Fluorotelomer alcohols are an alternative to neurotoxic perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, a sub-class of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, the effect of the fluorotelomer alcohol in offspring is poorly known. Here pregnant mice were exposed to various doses of the 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol through intragastric administration from gestation day 8.5 until delivery. Results show that the fluorotelomer alcohol impaired the development of the blood–brain barrier and altered brain immune microenvironment, causing anxiety-like behavior and impairments in learning memory. Mechanistic studies suggest that this is due to the activation of the serine and threonine kinase AKT/nuclear factor kappa-b/matrix metalloproteinases signaling pathway, resulting in the degradation of the tight junction protein occludin, which in turn caused disruption of endothelial barrier function. Our findings represent the first evidence that gestational exposure to the 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol causes neurotoxicity in offspring.

氟调聚物醇是神经毒性全氟烷基羧酸的替代品，全氟烷基羧酸是全氟烷基物质和多氟烷基物质 (PFAS) 的一个子类。然而，含氟调聚物醇对后代的影响却鲜为人知。这里，从妊娠第 8.5 天直至分娩，怀孕小鼠通过胃内给药暴露于不同剂量的 6:2 氟调聚物醇。结果表明，含氟调聚物酒精会损害血脑屏障的发育并改变大脑免疫微环境，导致焦虑样行为和学习记忆障碍。机制研究表明，这是由于丝氨酸和苏氨酸激酶AKT/核因子kappa-b/基质金属蛋白酶信号通路的激活，导致紧密连接蛋白occludin的降解，进而引起内皮屏障功能的破坏。我们的研究结果首次证明妊娠期接触 6:2 氟调聚物酒精会导致后代神经毒性。