Bisphenol AP Exposure-Induced Inflammatory Response in Zebrafish Embryos Revealed by Transcriptomic Analysis

Bisphenol AP (BPAP) is a bisphenol analogue that is used as a substitute for BPA in industrial production and is now commonly found in the environment. Currently, there is limited information available on its developmental toxicity in aquatic organisms. This study exploited zebrafish embryos to investigate the adverse effects of BPAP exposure during their early life stages. The results revealed that BPAP had a median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) of 36, 22, and 8.5 μmol/L for zebrafish embryos at 24, 48, and 72 h post fertilization (hpf), respectively. Additionally, exposure to BPAP led to abnormal development in zebrafish embryos, including hatching delay, malformation, and inhibition of spontaneous movements. Transcriptomic analysis further revealed that BPAP exposure upregulated the mRNA expression levels of genes related to inflammatory pathways, such as il1b, ptgs2b, and fosab, indicating the induction of an inflammatory response. Overall, our findings provide early and valuable insights into the environmental and health risks associated with BPAP exposure.