Retention of Deuterated BPA During Planarian Regeneration

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a xenoestrogenic environmental pollutant

produced in large quantities by industry, including plastic manufacturing

and packaging for consumer goods, health and beauty products and

thermal printing. Due to its common use, ecological exposure is nearly

unavoidable therefore, it is important to understand the effects of these

compounds on the environment. Freshwater planaria (G. tigrina) are a

species of flatworms known for their ability to regenerate. Prior work in

our lab has demonstrated that exposure to bisphenol compounds severely

affects planarian behavior and regenerative capacity however, it is often

difficult to relate controlled exposure with the amount retained in an

organism because of the variable BPA concentrations found in the

environment. We exposed planaria to deuterated BPA (d8-BPA) in order

differentiate it from the more ubiquitous form. During a 14-day

exposure, regenerating planaria were imaged optically to understand the

effect d8-BPA had on their growth. The area of the regenerated

blastema was ratioed to the area of the whole worm to generate a growth

curve and the phenotypic changes were correlated with the amount of

d8-BPA retained.