Early life perfluorooctanoic acid exposure induces long-lasting effects on social behaviors in adult mice

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a persistent organic pollutant widely used in the field of medicine, industry and agriculture, has been linked to various adverse health risks. However, the potential effects of early-life exposure to PFOA on social behaviors in adulthood remain unclear. ICR mice were exposed to different doses of PFOA (0, 1, 3 mg/kg) in drinking water for three weeks during the postweaning period. The open field test (OFT), social dominance test (SDT), novel object recognition (NOR) test, social interaction test (SIT) and social novelty preference (SNP) test were conducted to evaluate social behaviors. Behavioral results showed that postweaning PFOA exposure significantly decreased social dominance of both male and female mice during adulthood. PFOA exposure also reduced social interaction and improved social novelty in male mice, while impaired memory only in female mice. Results of 16S rRNA sequencing analysis showed the alpha-diversity, β-diversity and composition of gut microbiota altered after PFOA exposure. Following PFOA exposure, the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus decreased specifically in female mice, whereas harmful bacteria such as Desulfovibrio increased in both male and female mice. Several pathways altered were predicted according to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). The study reveals that postweaning exposure to PFOA has enduring effects on several social behaviors with variations dependent on sex, which may be linked to alterations in gut microbiota composition.