Advancing the understanding of PFAS-induced reproductive toxicity in key model species.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely used and resistant to degradation, leading to their frequent detection in both humans and animals. These substances are believed to be associated with a range of toxic effects. Reproductive toxicity warrants greater attention due to its potential impact on offspring development. This article reviews and summarizes the literature from the past fifteen years on the studies of reproductive toxicity in model organisms induced by PFASs. This article organizes the studies according to the five most commonly used model organisms including mice, rats, zebrafish, Oryzias, and Caenorhabditis elegans. By reviewing the literature, it was found that PFASs primarily induced reproductive toxicity through gonadal damage, disruption of sex hormones, and effects on offspring development. Moreover, mammals, rats and mice possess many conserved signaling pathways with humans, making them valuable models for studying various diseases and metabolic pathways. Zebrafish and Oryzias are well-suited for examining chronic toxicity at environmentally relevant exposure levels, with their high-throughput screening capacity enabling efficient and low-cost assessment of transgenerational effects. In summary, this study systematically reviews the reproductive toxicity of PFASs in model organisms, offering a scientific foundation for optimizing model selection, exploring intervention strategies, and shaping future research directions.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts

• Publication date

  2025-09-29

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1039/d5em00145ePMID 41017281
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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