Biological and Behavioural Effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) Exposure: An In Vivo Study in Drosophila melanogaster

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most produced compounds worldwide. It acts as an endocrine disruptor and can cause adverse effects in the body, even at low-dose exposures. By interacting with estrogen receptors, it can play an important role in the pathogenesis of several endocrine diseases, such as infertility, hormone-dependent tumours and various metabolic disorders. Exposure in humans, especially early in life, is of particular concern, since it can have a big impact on an individual’s development and growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate, in vivo, the genotoxicity of BPA and its effects on longevity, prolificacy and behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster. To evaluate the biological and behavioural effects, flies were crossed and subjected to different concentrations of BPA (0.5 mM, 1 mM, 2 mM, 5 mM and 10 mM) in Drosophila instant “Carolina” medium hydrated with the BPA solution for 3 days, and then transferred to a non-treated medium, where they continued to lay eggs. This procedure was repeated to obtain the F2 generation. To evaluate genotoxicity, the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) and Comet assays were performed. In these cases, higher concentrations of BPA were chosen (1 mM, 10 mM, 20 mM and 50 mM). The results showed that this compound caused changes in longevity and prolificacy, and that these changes also affected subsequent generations. They also showed that BPA affected Drosophila’s behaviour and social interaction, but at the exposure levels investigated here, it did not cause significant genotoxic effects.