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Immunotoxic changes associated with a 7-day oral exposure to perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in adult male C57BL/6 mice

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Abstract

Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) is a widespread contaminant in the environment, as well as in wildlife and in humans. Toxicity tests in rodents have raised concerns about potential developmental, reproductive, and systemic effects of PFOS. However, there is little information about the effect of PFOS on immune system. In this study, adult male C57BL/6 mice were given by gavage 0, 5, 20 or 40 mg PFOS/kg day−1 for 7 days. The results showed that PFOS exposure decreased food intake and body weight and increased liver mass and serum corticosterone levels in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the number of lymphocytic subpopulation cells decreased significantly in 20 or 40 mg PFOS/kg day−1 group in comparison with normal C57BL/6 mice. Treatment with PFOS also markedly depressed the natural killer (NK) cell activity, lymphocyte proliferation and the plaque-forming cell (PFC) response. These results indicate that PFOS exposure can affect the immunity function in mice.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (20707041) and Grants from the Research Found for the Doctor Program of Higher Education (20070159015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, China Medical University, North 2nd Road, Heping Districts, 110001, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China

    Guang-Hui Dong, Yi-He Jin & Qin-Cheng He

  2. Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, Dalian, People’s Republic of China

    Yi-He Jin

  3. Department of Immunology, China Medical University, 110001, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China

    Li Zheng

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  1. Li Zheng
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Correspondence to Guang-Hui Dong.

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Zheng, L., Dong, GH., Jin, YH. et al. Immunotoxic changes associated with a 7-day oral exposure to perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in adult male C57BL/6 mice. Arch Toxicol 83, 679–689 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-008-0361-3

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