Chronic Exposure to High Doses of Bisphenol A Exhibits Significant Atrial Proarrhythmic Effects in Healthy Adult Rats

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the effects of chronic exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) on atrial fibrillation (AF) occurrence in rats. Methods: Twenty-two healthy female Wistar rats were randomized into three groups: Control (no BPA; n=7), BPA (exposed to usual BPA doses; 50 μg/kg/day, 9 weeks; n=7), and hBPA (exposed to high BPA doses; 25 mg/kg/day, 9 weeks; n=8). 24-h ECG monitoring was performed using radiotelemetry ECG devices prior to and after transesophageal atrial pacing. Spontaneous and pacing-induced atrial arrhythmias, autonomic tone, and in vivo an in vitro atrial arrhythmogenicity-related parameters were evaluated. Results: All studied parameters were similar between Control and BPA (all p>0.05). However, compared to Control, hBPA presented more atrial premature beats both at baseline (p=0.04) and after pacing (p=0.03), more AF episodes (p