How a chemical called PFOA changes liver cell messages
Effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on gene expression profiles via nuclear receptors in HepaRG cells: Comparative study with in vitro transactivation assays.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
PFOA directly activates PPARα but not other nuclear receptors, despite broad gene expression changes in their associated pathways.
Many environmental toxins activate multiple nuclear receptors like CAR or PXR. The fact that PFOA selectively targets only PPARα — while still altering hundreds of genes — is unexpected and suggests a highly specific mechanism.
Practical Takeaways
Limit exposure to non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and food packaging that may contain PFOA or related chemicals.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
PFOA directly activates PPARα but not other nuclear receptors, despite broad gene expression changes in their associated pathways.
Many environmental toxins activate multiple nuclear receptors like CAR or PXR. The fact that PFOA selectively targets only PPARα — while still altering hundreds of genes — is unexpected and suggests a highly specific mechanism.
Practical Takeaways
Limit exposure to non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and food packaging that may contain PFOA or related chemicals.
Publication
Journal
Toxicology
Year
2023
Authors
Wataru Murase, Atsuhito Kubota, Atsuko Ikeda-Araki, Masaru Terasaki, K. Nakagawa, R. Shizu, K. Yoshinari, Hiroyuki Kojima
Related Content
Claims (4)
C8, a type of chemical, sticks to certain receptors in the body and messes with hormone signals and how genes control hormone production, which can cause hormone problems.
PFOA, a chemical found in some non-stick products, turns on a specific human protein in lab-grown cells, and the more PFOA there is, the stronger the effect — suggesting this protein is a main target of the chemical.
Spending a day in a chemical called PFOA changes how nearly a thousand genes work in human liver cells, especially those involved in fat and sugar processing.
PFOA, a chemical found in some non-stick and waterproof products, doesn’t seem to turn on certain key human cell receptors that control how the body processes toxins — at least in lab-grown cells.