Toxicological effects of perfluorooctanoic acid in rats

Kim, Yong-Hoon; Cho, Eun-Sang; Kim, A-Young; Kim, Sung-Hwan; Park, Min-Sik; Cho, Sung-Whan; Ryu, Si-Yun; Jung, Joo-Young; Son, Hwa-Young

Korean Journal of Veterinary Research 2008;48(3):347-355.

Yong-Hoon Kim, Eun-Sang Cho, A-Young Kim, Sung-Hwan Kim, Min-Sik Park, Sung-Whan Cho, Si-Yun Ryu, Joo-Young Jung, Hwa-Young Son

College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University

랫드에서 Perfluorooctanoic Acid의 독성에 관한 연구

김용훈, 조은상, 김아영, 김성환, 박민식, 조성환, 류시윤, 정주영, 손화영

충남대학교 수의과대학

Abstract

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a member of the perfluoroalkyl acids that have wide commercial applications, is persistent organic pollutants widely spread throughout the environment and human population. But little is known about the adverse biological effects of the PFOA. In the present study, the toxicological effects of PFOA were investigated in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 10 in each group) were orally administered with PFOA in drinking water for 4 weeks (0, 100, 200, or 400 ppm in male, and 0, 200, 400, or 800 ppm in female). Three female rats given 800 ppm died during the study. PFOA treatment decreased the body weight gain and increased the liver weights in both genders. Serum biochemical investigations revealed significant increases in the aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, blood urea nitrogen, total cholesterol, and total bilirubin in male but in female. Serum estradiol (E2) levels were increased in all treated rats. Histopathologically, hepatocellular hypertrophy around central vein was noted in the liver of treated rats. No significant histopathological changes were noted in other organs. In conclusion, PFOA induced toxicological changes in the liver and increased serum E2 level which was not related to histopathological changes of endocrine and reproductive system.

Key Words: estrogen, histopathology, liver, perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA), toxicity