Hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid,a perfluorooctanoic acid alternative,induces cardiovascular toxicity in zebrafish embryos

As an increasingly used alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA),hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid(HFPO-TA)has been widely detected in global water environments.However,little is known regarding its toxic effects on cardiovascular development.Here,zebrafish embryos were treated with egg water containing 0,60,120,or 240 mg/L HFPO-TA.Results showed that HFPO-TA treatment led to a significant reduction in both larval survival percentage and heart rate.Furthermore,HFPO-TA exposure caused severe pericardial edema and elongation of the sinus venous to bulbus arteriosus distance(SV-BA)in Tg(myl7:GFP)transgenic larvae,disrupting the expression of genes involved in heart development and thus causing abnormal heart looping.Obvious sprouting angiogenesis was observed in the 120 and 240 mg/L exposed Tg(fli:GFP)transgenic larvae.HFPO-TA treatment also impacted the mRNA levels of genes involved in the vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)pathway and embryonic vascular development.HFPO-TA exposure significantly decreased erythrocyte number in Tg(gata1:DsRed)transgenic embryos and influenced gene expression associated with the heme metabolism pathway.HFPO-TA also induced oxidative stress and altered the transcriptional levels of genes related to cell cycle and apoptosis,inhibiting cell proliferation while promoting apoptosis.Therefore,HFPO-TA exposure may induce abnormal development of the cardiovascular and hematopoietic systems in zebrafish embryos,suggesting it may not be a suitable or safe alternative for PFOA.