A human relevant mixture of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) enhance nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells

Disruption of neurite outgrowth is a marker for neurotoxicity. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are potential developmental neurotoxicants. We investigated their effect on in PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells, absence or presence nerve growth factor (NGF), an inducer neuronal differentiation. Cells were exposed 72 h to defined mixture POPs with chemical composition and concentrations based blood levels the Scandinavian population. also evaluated perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) alone, most abundant compound POP mixture. Only higher reduced tetrazolium salt (MTT) conversion. High-content analysis showed decrease cell number, but no changes nuclear mitochondrial cellular health parameters. Robust glutathione observed NGF-differentiated cells. Live imaging, using IncuCyte ZOOM platform indicated ongoing proliferation over time, slower NGF. The did not inhibit neuritogenesis, rather increased NGF-induced length. PFOS induced about 50 % level seen Neither nor affected length Our observations indicate that realistic complex mixtures environmental can affect connectivity via outgrowth.