Neurotoxicity of PFAS

Principal Investigator(s): Dr. Jason Cannon
Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Marisol Sepúlveda

Neuromelanin in R. pipiens brain

Photo shows neuromelanin (purple dots) on brain.

Researchers

Dr. Jason Cannon

Jason Cannon, Professor of Toxicology
Purdue School of Health Sciences

Dr. Marisol Sepulvada holding a fish.

Marisol Sepúlveda, Professor and Associate Head of Research
Purdue Forestry & Natural Resources

Tyler Hoskins

Tyler Hoskins, Research Assistant Faculty
Purdue FNR

Josephine BrownJosephine Brown, PhD student
Purdue School of Health Sciences

Meredith Scherer

Meredith Scherer, MS
Purdue FNR

Research Objectives

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of chemicals that were widely used in manufacturing and are now present in the environment throughout the world. It is known that various PFAS are quantifiable in human in blood, but potential adverse health outcomes remain unclear. Sentinel and non-traditional model species are useful to study potential toxicity of PFAS in order to understand the relationship between environmental and human health.

  • R. pipens brains contain neuromelanin, a pigment present in humans and not rodents and thought to mediate response to toxicants
  • Preliminary data suggests altered neurotransmitter levels in brains of R. pipiens exposed to PFOS
  • Studying effects of PFOS on dopamine and other neurotransmitters
  • Animal model: Rana pipiens

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Neurotoxicity in Sentinel and Non-Traditional Laboratory Model Systems: Potential Utility in Predicting Adverse Outcomes in Human Health
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), open access journals.

National Institutes of Health