Bisphenol A exposure impairs gut microbiota remodeling during pregnancy and triggers alterations in offspring development

Cumulative and prolonged exposure to plasticizers, such as Bisphenol A BPA a synthetic estrogenic endocrine disruptor may alter the gut microbial composition, which is key for metabolism and immunity and impact host health. Special attention should be given to dietary exposure to these xenobiotics during vulnerable periods, such as early life development, including the foetal and childhood stages. This integrative metadata analysis aimed to assess the effects of perinatal exposure to BPA on the composition of offspring gut microbiota, neurodevelopment, and its potential to promote an obese phenotype in a murine model. Our results demonstrated that BPA exposure impaired the natural remodeling of the gut microbiota during pregnancy. Moreover, BPA exposure and highfat diet HFD differentially affect gut microbial transfer from mothers to offspring and both synergistically impact the gut microbiota establishment in early life. Perinatal BPA exposure imprinted changes during colonisation and maturation process of offspring gut microbiota, identifying Lactobacillus, Eubacterium, and Acetatifactor as signature genera enriched in BPA and BPA exposed mice fed a HFD, taxa involved in a more efficient at energy harvesting from the diet. Moreover, perinatal BPA exposure seemed to alter fat and lean percentages and triggered Muribaculacea taxa misbalance that appears to be associated to disrupt activity, spatial learning and memory, mimicking impulsivity and hyperactivity like behavior in the offspring.