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Impact of Ex Vivo Bisphenol A Exposure on Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Its Association with Childhood Obesity
Summary
This pilot study exposed gut bacteria from obese and normal-weight children to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical commonly found in plastics, and found it disrupted the balance of intestinal microbes. Some of the bacterial changes caused by BPA exposure looked similar to patterns already seen in obese children, suggesting a possible link between plastic chemical exposure and childhood obesity through gut bacteria. Since BPA is a common additive in plastics that generate microplastics, this research highlights another pathway through which plastic pollution may affect children's health.
Dietary exposure to the plasticiser bisphenol A (BPA), an obesogenic and endocrine disruptor from plastic and epoxy resin industries, remains prevalent despite regulatory restriction and food safety efforts. BPA can be accumulated in humans and animals, potentially exerting differential health effects based on individual metabolic capacity. This pilot study examines the impact of direct ex vivo BPA exposure on the gut microbiota of obese and normal-weight children, using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and anaerobic culturing combined methods. Results showed that direct xenobiotic exposure induced modifications in microbial taxa relative abundance, community structure, and diversity. Specifically, BPA reduced the abundance of bacteria belonging to the phylum Bacteroidota, while taxa from the phylum Actinomycetota were promoted. Consistently, Bacteroides species were classified as sensitive to BPA, whereas bacteria belonging to the class Clostridia were identified as resistant to BPA in our culturomics analysis. Some of the altered bacterial abundance patterns were common for both the BPA-exposed groups and the obese non-exposed group in our pilot study. These findings were also corroborated in a larger cohort of children. Future research will be essential to evaluate these microbial taxa as potential biomarkers for biomonitoring the effect of BPA and its role as an obesogenic substance in children.