Cited by 235Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances researchPeroxisome Proliferator-Activated ReceptorsFluorine in Organic Chemistry

Activation of Human Nuclear Receptors by Perfluoroalkylated Substances (PFAS)

Behr, Anne-Cathrin, Plinsch, Christin, Braeuning, Albert, Buhrke, Thorsten·2020·Toxicology in Vitro

Abstract

Perfluoralkylated substances (PFAS) such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are used to produce, e.g., surface coatings with water- and dirt-repellent properties. These substances have been shown to be hepatotoxic in rodents, and the mechanism of action is mostly attributed to the PFAS-mediated activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα). In the present study, we investigated by using luciferase-based reporter gene assays whether PFOA, PFOS and six alternative PFAS can activate, in addition to PPARα, eight other human nuclear receptors. All tested PFAS except for perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) were able to activate human PPARα. Perfluoro-2-methyl-3-oxahexanoic acid (PMOH) and 3H-perfluoro-3-[(3-methoxypropoxy) propanoic acid] (PMPP) were weak agonists of human PPARγ. The other human nuclear receptors (PPARδ, CAR, PXR, FXR, LXRα, RXRα and RARα) were not affected by any PFAS tested in this study. Although PMOH was more effective than PFOA in stimulating PPARα in the transactivation assay, it was less effective in stimulating PPARα-dependent target gene expression in human HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells. Notably, any effect observed in this in vitro study only occurred at concentrations higher than 10 μM of the respective PFAS which is in all cases several magnitudes above the average blood concentration in the Western population. Thus, the results suggest that nuclear receptor activation may only play a minor role in potential PFAS-mediated adverse effects in humans.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.tiv.2019.104700

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  • All PFAS tested by Behr et al., except PFBS, activated human PPARα; PMOH and PMPP were weak agonists of human PPARγ; the other tested human nuclear receptors were not activated by any tested PFAS.

    “The results showed that all of the PFAS tested, except PFBS, activated human PPARα. Perfluoro-2-methyl-3-oxahexanoic acid (PMOH) and 3H-perfluoro-3-[(3-methoxypropoxy)propanoic acid] (PMPP) were weak agonists of human PPARγ. The other human nuclear receptors tested (PPARδ, CAR, PXR, FXR, LXRα, RXRα, and RARα) were not activated by any of the tested PFAS.”
  • PPARs within the brain may serve as important molecular targets of PFAS that can impact metabolic homeostasis.

    “PPARs within the brain may serve as important molecular targets of PFAS that can impact metabolic homeostasis”

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Authors
Behr, A.-C., Plinsch, C., Braeuning, A., & Buhrke, T.
Affiliations
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) (DE)
Corresponding author
Buhrke, Thorsten
Venue
Toxicology in Vitro
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-02
Volume
62
Pages
104700
ISSN
0887-2333 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2982329931
Cited by
235
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 36 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 11
FWCI
9.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Toxicology in Vitro (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • OpenAgrar (submittedVersion)
Funders
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmaceutical Science › Fluorine in Organic Chemistry
Keywords
perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOS, PFBS, PPARα, PPARγ, nuclear receptor activation, hepatotoxicity, PPARα agonist, PFAS alternatives, HepG2 cells, endocrine disruption
MeSH terms
Caprylates, Fluorocarbons, Humans, Sulfonic Acids, Transcriptional Activation, Gene Expression, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Genes, Reporter, Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear, Cell Line, Tumor, PPAR alpha, Hep G2 Cells, HEK293 Cells

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