Effects of per- and polyfluorinated compounds on adult rat testicular cells following in vitro exposure

Testicular toxicity is observed following exposure of rats to per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs). Such compounds were also shown to induce oxidative stress and changes in ABC efflux transporters e.g. P-gp, implying two mechanisms which may contribute to testicular toxicity. We studied the toxicity of four PFCs (PFOA, PFNA, 8:2 FTOH and 6:2 FTOH) on primary rat testicular cells. DNA damage was studied by the comet assay including Fpg enzyme treatment to detect oxidative lesions. The levels of the ABC efflux transporters Bcrp1, Oat2 and P-gp were studied by real-time RT-PCR or flow cytometry. A PFNA associated increase in DNA SSBs was attributed to a subpopulation of moderately damaged cells possibly associated with cytotoxicity. No significant increase in oxidative DNA damage was measured for any of the PFCs. Expression levels of ABC efflux transporters suggest that PFCs may increase expression levels of the P-gp protein and the Oat2 gene.