Assessment of unique behavioral, morphological, and molecular alterations in the comparative developmental toxicity profiles of PFOA, PFHxA, and PFBA using the zebrafish model system

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals that are persistent in the environment. Due to adverse health outcomes associated with longer chain PFAS, shorter chain chemicals were used as replacements, but developmental toxicity assessments of the shorter chain chemicals are limited. Toxicity of three perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) [perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), composed of 8 carbon (C8), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA, C6), and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA, C4)] was compared in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio). LC50s at 120 h post fertilization (hpf) assessed potency of each PFAA by exposing developing zebrafish (1–120 hpf) to range of concentrations. Zebrafish were then exposed to sublethal concentrations (0.4–4000 ppb, µg/L) throughout embryogenesis (1–72 hpf). Effects of the embryonic exposure on locomotor activities was completed with the visual motor response test at 120 hpf. At 72 hpf, morphological changes (total body length, head length, head width) and transcriptome profiles to compare altered molecular and disease pathways were determined. The LC50 ranking followed trend as expected based on chain length. PFOA caused hyperactivity and PFBA hypoactivity, while PFHxA did not change behavior. PFOA, PFHxA, and PFBA caused morphological and transcriptomic alterations that were unique for each chemical and were concentration-dependent indicating different toxicity mechanisms. Cancer was a top disease for PFOA and FXR/RXR activation was a top canonical pathway for PFBA. Furthermore, comparison of altered biological and molecular pathways in zebrafish exposed to PFOA matched findings reported in prior epidemiological studies and other animal models, supporting the predictive value of the transcriptome approach and for predicting adverse health outcomes associated with PFHxA or PFBA exposure.