Objective: To study the effects on oxidative stress and the expression of PPARα-related genes and protein in the liver of rats induced by pentadecafluorooctanoic acid( PFOA).
Methods: A total of 28 male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group: double distilled water, low dose group: PFOA 1 mg/( kg·d), middle dose group: PFOA 5 mg/( kg·d), high dose group: PFOA 25 mg/( kg·d), and were administrated by gavage once a day for 14 days take the organization after anesthesia, according to the follow-up experiments need treatment. The activity of oxidative stressrelated enzymes and the content of malondialdehyde( MDA) in liver tissue were detected. The mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferators-activited receptors α( PPARα) and cytochrome P4504A1( CYP4A1) were detected by real-time PCR. The protein expression of PPARα was detected by Western blot.
Results: There was significant difference between high dose group and control group of the body weight( P < 0. 05). The liver weight and relative liver weight of the middle and high dose groups were significantly higher than those of the control group( P < 0. 05). The activity of superoxide dismutase( SOD) and glutathione peroxidase( GSH-Px) in the liver of the low dose group were significantly higher than that of the control group( P < 0. 05). The content of MDA in liver of middle and high dose groups were increased by 2. 5 times and 3. 5 times compared with that of control group( P < 0. 05). The expression of PPARα and its regulated CYP4A1 mRNA were significantly increased in low, middle and high dose groups. The expression of PPARα protein in the low, middle and high dose groups were up-regulated.
Conclusion: PFOA exposure can lead to oxidative stress in rat liver, resulting in antioxidant enzymes SOD and GSH-Px and MDA changes. At the same time, PFOA exposure induced up regulation of PPARα and CYP4A1 in the liver of rats to enhance theβ-oxidation of fatty acids, leading to lipid peroxidation, which has obvious toxic effects on rat liver.
Keywords: liver; oxidative stress; perfluorooctanoic acid; peroxisome proliferators-activited receptors α.