title: Acute Immunotoxic Effects of Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA) in C57BL/6 Mice.
abstract: otrganic perfluorochemicals (PFCs) have become an environmental concern due to widespread detection in human blood and experimental evidence for immune, developmental, and liver toxicity. Whereas the blood concentrations of many PFCs are declining, blood levels of Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA) are rising in the United States. The purpose of the present studies was to determine the effects of PFNA on lymphoid organs and immune cells of C57BL/6 mice. The present study demonstrates that PFNA produces immunotoxic effects in both male and female C57BL/6 mice as evidenced by splenic atrophy, decreased splenocyte numbers, and a marked reduction in thymocyte viability. The current study also demonstrates that the effects of PFNA on different leukocyte populations are not uniform. The CD4+CD8+double-positive thymocytes were particularly sensitive to PFNA in which the proportion of this population was >95% decreased relative to the entire CD4+thymocyte population in PFNA-treated mice. Interestingly, PFNA also markedly increased serum levels of TNFα in response to LPS in mice. Collectively, the present studies demonstrate that PFNA decreases lymphocyte viability and alters the immune response to LPS in C57BL/6 mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors.forename: Cheryl E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Rockwell
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandra E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Turley
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
authors.forename: Xingguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
authors.forename: Curtis D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Klaassen
keywords: LPS; PFNA, Perfluoroalkyl acid; Perfluorononanoic acid; T cell; TNFα