics13050331Bisphenol A Exposure Induces Small Intestine Damage Through Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Microbiota Alteration in RatsKai Wang0Juan Tang1Dan Shen2Yansen Li3Kentaro Nagaoka4Chunmei Li5College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-8538, JapanCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaBisphenol A (BPA), a widespread environmental contaminant used in plastics and resins, poses significant health risks due to its endocrine-disrupting properties and potential for inducing intestinal toxicity. This study explored the toxicological effects of BPA on the small intestine of rats, focusing on the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Histopathological evaluation revealed that the duodenum experienced the most severe structural damage, including villous atrophy, epithelial shedding, and mitochondrial degeneration. BPA exposure disrupted oxidative stress homeostasis by reducing superoxide dismutase activity and increasing malondialdehyde levels, along with upregulating antioxidant-related genes like <i>GPX2</i> and <i>HO-1</i> upregulated, indicating lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage. Inflammatory markers such as <i>IL-1</i> and <i>NFκB</i> were significantly upregulated, highlighting an active inflammatory response and epithelial cell apoptosis. BPA also altered lipid metabolism, with increased expression of lipogenic genes such as <i>SREBP-1c</i> and <i>FAS</i>, indicating metabolic dysregulation. Fecal microbiota analysis revealed reduced α-diversity, enrichment of pathogenic taxa like <i>Escherichia-Shigella</i>, and depletion of beneficial genera such as <i>Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group</i>, exacerbating gut inflammation and barrier dysfunction. These findings suggest that BPA-induced small intestinal damage is driven by oxidative stress, inflammation, and gut dysbiosis, with the duodenum and jejunum being the more vulnerable segments.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/5/331bisphenol Aintestinal barrieroxidative stressgut microbiotatoxicological impact |
| spellingShingle | Kai Wang Juan Tang Dan Shen Yansen Li Kentaro Nagaoka Chunmei Li Bisphenol A Exposure Induces Small Intestine Damage Through Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Microbiota Alteration in Rats Toxics bisphenol A intestinal barrier oxidative stress gut microbiota toxicological impact |
| title | Bisphenol A Exposure Induces Small Intestine Damage Through Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Microbiota Alteration in Rats |
| title_full | Bisphenol A Exposure Induces Small Intestine Damage Through Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Microbiota Alteration in Rats |
| title_fullStr | Bisphenol A Exposure Induces Small Intestine Damage Through Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Microbiota Alteration in Rats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bisphenol A Exposure Induces Small Intestine Damage Through Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Microbiota Alteration in Rats |
| title_short | Bisphenol A Exposure Induces Small Intestine Damage Through Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Microbiota Alteration in Rats |
| title_sort | bisphenol a exposure induces small intestine damage through oxidative stress inflammation and microbiota alteration in rats |
| topic | bisphenol A intestinal barrier oxidative stress gut microbiota toxicological impact |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/5/331 |
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