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Vitamin C Alleviates BPA Embryotoxicity by Attenuating Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage-Mediated Apoptosis via Modulation of the ATM/Chk2/p53 Pathway

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental contaminant that migrates from food packaging, poses significant risks to embryonic development. This study investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of vitamin C ( l -ascorbic acid) against BPA-induced embryotoxicity using Xenopus laevis embryos and P19 stem cells under a simultaneous exposure design. A multiassay approach was applied, including developmental bioassays, histological analysis, single-cell gel electrophoresis, and molecular profiling. The results showed that vitamin C significantly alleviated BPA-induced mortality, malformations, growth retardation, neurodevelopmental impairments, and notochord damage. Mechanistically, vitamin C restored the expression of antioxidant genes ( gpx4, sod, ppard, and cat.2 ), reduced reactive oxygen species generation and oxidative DNA damage, and suppressed apoptosis via modulation of the ATM/Chk2/p53 signaling pathway. These findings demonstrate that vitamin C mitigates BPA-induced embryotoxicity by limiting oxidative stress and DNA damage-mediated apoptosis under coexposure conditions, supporting further evaluation of antioxidant-based protection across different exposure regimens and in combination with other antioxidants.

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6c02363