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Human exposure to bisphenol A through dietary sources and development of diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study in Pakistani population

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Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is considered as xenoestrogen, a crucial component utilized for the manufacturing of plastic products. It has a potential to disrupt the endocrine system and induces endocrine-related metabolic disorders. We aimed to investigate the exposure of BPA in Pakistani population and its association with sociodemographic features, dietary habits, and risk factors of diabetes mellitus (DM). This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 participants among which 61.75% participants were diabetic and 38.25% were non-diabetic. We developed a structured questionnaire, gathered sociodemographic data, and collected their urine and blood samples for the estimation of BPA and various biomarkers as risk factors of DM, respectively. Pearson correlation coefficient was determined for urinary BPA levels and DM risk factors. Urinary BPA values were adjusted for confounders. Sociodemographic data shown that urinary BPA level was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in obese people (BMI > 27) living in semi-urban and industrial areas. BPA was detectable in 75% of study participants. Urinary BPA level was found to be higher in diabetic participants compared with that of non-diabetics. A significant correlation is observed between BPA exposure and DM risk factors. We found that urinary BPA level was correlated with elevated levels of HbA1c (r = 0.6028), HOMA-IR (r = 0.5356), CRP (r = 0.6946), BUN (r = 0.6077), AST (r = 0.5151), FFA (r = 0.5759), TGs (r = 0.5608), and MDA (r = 0.6908). Hence, our study adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the role of BPA exposure as a risk factor for DM and may be associated with higher glycemic index, increased pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, dyslipidemia, and impaired functioning of the liver and kidney. Heating food in plastic containers and consumption of packed food items are the main sources of BPA exposure which are positively associated with DM.

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Abbreviations

BPA:

Bisphenol A

DM:

Diabetes mellitus

BMI:

Body mass index

FBG:

Fasting blood glucose

HbA1c:

Hemoglobin A1c

HOMA-IR:

Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance

CRP:

C-reactive protein

IL-6:

Interleukin-6

BUN:

Blood urea nitrogen

UA:

Uric acid

AST:

Aspartate aminotransferase

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

FFA:

Free fatty acid

HDL:

High-density lipoprotein

TGs:

Triglycerides

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

GSH:

Glutathione

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Dr. Tanvir Ahmad, Associate Professor, Department of Statistics, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan, for his expertise in statistical analysis of our experimental data.

Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Research Support Program for Universities (5661/Punjab/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2016, 6429/Punjab/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2016 and 8365/Punjab/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2017) by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ejaz Ul Haq, Muhammad Sajid Hamid Akash & Shakila Sabir

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ejaz Ul Haq & Malik Hassan Mahmood

  3. Department of Pharmacy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Kanwal Rehman

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  1. Muhammad Ejaz Ul Haq
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  2. Muhammad Sajid Hamid Akash
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  4. Malik Hassan Mahmood
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  5. Kanwal Rehman
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Correspondence to Muhammad Sajid Hamid Akash or Kanwal Rehman.

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This study meets the approval criteria of institutional review board, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan (GCUF/IRB/4141). The study was conducted after taking the written consent from every study participant and those who could not write; verbal consents were recorded and signed by the interviewer on their behalf.

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Additional file contains questionnaire used for collection of samples (blood and urine) and assessment of general knowledge of participants (Tables S1 and Table S2).

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Haq, M.E.U., Akash, M.S.H., Sabir, S. et al. Human exposure to bisphenol A through dietary sources and development of diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study in Pakistani population. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 26262–26275 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09044-0

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