Using a translational research paradigm to investigate dietary intake of fruit juice on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) concentrations

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Certain fruit juices, such as apple juice (AJ), contain bioactive molecules that can impair intestinal drug absorption through inhibition of transporter Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 2B1 (OATP2B1). Because some PFAS have been shown to be OATP2B1 substrates, we used a translational research paradigm to explore our hypothesis that higher fruit juice intake is associated with lower PFAS concentrations. METHODS: Female C57Bl/6 mice were administered perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS, 5 mg/kg) in buffer or in 4x AJ concentrate, with blood and tissues collected 5 hours after administration. Tissue PFOS was extracted and quantified by LC-MS. Epidemiologic analysis was conducted on 345 adolescents aged 12-19 years and 1,458 adults aged 20-80 years using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES), 2013 - 2014 cycle. Pure (100%) fruit juice intake was assessed by 24h dietary recall. Log-2 transformed serum concentrations of PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) were evaluated. Multivariable regression models were used to assess changes in PFAS concentrations in relation to dietary intake of juice, adjusting for covariates. RESULTS:In mice, 4x AJ co-administration decreased PFOS concentrations in blood, liver, kidney, and brain 5 hours after administration, indicating that 4x AJ can inhibit or delay PFOS absorption. Intake of pure fruit juice more than 1 time in the previous 24h was associated with a 15% (95%CI: -28%, -1%) reduction in serum PFOA concentration compared with no intake of juice among adolescents. No associations were observed between fruit juice intake and PFAS concentrations in adults. CONCLUSIONS:Combining experimental and epidemiological data, fruit juice consumption might lower PFAS burden. More research is needed to elucidate the effect of fruit juice consumption on PFAS concentrations in humans across age groups. KEYWORDS: PFAS, juice, translational, exposure reduction