Bisphenol A and other related bisphenols as pervasive environmental toxicants affecting the human health mainly through endocrine disruption

Abstract

Naser F. Al-Tannak, Ladislav Novotny

Synthetic substances - bisphenols (BPs), especially bisphenol A (BPA), and also BPs F and S, are recognized disruptors of hormonal functions both in males and females and also disruptors of glucose metabolism. These compounds are used in the production of various plastic materials, and as such, they enter the human environment. BPA was always considered to be responsible for malignant transformations of hormone-sensitive cells. However, recent data show BPA and other BPs being involved in an increased incidence of some hormone-non-sensitive tumors through the etiopathogenesis of involving various factors of genetic, epigenetic, inflammatory, immune, metabolic, hormonal and oxidative stress nature. On the other hand, short-time exposures to BPA seem not to be responsible for any hormonal dysfunction or carcinogenicity in dental patients. Attempts to replace BPs, especially BPA, with another BP are so far not successful because various BPs share the same structural features necessary for endocrine dysfunction. At this moment, the only feasible way to mitigate toxic effects of various BPs used in the production of plastic materials seems to be a replacement of the whole group by new substances that would not have structural features necessary for the endocrine disruption in mammals.