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A Review of the Literature on the Endocrine Disruptor Activity Testing of Bisphenols in Caenorhabditis elegans

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This review examines how the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans serves as a high-throughput model for testing the endocrine-disrupting effects of bisphenols including BPA and its alternatives (BPS, BPAF, BPF), bridging in vitro assays and mammalian toxicology studies. This matters for microplastic research because bisphenols are chemical additives that leach from plastics, and understanding their hormonal disruption mechanisms helps assess the biological risks of microplastic-associated chemical exposure.

Study Type In vitro

Endocrine disruptors, including bisphenol A, S, AF, and F, have been demonstrated to exhibit endocrine-disrupting activity. This phenomenon has been associated with a variety of health problems, including (but not limited to) neurological and reproductive disorders. Given the potential hazards, it is essential to have effective tools to assess their toxicity. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become a widely used model organism for studying bisphenols because of its genetic simplicity and the conservation of its fundamental biological processes. This review article summarizes current knowledge of bisphenol toxicity and the use of the model organism C. elegans as a high-throughput system for investigating the toxicological profiles of BPA and its emerging alternatives. Furthermore, we highlight the specific methodologies for assessing the toxic effects of bisphenols in C. elegans. While highlighting its advantages, we critically discuss its limitations, including the absence of specific metabolic organs, which constrain direct extrapolation to mammalian systems. Based on available evidence, we conclude that C. elegans serves as an essential bridge between in vitro assays and mammalian models, offering a powerful platform for the early hazard identification and mechanistic screening of bisphenol analogues.

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