High-throughput screening identifies bisphenol P as a potent cardiotoxin, inducing cardiotoxicity through apoptosis and NF-κB Pathway

Abstract

The increasing use of plastic additives, particularly bisphenols (BPs), has raised significant concerns about their potential risks to human health, especially during critical developmental stages. In this study, we developed a novel high-throughput toxicity screening platform using zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) to identify and prioritize chemicals with cardiotoxic potential, which is based on multidimensional exposure pathways ranging from environmental to human levels. The platform quantitatively assesses heart rate changes based on multilevel exposure pathways (environmental, ecological, and human), effectively prioritizing the most relevant cardiotoxic compounds with potential health risks. Using this platform, we identified bisphenol P (BPP), a widely used substitute for bisphenol A, as a potent cardiotoxic compound. BPP exposure significantly inhibited heart development and function in zebrafish, inducing abnormal heart morphology, reduced heart rate, cardiac output, and hemodynamic disturbances. Additionally, NF-κB signaling pathway analysis, including morpholino knock-down and inhibitor experiments, confirmed that BPP mediates cardiac toxicity by inducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Our findings underscore the toxicity that BP substitutes can have, while highlighting the potential of this multidimensional screening platform in evaluating cardiovascular toxicity and guiding future toxicological assessments during critical developmental windows.