Teratogenic and genotoxic effects of perfluoroalkyl acids on embryonic and neonate mice

Abstract EN

Per fluorinated compounds (PFCs) have emerged as a new class of global environmental pollutants.

Perfluoroctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) comprises a class of environmentally persistent chemicals that have a wide range of industrial applications.

160 pregnant dams were divided into two equal groups, PFOS group and PFOA group.

Each group was subdivided to four equal groups (n=20), one of them was kept as control group.

The first, second and third subgroups of the first main group were treated with 1, 10 and 20 mg PFOS / kg.

b.

w daily, respectively.

While the other three subdivided groups of the second main group were treated with 1, 5 and 10 mg PFOA / kg.

b.

w daily.

Ten dams of each group were treated from gestation day 0 (GD0) till gestation day 17 (GD17).

At GD18 dams were euthanized under anesthesia.

The gravid uterus were removed and examined for prenatal evaluation of fetuses.

The liver of the fetuses were dissected and used immediately for comet assay.

Individual live fetuses were prepared for teratological evaluation.

While the other ten dams were treated from GD0 till GD18 and then allowed to give birth.

The neonates of 5 dams were monitored for 4 days for postnatal survival.

Neonates of the remaining 5 dams were kept in the fixative till histopathological examination.

Control group were received an equivalent volume of deionized water.

Prenatal finding revealed that PFOS treatment reduce the number of live fetuses accompanied with increased fetal resorption.

PFOS reduced fetal body weight in a dose dependent manner, while PFOA reduced the fetal body weight at dose of 5 and 10 mg / kg b.

w.

Gross examination of the fetuses at GD18 showed presence of an abnormal swelling in the back of the neck in all fetuses of dams treated with 20 mg / kg b.

w.

Teratological evaluation revealed presence of several skeletal abnormalities in PFOS treated groups which were few in PFOA groups.

Neonates were born with reduction in body weight and showed the presence of the bilateral swelling which accompanied by neonatal death, while in PFOA treated group there was only reduction in body weight and survival rate.

Results revealed that PFOS caused DNA damage in fetal liver at 10 and 20 mg / kg b.

w.

Histopathological examination of both, bilateral swelling and lung revealed dilatation of the blood vessels between cranial bone area and brain, and slight to sever atalectasis, respectively.

The study concluded that both PFOS and PFOA were toxic to neonates with different degrees although PFOS was recorded the most toxic and the embryo might be died from the lesion formed over the brain.