INDUCTION OF ENOYL-COA HYDRATASE BY LD(50) EXPOSURE TO PERFLUOROCARBOXYLIC ACIDS DETECTED BY 2-DIMENSIONAL ELECTROPHORESIS

The effect of in vivo exposure to perfluoro-n-octanoic and pernuoro-n- decanoic acids was examined in the rat liver by two-dimensional electr ophoresis (2DE). Using nonequilibrium pH-gradient electrophoresis in t he first dimension separation, proteins associated with the mitochondr ial/peroxisomal cell fraction were observed and immunologically identi fied. Conspicuous inductions in peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase and ot her proteins of the peroxisomal P-oxidative pathway were observed foll owing single-dose exposure to each compound. The abundance of the tent atively-identified mitochondrial equivalent, crotonase, was not altere d by these intoxications. These results confirm previous observations of perfluorocarboxylic acid toxicity and support the use of 2D protein -pattern alterations in biomarker research. The ability to identify th is type of alteration via 2DE, in association with specific toxic effe cts by chemically related compounds, may provide new and additional ma rkers for chemical-induced tissue damage.