Aim: 

Endocrine disrupter chemicals (EDCs) are environmental pollutants of agricultural or industrial origin which may influence human reproductive health. Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used as a monomer in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins of dental sealants and in other types of plastics. This compound has estrogenic activity and human placenta is a target organ because it expresses Estrogen receptors a and b. In this study we investigated the effect of BPA on in vitro models of human placenta.

Methods: 

We firstly, used the trophoblast cell lines BeWo to evaluate the median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) assayed by alamar Blue test and the effective lethal concentration (EC₅₀) by hormone b-hCG assay. Secondly, the model of primary cultures of villous explants from human placenta was used to evaluate the effect of non-toxic chemical concentrations on b-hCG secretion.

Results: 

Data on BeWo cells showed BPA toxicity at concentrations higher than 5x10^-5M (LC₅₀=1.32x10^-4M and EC₅₀=2.61x10^-5M, for cell viability and hormone secretion, respectively). Although non-toxic BPA concentrations at 10^-9M significantly induced the b-hCG secretion by primary chorionic villous explants.

Conclusion: 

The findings suggest that low but environmentally relevant levels of BPA produce functional effects on human placenta when no evidence of toxicity is present.