Histopathological Impact of Bisphenol A on the Brain, Liver, and Kidney of Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Oti-Wilberforce R.O.,1 Edeogu C.O.1 and Oti W.J.O2
1Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
2Department of Industrial Chemistry, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
Correspondence: firstladyrosemary@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting compound widely used in plastics, has raised significant toxicological concerns due to its potential impact on vital organs. This study investigates the histopathological impact of BPA exposure on the brain, liver, and kidney tissues of Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into control (C) and treatment groups of Low Dose Group (LD) (50mg/kg); Middle Dose Group (MD) (100mg/kg) and High Dose Group (HD) (200mg/kg), based on the dosage of BPA orally administered to the rats for 28 days. Histological analysis revealed degenerative and necrotic changes in hepatocytes, vacuolar degeneration in renal tubules, and neuronal degeneration in cortical regions of the brain. Both the control group and the 200 mg/kg BPA group displayed normal liver architecture, with hepatocytes organized in radial plates surrounding central veins and intact portal triads. In contrast, the 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg groups exhibited mild to moderate hepatocellular swelling, particularly in the periportal and mid-zonal regions. Kidney tissues from all experimental groups, including those exposed to BPA, appeared histologically normal with well-preserved glomeruli and renal tubules suggesting that the exposure levels and duration may have been insufficient to produce overt nephrotoxic effects, or that renal compensatory mechanisms were able to mitigate damage under the experimental conditions. Evidence of neuronal degeneration was found in the brains of rats exposed to 200 mg/kg BPA, characterized by shrunken and deeply stained (basophilic) neurons—features indicative of necrosis. These findings suggest that chronic BPA exposure induces multi-organ toxicity, highlighting the urgent need for stricter regulation of BPA-containing products.
Keywords: Bisphenol A, Histology, Brain, Liver, Kidney, Wistar rats, Endocrine disruptor
CITE AS: Oti-Wilberforce R.O., Edeogu C.O. and Oti W.J.O.(2025). Histopathological Impact of Bisphenol A on the Brain, Liver, and Kidney of Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus). NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MEDICAL SCIENCES,6(3):9-17 https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJRMS/2025/6.3.917