Perfluorooctanoic acid alters T lymphocyte phenotypes and cytokine expression in mice

Abstract

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been used in commercial applications and detected in environmental matrices. This study focuses on whether PFOA affects the function of immune organs (spleen and thymus). Male ICR mice were exposed to 0, 2, 10, 50, and 250 ppm of PFOA in drinking water for 21 days. PFOA differently altered T lymphocyte populations. In the spleen, all doses of PFOA decreased CD8(+) lymphocytes; CD4(+) lymphocytes were increased by 50 and 250 ppm of PFOA. Exposure to 250 ppm of PFOA increased CD8(+) lymphocytes in the thymus. In the histopathological evaluation, the spleen of 250 ppm PFOA-treated groups revealed the increase of lymphoid hyperplasia of white pulp without significant alteration of red pulp. The thymus of 250 ppm PFOA-treated group showed decreased thickness of the cortex and medulla, but lymphoid cells were more densely arranged. PFOA elevated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1beta, and interleukin-6) in the spleen, and proto-oncogene, c-myc, in the spleen and thymus. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that PFOA has an immunomodulatory effect by altering T lymphocyte phenotypes and gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines.

Perfluoroheptanoic acid affects amphibian embryogenesis by inducing the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK

“…Hepatomegaly is often associated with chronic inflammatory liver disease. The liver is the major metabolizing organ and it is targeted following PFC exposure (28). Previous findings have shown that exposure to PFCs caused various chronic abnormalities, including hepatocellular hypertrophy and hepatomegaly (29,30).…”

The comparative immunotoxicity of mesoporous silica nanoparticles and colloidal silica nanoparticles in mice

“…20 Monoclonal antibodies were conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate ([FITC] emission at 525 nm) or phycoerythrin ([PE] emission at 575 nm). Antibodies to cell-specific receptors (Sasnta Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA, USA) included hamster anti-mouse CD3-FITC (T lymphocyte), rat anti-mouse CD45R/B220-PE (B lymphocyte), rat anti-mouse CD4-FITC (T helper lymphocyte), and rat anti-mouse CD8-PE (T cytotoxic/ suppressor lymphocyte).…”

Immunotoxic and hepatotoxic effects of perfluoro-n-decanoic acid (PFDA) on female Harlan Sprague–Dawley rats and B6C3F1/N mice when administered by oral gavage for 28 days

“…Exposure of laboratory animals to PFOA and PFOS has resulted in hepatomegaly, hepatic peroxisome proliferation, atrophy and alteration of cell populations in lymphoid organs (Yang et al 2000;Qazi et al 2009;Son et al 2009;DeWitt et al 2012;Dong et al 2012), suppression of the T-cell-dependent IgM antibody response (TDAR), alterations in inflammatory cytokine signaling (Peden-Adams et al 2008;Zheng et al 2009Zheng et al , 2011Dong et al 2011;DeWitt et al 2012), and reduction in thyroid hormone levels (Curran et al 2008). PFOS reduced the host resistance to influenza A virus and natural killer cell activity in B 6 C 3 F 1 mice (Guruge et al 2009).…”