Toxicity and kinetics of perfluoro-octanoic acid in the Wistar rat

Perfluoro-octanoic acid [PFO; CF3 (CF2)6 COOH] is a single chain fatty acid with surfactant properties. Thus far the kinetics and toxicity of PFO has not been studied thoroughly. PFO was administered orally 3 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 30 mg/kg to 36 Wistar rats daily for 28 consecutive days. Another 12 animals received 0.5 ml/100 g saline each day. Animal behaviour, body weight, as well as, water and food consumption were observed regularly. Blood, urine, and some viscera were collected for the analysis of PFO and histopathology. Food consumption decreased with increasing dose of PFO. Serum PFO concentrations were 6-19 times higher in the males than in the females (range 48.6-83.0 micrograms/ml males, and 2.4-11.2 micrograms/ml females) (p less than 0.001). On the 7th day the mean PFO excretion in the low dose group for the males was 157 +/- 63 micrograms/24 (SD) h and 255 +/- 27 micrograms/24 h for females (p less than 0.05). In the high dose group the corresponding figures were 2476 +/- 665 micrograms/24 h (males) and 2917 +/- 493 micrograms/24 h (females). On the 28th day the PFO excretion for the low dose males was 609 +/- 87 micrograms/24 h, 671 +/- 65 micrograms/24 h for the females. In the high dose group the figures were 4619 +/- 2886 micrograms/24 h (males) and 4379 +/- 692 micrograms/24 h (females).