Bisphenol a reduces fertilizing ability and motility by compromising mitochondrial function of sperm.

Bisphenol A (BPA) acts as an endocrine disruptor, affects animal reproductive success in vivo and affects sperm functions in vitro at environmentally relevant concentrations, leading to reduction in sperm motility and fertilizing ability in fish. The effect of in vitro BPA on avian sperm functions has not been explored. The present study examined the effect of environmentally relevant concentrations of BPA (0mM, 0.18mM, 0.37mM, and 0.74mM) on sperm functions in chicken in vitro. Sperm were exposed to concentrations of BPA for 30 min and analyzed for motility, fertilizing ability, live sperm percentage, and mitochondrial membrane potential (m). Results showed that BPA at a concentration of 0.74 mM significantly decreased motility, fertilizing ability, live sperm count percentage, and sperm m. Sperm motility was positively correlated with fertility (r =0.73, p 0.01), live sperm percentage (r=0.64, p0.01), and high m (r=0.44, p0.01). A dose-dependent and time-dependent effect of BPA was observed on sperm motility at all BPA concentrations. However, sperm's fertilizing ability was unaffected in low BPA concentration (0.18mM and 0.37mM). A significantly higher percentage of moribund sperm was observed at 0.37mM and 0.74mM BPA compared with at 0.18mM BPA, in the negative control, and in the vehicle control. The present study confirms that environmentally relevant concentrations of BPA are capable of compromising sperm functions, leading to reduction in fertilizing ability of chicken sperm. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:1617-1622. (c) 2015 SETAC