The Effect of Gestational PFOS Exposure on Metabolism in the F344 Rat

Perfluorooctanesulfonate (or PFOS) is a type of PFOA known as (per-and poly-fluorinated alkylated substance) which is a manufactured compound chemical made of a strong carbon-fluorine and sulfonic acid. Due to its hydrophobic and lipophobic properties, industries use it in food wrappers, fire-fighting foam, sweat-proof clothing, and household cleaning products. PFOS exposure is an endocrine disruptor that may induce Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), an association of disorders that increases the risk of significant health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Gestational and lactational exposure to Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in F344/Stm rats was hypothesized to induce metabolic dysfunction in both female and male offspring. Pregnant F344 rats were given a control diet or diet containing 15mg/kg or 30mg/kg of PFOS; measures of body weight and body composition through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were performed, and tissue was measured at the euthanasia of the dams. Both female and male offspring exposed during pregnancy and lactation were subject to the same protocol with tissue collection at three ages. On both low and high doses of PFOS, the pregnant females showed a decreased body weight gain compared to the control group; males and females also showed decreased body weight at three weeks of age when weaned from the exposed female. At 16 weeks of age, the same patterns were not revealed. The results from NMR suggested a 21% decrease in fat percentage and a 23% decrease in fat for the high exposure in the dams. The offspring at three weeks old showed a reduction in fat mass, fat mass %, and fat-free % in both high and low-dose groups compared to the control group; on the other hand, at 16 weeks old, this trend is not shown. The results suggest that PFOS had a short-term metabolic effect on the offspring at the younger; however, at the adult age, they seem to recover their initial phenotypes. For future studies, it suggested the focus on underlying mechanisms responsible for the rodent's recovery. ASPIRE Program (R25HL168782) Medical College of Wisconsin. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.