Exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate in vitro perturbs the quality of porcine oocytes via induction of apoptosis

By Jingyue Chen, Yilong Miao, Qian Gao, Zhaokang Cui, and Bo Xiong
Environ Pollut
July 20, 2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117508

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a widely used artificial surfactant with potential toxicity to humans and animals. However, little is known about the impact of PFOS on the female germ cell development. Here, we report that PFOS exposure weakens oocyte quality by disturbing oocyte meiotic competency and fertilization ability. Specifically, PFOS exposure impaired cytoskeleton assembly including spindle organization and actin polymerization to cause the oocyte maturation arrest. In addition, PFOS exposure also impaired the mitochondrial dynamics and function, resulting in the increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage as well as generation of apoptosis. Lastly, PFOS exposure compromised the distribution of cortical granules (CGs) and their component ovastacin, leading to the failure of sperm binding and fertilization. Altogether, our study illustrates that oxidative stress-induced apoptosis is a major cause for the deteriorated quality of porcine oocytes exposed to PFOS.

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