Bisphenol A (BPA) is considered as ubiquitous xenooestrogen and an endocrine disrupting chemical which has deleterious effects on endocrine functions. Human populations are continuously exposed to BPA as it is abundant in daily life. It has been found to be associated with wide range of metabolic disorders notably type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Numerous epidemiological studies have been conducted to find its role in development of DM. Experimental studies have found that BPA exposure is associated with pathogenesis of DM and also considered as a risk factor for gestational diabetes. Being a lipophilic compound, BPA is preferably accumulated in adipose tissues where it alters the production of adipokines that play important roles in insulin resistance. BPA induces apoptosis by caspase activation after mitochondrial damage and it impairs insulin signaling pathways by altering associated ion channel activity especially potassium channels. Perinatal exposure of BPA makes offspring more susceptible to develop DM in early years. Epigenetic modifications are the key mechanisms for BPA-induced metabolic re-programming, where BPA alters the expression of DNA methyltransferases involved in methylation of various genes. In this way, DNA methyltransferase controls the expression of numerous genes including genes important for insulin secretion and signaling. Furthermore, BPA induces histone modifications and alters miRNA expression. In this article, we have briefly described the sources of BPA exposure to human being and summarized the evidence from epidemiological studies linking DM with BPA exposure. Additionally, we have also highlighted the potential molecular pathways for BPA-induced DM.

双酚A（BPA）被认为是普遍存在的异种雌激素，是一种破坏内分泌的化学物质，对内分泌功能具有有害作用。由于BPA在日常生活中非常丰富，因此人们不断地对其进行接触。已经发现它与广泛的代谢疾病有关，特别是2型糖尿病（DM）。已经进行了许多流行病学研究，以发现其在DM发生中的作用。实验研究发现，BPA暴露与DM的发病机理有关，也被认为是妊娠糖尿病的危险因素。作为一种亲脂性化合物，BPA优选积聚在脂肪组织中，在脂肪组织中，BPA会改变在胰岛素抵抗中起重要作用的脂肪因子的产生。BPA在线粒体损伤后通过caspase激活诱导凋亡，并通过改变相关的离子通道活性（尤其是钾通道）来破坏胰岛素信号传导途径。围产期BPA暴露使后代在早期更易患DM。表观遗传修饰是BPA诱导的代谢重编程的关键机制，其中BPA改变了涉及各种基因甲基化的DNA甲基转移酶的表达。这样，DNA甲基转移酶控制着许多基因的表达，包括对胰岛素分泌和信号传导重要的基因。此外，BPA诱导组蛋白修饰并改变miRNA表达。在本文中，我们简要介绍了人类接触BPA的来源，并总结了将DM与BPA接触联系起来的流行病学研究的证据。