{"id":183,"date":"2014-10-29T13:13:23","date_gmt":"2014-10-29T17:13:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intranet.chemservice.com\/news\/2014\/10\/bpa-may-impact-developing-heart-valves\/"},"modified":"2014-10-29T13:13:23","modified_gmt":"2014-10-29T17:13:23","slug":"bpa-may-impact-developing-heart-valves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intranet.chemservice.com\/news\/bpa-may-impact-developing-heart-valves\/","title":{"rendered":"BPA may impact developing heart valves"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the main reasons why scientists have paid attention to the potential health effects of bisphenol A<\/a> is that it belongs to a class of chemical compounds known as estrogen mimics. This makes BPA<\/a> significantly and potentially influential on various cells and tissues in the body, particularly during stages of embryonic development.<\/p>\n

One team of researchers from the Carnegie Institution of Washington conducted experiments using zebrafish that suggested BPA may impact developing heart valves<\/a>, as published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.<\/p>\n

Genetically modified zebrafish guide study<\/strong>
\nEstrogen and estrogen mimics control cell activity by stimulating receptors on the surfaces of cells, which then sets off a chain reaction that either activates or silences different genes within the cells' DNA.<\/p>\n

To gain a better understanding of how BPA can affect embryonic development, the authors of the new study conducted an experiment that used genetically modified zebrafish. Alterations in the animals' genes allowed the scientists to visualize the effects of estrogen receptor activity on the DNA of cells. In general, this process makes the fish good analytical tools for water quality analysis.<\/p>\n

With the help of green fluorescent proteins, the researchers observed that estrogenic receptor activity, which can be stimulated by BPA, can occur in the cells that form the valves of the heart. This led to questions about whether environmental exposure to estrogen mimics can drive the genesis of heart valve abnormalities.<\/p>\n

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which is a division of the National Institutes of Health, heart valve problems are detrimental to blood flow. Inborn defects may make the heart valves the wrong size or shape needed for proper function. Some abnormal valves can cause backflow, in which blood flows back into the heart chamber it is supposed to leave rather than flowing forward, or stenosis, in which heart valves are too thick or stiff to open all the way to allow blood to flow into a chamber. Congenital heart valve defects are associated with both backflow and stenosis.<\/p>\n

Currently, it may be too early to conclude whether environmental exposure to BPA causes congenital heart valve problems among humans, but the new study that used zebrafish may lead the way for further investigations.<\/p>\n

Over 1 million pounds released yearly<\/b>
\nAccording to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 1 million pounds of BPA are released into the environment every year. BPA is used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, but humans are primarily exposed to BPA because of food packaging. Although food packaging accounts for less than 5 percent of BPA use, it can still have a major impact on human health.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration passed several policies that banned use of the product in the manufacturing of baby bottles, sippy cups and packaging for infant formula. Such policies were not based on scientific study of the effects of BPA, but on the fact that such uses have been largely abandoned.<\/p>\n