Neurotoxic effects of lactational exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate on learning and memory in adult male mouse

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology Vol. 145; p. 111710
• Main Authors: Mshaty, Abdallah, Haijima, Asahi, Takatsuru, Yusuke, Ninomiya, Ayane, Yajima, Hiroyuki, Kokubo, Michifumi, Khairinisa, Miski Aghnia, Miyazaki, Wataru, Amano, Izuki, Koibuchi, Noriyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2020
• Subjects: Alkanesulfonic Acids - toxicity; Animals; Developmental neurotoxicity; Female; Fluorocarbons - toxicity; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - metabolism; Glutamic Acid - metabolism; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - drug effects; Hippocampus - metabolism; Humans; Lactation; Learning - drug effects; Male; Maternal Exposure - adverse effects; Memory - drug effects; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neurotoxins - toxicity; Object location; Object recognition; Postnatal exposure; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - etiology; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - genetics; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - metabolism; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - psychology; Visual discrimination; AMPA; DI; Gln; Developmental neurotoxicity; Object recognition; Visual discrimination; VD; BGS; ORT; Glu; TBS-T; Gly; OLT; GABA; NMDA; Postnatal exposure; Hippocampus; Object location; PFOS
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111710

The present study aims to examine the effect of early lactational perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) exposures on learning and memory in male mice and reveal the underlying mechanisms involved. PFOS solution was orally administered to dams from the postpartum days 1–14, so that pups would be exposed through breast milk. At 8–10 weeks of age, we performed object location test (OLT), object recognition test (ORT), and pairwise visual discrimination (VD) task. We also performed in vivo microdialysis, and mRNA and protein analysis of genes responsible for hippocampal development and function. In both OLT and ORT, the performance of mice in the PFOS-exposed group was significantly lower than those in the control group. In the VD task, the PFOS-exposed group learned significantly slower than the control group. Concentrations of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid in the dorsal hippocampus were significantly higher in the PFOS-exposed group than in the control group. No notable differences were shown in our mRNA and protein studies. The present study showed that lactational PFOS exposure has a profound, long-lasting neurotoxic effect in the hippocampus and consequently leads to learning and memory deficits. •Lactational PFOS exposure has profound long-lasting effect on learning and memory in adult male mice.•Male adults exposed to PFOS during lactational period have significantly higher GABA and Glu concentrations in the dorsal hippocampus.•PFOS may indirectly alter the funtion of the hippocampus by affecting the parahippocampal region.