Influence of carbon chain length on the hepatic effects of perfluorinated fatty acids. A 19F- and 31P-NMR investigation.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we investigated the importance of carbon chain length with regard to the hepatic effects associated with perfluoro-n-carboxylic acids. Male F-344 rats were administered a single intraperitoneal dose of either perfluoro-n-heptanoic acid (C7-PFA), perfluoro-n-nonanoic acid (C9-PFA), or perfluoro-n-undecanoic acid (C11-PFA). Data from previous studies involving perfluoro-n-octanoic acid (C8-PFA) and perfluoro-n-decanoic acid (C10-PFA) are included for comparison. Food consumption/body weight was monitored daily for all groups. C9- and C11-PFA treatment yields a prolonged hypophagic response while C7-PFA shows a more acute response. Fluorine-19 NMR spectra of urine and bile samples show no evidence of fluorometabolites and suggest that the distribution of perfluorocarbons into urine or bile is dependent upon carbon chain length. The aqueous solubility of C7-PFA appears to facilitate rapid urinary excretion, similar to that observed for C8-PFA. The relative hydrophobicity of C9- and C11-PFA appears to favor biliary enterohepatic recirculation, yielding a more protracted toxicity, similar to C10-PFA. Phosphorus-31 NMR studies of liver in vivo and liver extracts show that perfluorocarbons of > or = C9 carbons produce a significant increase in liver phosphocholine concentration. These data are discussed with regard to the impact of these chemicals on hepatic phospholipid metabolism. Hepatic peroxisomal fatty acyl CoA-oxidase activity (FAO) was measured to determine if C7-, C9-, and C11-PFA are peroxisome proliferators. Data indicate that the induction of peroxisomal enzyme activity by perfluorocarbons requires a chain length greater than seven carbons. In general, these results demonstrate the significance of carbon chain length in the hepatotoxic response and provide clues toward understanding the processes involved in the biological activities associated with exposure to these compounds.

Effect of the peroxisome proliferator perfluoro-n-decanoic acid on glucose transport in the isolated perfused rat liver.

The perfluorinated carboxylic acid, perfluoro-n-decanoic acid (PFDA), is a known peroxisome proliferator which displays toxicity in rodents. Using a paired-tracer first-pass extraction technique, the effect of PFDA on hepatic glucose transport was determined in the isolated perfused rat liver. In brief, livers isolated from PFDA-treated and control rats on day 5 posttreatment were administered the radiolabeled glucose analog, 3-O-[14C]methyl-D-glucose ([14C]3-O-MG) in addition to [fructose-1-3H(N)]sucrose ([3H]sucrose), which served as a measure of extracellular volume. Hepatic glucose transport was calculated from the change in the ratio [14C]3-O-MG/[3H]sucrose during passage through the liver. Data from this study indicate that PFDA inhibits hepatic glucose transport. Percent hepatic glucose extraction is 1.8-fold greater in controls than in PFDA-treated rats. No significant difference in lactate dehydrogenase levels was observed in the liver perfusate from PFDA-treated and control rats. This suggests that the difference in percent glucose extraction between PFDA-treated and control groups is specifically due to the PFDA treatment and is not attributed to differences in liver viability between groups. Although the exact mechanism for this inhibition in hepatic glucose transport is not known, it is hypothesized that PFDA may have a major impact on membrane structure/function which, in turn, may alter glucose transport.