Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Exposure Compromises Fertility by Affecting Ovarian and Oocyte Development

Abstract

PFOA, a newly emerging persistent organic pollutant, is widely present in various environmental media. Previous reports have proved that PFOA exposure can accumulate in the ovary and lead to reproductive toxicity in pregnant mice. However, the potential mechanism of PFOA exposure on fertility remains unclear. In this study, we explore how PFOA compromises fertility in the zebrafish. The data show that PFOA (100 mg/L for 15 days) exposure significantly impaired fertilization and hatching capability. Based on tissue sections, we found that PFOA exposure led to ovarian damage and a decrease in the percentage of mature oocytes. Moreover, through in vitro incubation, we determined that PFOA inhibits oocyte development. We also sequenced the transcriptome of the ovary of female zebrafish and a total of 284 overlapping DEGs were obtained. Functional enrichment analysis showed that 284 overlapping DEGs function mainly in complement and coagulation cascades signaling pathways. In addition, we identified genes that may be associated with immunity, such as LOC108191474 and ZGC:173837. We found that exposure to PFOA can cause an inflammatory response that can lead to ovarian damage and delayed oocyte development.