Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Obesity, and its associated metabolic dysfunctions such as type-II diabetes and the metabolic syndrome are a growing epidemic in Canada. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a component of polycarbonate plastic, and is commonly found in food and drink containers. Owing to its chemical structure, BPA has been characterized as an endocrine disrupting compound - a chemical capable of mimicking naturally occurring hormones. Since BPA can leach out from containers into the food or liquid they hold, human exposure is of serious concern. Indeed, BPA can be detected in over 90% of Canadians. Because the hormonal environment during development sets the stage for long-lasting, if not permanent effects, knowing the effects of exposure to BPA early in life is of particular interest. Our lab has previously shown that early-life exposure to BPA leads to obesity and metabolic alterations reminiscent of the metabolic syndrome. In this study, we sought to explore how BPA, acting in the capacity of a hormone, affects the development of brain circuitry involved in regulating the processes of feeding and metabolism. We find a number of alterations in hypothalamic circuitry that could account for the obesogenic effects of BPA. Moreover, in our most recent study we have further elucidated the genesis of this effect by demonstrating that the early postnatal leptin surge - a phenomenon critical for successful development of brain metabolic circuitry - is stunted and delayed in BPA exposed mice. This provides a mechanistic basis for our observations.