Toxicity of perfluorinated fatty acids for human and murine B cell lines

The toxicity of two perfluorinated fatty acids, penta decafluoro-n-octanoic acid (PFOA) and nonadecafluoro-n-decanoic acid (NDFDA), on three mammalian B cell lines was evaluated. Cells were exposed to the perfluorinated molecules for either 24 or 48 hr under a variety of culture conditions. Immunoglobulin secretion and surface membrane expression were unaffected by both PFOA and NDFDA at sublethal concentrations. Lethal effects of PFOA and NDFDA are diminished by either lowering culture temperature (37 to 20 degrees C) or including fetal bovine serum or human serum albumin in media. At lethal concentrations, both PFOA and NDFDA possess detergent activity since they can release IgM in soluble form from a cell line that does not secrete immunoglobulins, and brief exposure (15 min) to 1-2 mM of both perfluorinated fatty acids results in solubilization of F4 cells equivalent to the anionic detergent deoxycholic acid. Our data suggest that at subtoxic concentrations, neither PFOA nor NDFDA alters expression or secretion of a differentiated gene product (IgM). At lethal levels, both chemicals cause increased solubilization of proteins from lymphoblastoid cell lines.