EFFECT OF BISPHENOL-A ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF SMALL INTESTINE IN PREGNANT RATS

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental pollutant. Human beings are exposed to BPA through food and water. Due to its prolonged contact with the intestinal tract (IT), it might have harmful effects on the IT particularly in pregnant women and the fetuses. Objective of this study was to investigate the effect of BPA on the morphology and tight junction protein expression of the small intestine of pregnant rats. Twelve Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were divided into group 1 (control, n=6) and group 2 (BPA treated, n=6). Group 1 received tween 80 and group 2 received BPA (0.2mg/ml) in drinking water. There were no significant differences in the villus height, crypt depth and the number of goblet cells in the jejunum and ileum between the two groups. Intestinal tight junction protein (ITJP) claudin 2 expression was similar in both groups. ITJPs claudin 3 and 4 were expressed less intensely in the ileum of group 2 as compared to group 1. Chronic low dose BPA throughout pregnancy in rats did not affect the morphology of villi, crypt, goblet cells and ITJP claudin 2 but reduced the expression of claudin 3 and 4 in the ileum, which might compromise intestinal barrier.