Assessment of the effective impact of bisphenols on mitochondrial activity, viability and steroidogenesis in a dose-dependency in human adrenocortical carcinoma cells

Abstract

In recent years, bisphenol analogues such as bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol S (BPS) have come to replace bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging and food containers, since BPA has been shown to leach into food and water, causing numerous negative health effects. Although much information on the endocrine activity of BPA is available, a proper human hazard assessment of analogues that are believed to have a less harmful toxicity profile is lacking. The aim of our in vitro study was to assess the potential effect of bisphenol B, F, and S on the biosynthesis of steroid hormones in human H295R adrenocortical carcinoma cells, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, we evaluated mitochondrial activity using the MTT test and viability using triple assay. Adrenocortical carcinoma cells were cultivated for 24 h in the presence of bisphenol B, F, or S (0.1, 0.5, 1, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100 µM). We demonstrated that BPB, BPF, and BPS could affect progesterone and testosterone secretion, as well as affect cell mitochondrial, lysosomal, and metabolic activity, as well as plasma membrane integrity, but considerably more detailed and systematic research is required for a better understanding of risks associated with the effects of bisphenols on steroidogenesis.