Investigation of the toxic effects of Bisphenol S on the adrenal gland in male rats

In this study, it was aimed to examine toxic effects of bisphenol S (BPS), which is preferred as an alternative instead of bisphenol A in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, on the adrenal glands of male Wistar albino rats. Toward this aim, 28 adult male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups with 7 in each. Group I was given tap water daily via oral gavage. Group II was orally administrated a vehicle (ethanol-olive oil mixture) in which the test chemical was dissolved. Groups III and IV were administrated BPS at doses of 5 and 20 mg/kg of body weight (bw)/day via oral gavage, respectively. All of the treatments were terminated after 28 days. Following this, the adrenal glands were removed and analyses of some antioxidant defense system indicators (malondialdehyde (MDA) level, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity, and reduced glutathione (GSH) content) and histopathological examinations were performed. The BPS caused significant increases in the MDA level of the adrenal gland and reduced the GST activity at the highest dose. However, the GSH level of the adrenal gland did not show significant changes after exposure to BPS. The BPS caused increased vacuolization and vacuolar degeneration in the zona fasciculata layer cells of the adrenal cortex. The data obtained showed that BPS could induce oxidative stress and cause structural changes in the adrenal gland. The utilization of the BPS in consumer products should be avoided considering the negative effects that it has on the adrenal gland and the possible health problems associated with those impacts.