Effect of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) on the liver lipid metabolism of the developing chicken embryo

Abstract Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) is a well-known contaminant in the environment and it has shown to disrupt multiple biological pathways, particularly those related with lipid metabolism. In this study, we have studied the impact of in ovo exposure to PFOS on lipid metabolism in livers in developing chicken embryos using lipidomics for detailed characterization of the liver lipidome. We used an avian model (Gallus gallus domesticus) for in ovo treatment at two levels of PFOS. The lipid profile of the liver of the embryo was investigated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Over 170 lipids were identified, covering phospholipids, ceramides, di- and triacylglycerols, cholesterol esters and fatty acid composition of the lipids. The PFOS exposure caused dose dependent changes in the lipid levels, which included upregulation of specific phospholipids associated with the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) pathway, triacylglycerols with low carbon number and double bond count as well as of lipotoxic ceramides and diacylglycerols. Our data suggest that at lower levels of exposure, mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation is suppressed while the peroxisomal fatty acid β -oxidation is increased. At higher doses, however, both β -oxidation pathways are upregulated.