Sorbent Intervention to Reduce Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Maternal Reproductive Tissues and Transgenerational Translocation in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants, posing significant health risks, particularly during critical exposure windows such as gestation and lactation. In this study, following prenatal and postnatal exposure to 0.95 mg PFAS/kg-bw/day in F0 Sprague-Dawley rats, their toxicity to maternal reproductive tissues and translocation to offspring were measured. On postnatal day (PND) 21, PFAS (especially PFOS) were detected in F0 ovaries and testes with histopathological ovarian damage. PFAS time-dependently accumulated in maternal milk and transferred approximately 1% to F1 serum and 3.7-6.0% to F1 livers, except for PFBS. PFAS exposure reduced offspring birth weight and growth by 20.8% (p≤0.01), and induced systemic inflammation and hepatotoxicity, as shown by the imbalanced liver function parameters, antioxidants, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. These findings suggest that long-term health implications may result from early-life PFAS exposure. To mitigate PFAS toxicity, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) sorbents were orally administered during PFAS exposure. Activated carbon (AC) and acid-processed montmorillonite (APM) treatments most significantly reduced total PFAS in maternal ovaries by 47-49%, testes by 40-43%, and milk by 40-74% (p≤0.01), and restored ovarian histoarchitecture. Although sorbents only slightly reduced PFAS concentrations in the offspring liver and serum by 5%, they prevented PFAS-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and liver damage. These findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted short-term interventions to reduce PFAS exposure and toxicity, especially during vulnerable periods. Enterosorbent treatments offer a promising preventive approach by reducing the systemic bioavailability of PFAS and interrupting toxic effects in two generations.