Effect of PFOS on glucocorticoid-induced changes in human decidual stromal cells in the first trimester of pregnancy

•Cortisol induces 11β-HSD1 in decidual cells and decidualization in early pregnancy.•PFOS inhibits decidualization on its own in early pregnancy.•PFOS attenuates the effects of cortisol on 11β-HSD1 and decidualization.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a surfactant and used in treating products for waterproofing and non-stick applications. PFOS has potential influence on reproductive function but the effect of PFOS exposure on the decidual functions remains unknown. By using primary human decidual stromal cells of early pregnancy we demonstrated that PFOS inhibited decidualization of the stromal cells as well as decidualization-induced upregulation of 11β-HSD1, an enzyme that regenerates biologically active cortisol from its inactive counterpart cortisone. Moreover, PFOS attenuated cortisol-induced decidualization and upregulation of 11β-HSD1 in the stromal cells. Furthermore, PFOS inhibited the reduction of IL-6 and IL-1β, the key proinflammatory cytokines in maternal-fetal immune intolerance, by cortisone in the decidual stromal cells indicating attenuated conversion of cortisone to cortisol. In conclusion, exposure to PFOS may disrupt the regeneration of cortisol in the decidual tissue thereby impairing the decidualization and immune-tolerance environment of early pregnancy.