2024-08-21 06:00:02
A recent Australian study raises concerns about a potential link between prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a component of plastics, and autism in boys. The research, led by scientists at the Centre for neurosciences Florey, revealed that boys born to mothers with high levels of BPA in late pregnancy are more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder.
The researchers analyzed data from two large birth cohorts, one in Australia (Barwon Infant Study) and one in the United States (Columbia Center for Children’s Health and Environment). They found that boys with low levels of aromatase, a enzyme essential to the conversion of the testosterone in neuroestrogen in the brainare particularly vulnerable to the disruptive effects of BPA. Indeed, boys born to mothers with high urinary BPA levels were 3.5 times more likely to show signs ofautism at age 2, and 6 times more likely to have a diagnostic confirmed before the age of 11. This study, published in Nature Communicationsalso explored the molecular mechanism underlying this association. Laboratory work has shown that BPA suppresses theactivity aromatase, leading to behavioral and neurological changes in mouse males who may be on the autism spectrum. Dr. Wah Chin Boon, who participated in this researchpoints out that this is the first time that a biological pathway explaining the link between autism and BPA has been identified.
Despite these findings, BPA remains present in many consumer products, even though its use has been banned in food containers in France since 2015. Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby points out that this chemical, as well as other endocrine disruptors, is omnipresent and difficult to avoid. We are exposed to it through ingestion, inhalation or skin contact, which makes it a major issue for public health.
To mitigate BPA’s potential effects, Florey’s team is exploring solutions. Dr. Boon points to a fatty acid, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, which has shown encouraging signs of reversing autism-like features in mice exposed to BPA. More research is needed to determine whether this approach could be applicable to humans.
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