The mammary gland is a sensitive pubertal target in CD-1 and C57Bl/6 mice following perinatal perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a known developmental toxicant in mice, with varied strain outcomes depending on dose and period of exposure. The impact of PFOA on female mouse pubertal development at low doses (≤1 mg/kg), however, has yet to be determined. Therefore, female offspring from CD-1 and C57Bl/6 dams exposed to PFOA, creating serum concentrations similar to humans, were examined for pubertal onset, including mammary gland development. Mouse pups demonstrated a shorter PFOA elimination half-life than that reported for adult mice. Prenatal exposure to PFOA caused significant mammary developmental delays in exposed female offspring in both strains. Delays started during puberty and persisted into young adulthood; severity was dose-dependent. In contrast, an evaluation of serum hormone levels and pubertal timing onset in the same offspring revealed no effects of PFOA compared to controls in either strain. Therefore, our data suggest that the mammary gland is more sensitive to the effects of early low level PFOA exposures compared to other pubertal endpoints, regardless of strain