Changes in the levels of l-carnitine, acetyl-l-carnitine and propionyl-l-carnitine are involved in perfluorooctanoic acid induced developmental cardiotoxicity in chicken embryo

•l-carnitine co-exposure alleviated PFOA-induced developmental cardiotoxicity.•PFOA exposure decreased endogenous carnitine levels in chicken embryo hearts.•PFOA exposure altered the expression level of carnitine acetyltransferase.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a persistent organic pollutant, is associated with developmental toxicity. This study investigated the mechanism of PFOA-induced developmental cardiotoxicity in chicken embryo, focusing on the interactions between developmental exposure to PFOA and the levels of l-carnitine (LC), acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) and propionyl-l-carnitine (PLC) in the heart. To evaluate the developmental cardiotoxicity, fertile chicken eggs were exposed to 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2 or 5 mg/kg PFOA via air cell injection. Furthermore, exposure to 2 mg/kg PFOA, with or without 100 mg/kg LC were applied to investigate the effects of LC supplement. The results of functional and morphological assessments confirmed PFOA induced developmental cardiotoxicity in chicken embryo, which could be alleviated by co-exposure to LC. LC-MS/MS results also revealed remarkable decrease in LC, ALC and PLC levels in embryonic day six (ED6) chicken embryo hearts as well as LC level in embryonic day fifteen (ED15) chicken embryo hearts following developmental exposure to 2 mg/kg PFOA. Meanwhile, co-exposure to 100 mg/kg LC significantly elevated the levels of LC, ALC and PLC in chicken embryo hearts. Significantly elevated expression level of carnitine acetyltransferase (CRAT) in PFOA-exposed ED6 chicken embryo hearts was observed via western blotting, while LC co-exposure counteracted such changes. In conclusion, changes in the levels of LC, ALC and PLC in early embryonic stages are associated with PFOA induced developmental cardiotoxicity in chicken embryos.