Summary: Despite its reputation as a safer chemist, PFHxa, a short chain PFAS, can cause long -term behavioral changes when exposure occurs early in development. The researchers found that the male mice exposed to PFHxa in the uterus and through breastfeeding showed greater anxiety, memory deficit and lower activity levels.
These effects were not observed in female mice, which echo the patterns found in neurodevelopment disorders biased by man such as autism and ADHD. The findings raise concerns about the risks of neurological development of PFHxa, challenging assumptions that the short chain PFA are harmless.
Key facts:
Specific effects of men: only male mice showed anxiety, memory problems and reduced activity after exposure to PFHxa. Personalized risk: the effects of behavior persisted on adulthood, even after the exhibition ended. Regulatory implications: The results question the safety of short chain PFA alternatives and support the strictest regulation.
Source: Rochester University
“Chemical products forever” or per-are substances and polyfluoroalquilo (PFA) have been widely used in consumer and industrial products during most of the century, but do not break down in the natural environment.
A PFAS, perfluorhexanoic acid or PFHxa, is composed of a shorter molecules chain and is believed to have less impact on human health.
A new research from the Institute of Monte of Neuroscience at the University of Rochester suggests otherwise, discovering that the early exhibition of life to PFHxa can increase behaviors related to anxiety and memory deficits in male mice.
“Although these effects were mild, to find behavioral effects only on men remembered the many neurodevelopment disorders that are biased by men,” said Ania Majewska, PHD, a professor of Neuroscience and main author of the study today in the European magazine of Neuroscience.
Research has shown that men are more frequently diagnosed with neurological development disorders such as autism and ADHD. “This finding suggests that the male brain could be more vulnerable to environmental insults during neurological development.”
The researchers exposed the mice to PFHxa through a taste of the food given to the mother during pregnancy and breastfeeding. They discovered that the male mice exposed to the highest doses of PFHxa in the uterus and through the mother’s breast milk showed minor changes in development, including a decrease in activity levels, the increase in behaviors similar to anxiety and memory deficits. They did not find any behavior effect on women who were exposed to PFHxa in the same way.
“Finding that exposure to development to PFHxa has long -term behavioral consequences in a mammalian model is worrying when it is believed that short chain PFA is considered to be safer alternative Dedicats.
“Understanding PFHxa’s impacts on the developing brain is essential to propose regulations around this chemist. With luck, this is the first of many studies that evaluate PFHxa neurotoxicity.”
The researchers followed these mice at adulthood and discovered that in male mice exposure to PFHxa affects the behavior long after the exposure stops, which suggests that exposure to PFHxa could have effects on the developing brain that has long -term consequences.
“This work points to the need for more research in short chain PFA. As far as we know, PFHxa has not been evaluated by the toxicity of neuroconductual development in a rodent model,” said Majewska.
“Future studies should evaluate the cellular and molecular effects of PFHxa, including the specific cell type effects, in regions associated with motor, emotional/fear and memory domains to elucidate mechanistic bases.”
Despite its shortest chain, it has been found that PFHxa is persistent in the water and was restricted by the European Union in 2024. This follows years of restrictions on the longest chain PFA.
Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency established its first national drinking water standard for PFA, which will reduce exposure to PFA for millions of people. PFA are man -made chemicals that have the unique ability to repel spots, oil and water have been found in food, water, animals and people.
They are linked to a variety of health problems, including development problems in babies and kidney cancer.
Additional authors include Marissa Sobolewski, PHD, from the Medical Center of Rochester University, Katherine Manz, PHD, from the University of Michigan, and Andre Gomes, and Kurt Pennel, PHD, of Brown University.
Financing: The research was supported by the National Health Institutes, the Center for Intellectual and Development Disabilities Research of the University of Rochester and the Environmental Health Services Center of the University of Rochester.
About this neurological development research news
Author: Kelsie Smith Hayduk
Source: Rochester University
Contact: Kelsie Smith Hayduk – University of Rochester
Image: The image is accredited to Neuroscience News
Original research: open access.
“The gestational and lactational exposure to perfluorhexanoic acid affects behavior in adult male mice: a preliminary study” by Ania Majewska et al. European Neuroscience Magazine
Abstract
Gestational and lactational exposure to perfluorhexanic acid affects behavior in adult male mice: a preliminary study
Pear and polyfluoroalquilo (PFA) substances have been associated with a greater risk of neuroconductual disorders biased by men.
The industries have effectively replaced them with next -generation PFA, including perfluorhexanoic acid (PFHxa). Cebra fish studies indicate effects of exposure to PFHxa on activity levels; However, Development Neurotoxicology (DNT) of PFHxa has not been characterized in mammals.
Human data reflects the need for mammal dnt evaluations because PFHxa is in the serum of pregnant women and breast milk.
In addition, postmortem studies show that PFHxa enters the brain, and the cerebellum has particularly high concentrations.
Given this region of the directed brain, we prejudice that PFHxa’s behavioral effects can be directed to motor domains.
To evaluate the effects of exposure to the development PFHxa, we presented C57BL/6J mice pregnant daily from gestational day 0 to the postnatal day (P) 21 to the vehicle (Human Rights), a minor (0.32 mg/kg body weight (BW)) or a higher dose (50 mg/kg of BW) of PFHxa.
Although this resulted in brain increases in P1 in the highest exposure group and in P21 in both exposure groups, in P90, PFHxa levels returned to those of control mice.
We observe the specific effects of man on the open field test, the high labyrinth Plus and the new object recognition test in adulthood, without manifest effects on the hanging test, the inverted screen test and the exploration of the march.
These preliminary findings indicate that exposure to PFHxa can cause lasting changes in many domains of behavior in a mammalian model, and more research is needed to expand these evaluations to other cognitive domains.
