Prenatal Nonylphenol and Bisphenol A Exposures and Inflammation Are Determinants of Oxidative/Nitrative Stress: A Taiwanese Cohort Study

Abstract

Prenatal exposure to nonylphenol (NP) and/or bisphenol A (BPA) has been reported to be associated with adverse birth outcomes; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The primary mechanism is endocrine disruption of the binding affinity for the estrogen receptor, but oxidative stress and inflammation might also play a contributory role. We aimed to investigate urinary NP and BPA levels in relation to biomarkers of oxidative/nitrative stress and inflammation and to explore whether changes in oxidative/nitrative stress are a function of prenatal exposure to NP/BPA and inflammation in 241 mother-fetus pairs. Third-trimester urinary biomarkers of oxidative/nitrative stress were simultaneously measured, including products of oxidatively and nitratively damaged DNA (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-nitroguanine (8-NOGua)) as well as products of lipid peroxidation (8-iso-prostaglandin F (8-isoPF) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-mercapturic acid (HNE-MA)). The antioxidant glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and inflammation biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and a panel of cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)), were analyzed in maternal and umbilical cord plasma samples. In adjusted models, we observed significant positive associations between NP exposure and 8-OHdG and 8-NOGua levels, between BPA and 8-isoPF levels, and between maternal CRP levels and HNE-MA levels. Additionally, BPA and TNF-α levels in cord blood were inversely associated with maternal and GPx levels in cord blood as well as maternal TNF-α levels were inversely associated with maternal GPx levels. These results support a role for exposure to NP and BPA and possibly inflammation in increasing oxidative/nitrative stress and decreasing antioxidant activity during pregnancy.

Association between Fetal Adipokines and Child Behavioral Problems at Preschool Age: The Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children’s Health

“…Additionally, it is possible that difference in the prevalence of overweight women in this study and others may explain varied leptin levels among studies. The median level of cord blood TNF-α in this study (2.45 pg/mL was lower compared to the previous report from Hong Kong (7.44 pg/mL) [ 32 ] and from Taiwan (5.47 pg/mL) [ 33 ]. The median level of cord blood IL-6 in this study (1.06 pg/mL) was slightly higher but comparable to the report from Hong Kong (0.65 pg/mL) [ 32 ], however, lower than levels in Taiwanese (3.70 pg/mL) [ 33 ].…”

Bisphenols and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers—Associations Found in Human Studies, Evaluation of Methods Used, and Strengths and Weaknesses of the Biomarkers

“…In two cross-sectional studies in a pregnancy cohort with 2-13 weeks of follow-up by Huang et al, 2017 [25] and 2018 [26] on Taiwanese mother/fetus pairs (total n = 241 [25] and n = 244 [26]), largely the same study participants were included. In mothers with a live singleton pregnancy, BPA and biomarkers of oxidative (8-OHdG) and nitrosative (8-NO 2 Gua) stress and biomarkers of lipid peroxidation (8-isoprostane and HNE-MA) were measured in maternal urine collected in the third trimester (gestational age 27-38 weeks).…”

An epigenome-wide analysis of cord blood DNA methylation reveals sex-specific effect of exposure to bisphenol A

“…As far as we knew, among Asian cohorts, only the Taiwan cohort had both maternal BPA concentration and the 450 K methylation data in cord blood. In the Taiwan cohort, the concentrations of BPA in maternal urine samples during the third trimester were measured 77 . According to Montrose et al .…”

“…The concentrations of BPA in urine samples from pregnant women during the third trimester were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry as described by Huang et al . 77 . The characteristics of the eleven mother-infant pairs are presented in Supplementary Table S10.…”