Maternal exposure to fluorotelomer ethoxylates: magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging to study bioaccumulation during pregnancy and the long-term impact on offspring neuroanatomy

Abstract

Fluorotelomer ethoxylates (FTEOs) are a new and unregulated class of per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) recognized to be persistent in the environment and known in the laboratory setting to have important health effects, such as causing placental dysfunction in the mouse. The bioaccumulation potential and the long-term impacts for offspring health following maternal exposure to FTEOs are not known. In the present study, we exposed pregnant CD-1 mice to FTEOs (50 mg/L for nuclear magnetic resonance experiments and 100 ng/L for the magnetic resonance imaging study) through their drinking water during gestation and lactation. Using ¹⁹ F solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, we detected FTEOs in a maternal liver and placenta tissue sample. ¹ H three-dimensional high-resolution ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging revealed that offspring exposed to FTEOs had focal neuroanatomical differences compared to controls in multiple brain structures including the cortex, hippocampus, medulla, midbrain, striatum, thalamus, and cerebellum. Many of these MRI-detectable changes in brain volume differed by sex, with the female offspring the most impacted by FTEO exposure. This study demonstrates that FTEOs are bioaccumulative and cause postnatal neurotoxicity in mice, highlighting the importance of understanding their impact on long-term human health.