The Effect of Perfluorooctanoic Acid Exposure during Pregnancy on the Expression of Oligodendrocytes Markers

During pregnancy, the exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) can accompany with oligodendrocyte death. In current study, the effect of exposure to PFOA during pregnancy on the expression of oligodendrocyte markers was investigated.

After Wistar rats’ fertilization, the rats were randomly divided into five groups of control, sham, and three other groups, which received PFOA as 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg body weight. 20-day-old rats were sacrificed, and brain samples were examined using immunohistochemical staining. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software.

In the groups receiving PFOA at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg, the percentage of Olig2- and myelin-basicprotein (MBP)-positive cells significantly reduced compared to the other groups (P < 0.001).

The findings of this study showed that exposure to PFOA during pregnancy can induce oligodendrocyte death; so it is recommended to avoid exposure to toxic agents such as PFOA during pregnancy.