21/09/2011

Researchers at the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona in collaboration with the Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Tissue Bank from Vall d'Hebron University Hospital have analyzed the effects of Bisphenol A (BPA), a polymer widely used for the manufacture of plastics, crop ovaries in vitro. This work demonstrates that exposure to this substance alters severely the development of oocytes and future ovules possibly decreasing fertility of the offspring of women exposed at the same time that could increase the risk of Down syndrome in future generations.The research, published in Human Reproduction, has been carried out using 21,570 oocytes cultivated in vitro. The results show that exposure to bisphenol A at concentrations that are within the margin allowed by health authorities is harmful to the fetus. BPA reduces the number of oocytes (the precursor cells of the ovules), which could adversely affect the fertility of women and doubles the risk of exchange of chromosomes in the cell division process. A specific observation of chromosome 21 in the development of 90 oocytes has shown that exposure to BPA may increase the risk of Down syndrome in the future offspring of the fetus.