BRB-seq analysis of PFOS-induced thyroid hormone system disrupted rats reveal organ-specific effects

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is a persistent anthropogenic chemical that can affect the thyroid hormone system in humans. In experimental animals, PFOS exposure decreases thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels, without a compensatory upregulation of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). In adults, THs are regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, but also organs such as the liver and potentially the gut microbiota. PFOS and other xenobiotics can therefore potentially disrupt the TH system through various entry points of disruption. To start addressing this issue, we performed a PFOS exposure study to identify effects in multiple organs and pathways simultaneously. Hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, and liver transcriptional profiles of adult male rats exposed for 7 days to either vancomycin, PFOS or a combination vancomycin + PFOS (from PD56-62) were generated by BRB-sequencing.