Exposure to a widespread chemical found in plastics and resins may impair the development of brain, a new study has warned.
According to a study led by researchers from Duke University Medical Center, environmental exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) may suppress a gene vital to nerve cell function and to the development of the central nervous system.
The findings were observed in cortical neurons of mice, rats and humans.
"Our study found that BPA may impair the development of the central nervous system, and raises the question as to whether exposure could predispose animals and humans to neurodevelopmental disorders," said lead author Wolfgang Liedtke in a statement.
BPA, a molecule that mimics oestrogen and interferes with the body's endocrine system, can be found in a wide variety of manufactured products, including thermal printer paper, plastic water bottles and the lining of metal cans.
The chemical can be ingested if it seeps into the contents of food and beverage containers.
Research in animals has raised concerns that exposure to BPA may cause health problems such as behavioural issues, endocrine and reproductive disorders, obesity, cancer and immune system disorders.
Some studies suggest that infants and young children may be the most vulnerable to the effects of BPA, which led the US Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of the chemical in baby bottles and cups in July 2012.
While BPA has been shown to affect the developing nervous system, little is understood as to how this occurs. The research team developed a series of experiments in rodent and human nerve cells to learn how BPA induces changes that disrupt gene regulation.
The findings raise the question of whether BPA could contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as Rett syndrome, a severe autism spectrum disorder that is only found in girls and is characterised by gene mutations.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
