Qazi 2012

Risk of bias

Animal bioassay experiments

NameTypeComments
Recovery study - 10days Short-term (1-30 days) PFOA: Male C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice (6–8 weeks old at the beginning of each experiment) were obtained from NOVA-SCB (Sollentuna, Sweden). This inbred mouse strain is employed as a model system in a wide variety of research, including immunology and pharmacology, as well as for the generation of transgenic mice (Peters et al., 2007). Moreover, we used male animals to avoid the hormonal fluctuations associated with cyclic ovulation and menstruation, which can influence the immune system (Bouman et al., 2005; Verthelyi, 2001). These animals were housed in the facilities of the Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, at 22 C with a 12-h light/12-h dark cycle, 50% humidity and access to the diets indicated below and tap water ad libitum. Upon arrival, they were placed individually into polycarbonate cages with bedding of heat-treated pine-shavings, to allow individual monitoring of food intake. Each cage was also provided with nesting materials, e.g., white paper towels and toilet paper rolls. The mice were allowed to acclimatize to this environment for 7 days before dietary exposure to PFOA or PFOS. All of these experiments were pre-approved by the Northern Stockholm Ethical Committee for Animal Experimentation (approval numbers N300/05, N16/10 and N3/12).
     For investigation of the dose dependency of effects on bone marrow cells, groups of 4 mice were supplied with chow containing no added, 0.001%, 0.002% or 0.02% PFOA or PFOS for 10 consecutive days. We have found in previous studies that this duration of dietary treatment to high doses of PFOA or PFOS exerts maximal effects on the immune organs (Qazi et al., 2009b; Yang et al., 2001). During the exposure period, the animals were weighed daily and their food consumption for each 24-h period recorded. For examination of recovery following such exposure, all groups of mice consumed regular chow containing no added xenobiotics for an additional 10 days, with determination of individual body weight and food intake in the same manner.
Dose-response Short-term (1-30 days)
PFOA: Male C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice (6–8 weeks old at the beginning of each experiment) were obtained from NOVA-SCB (Sollentuna, Sweden). This inbred mouse strain is employed as a model system in a wide variety of research, including immunology and pharmacology, as well as for the generation of transgenic mice (Peters et al., 2007). Moreover, we used male animals to avoid the hormonal fluctuations associated with cyclic ovulation and menstruation, which can influence the immune system (Bouman et al., 2005; Verthelyi, 2001). These animals were housed in the facilities of the Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, at 22 C with a 12-h light/12-h dark cycle, 50% humidity and access to the diets indicated below and tap water ad libitum. Upon arrival, they were placed individually into polycarbonate cages with bedding of heat-treated pine-shavings, to allow individual monitoring of food intake. Each cage was also provided with nesting materials, e.g., white paper towels and toilet paper rolls. The mice were allowed to acclimatize to this environment for 7 days before dietary exposure to PFOA or PFOS. All of these experiments were pre-approved by the Northern Stockholm Ethical Committee for Animal Experimentation (approval numbers N300/05, N16/10 and N3/12).
Dose-response Short-term (1-30 days) PFOS: Male C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice (6–8 weeks old at the beginning of each experiment) were obtained from NOVA-SCB (Sollentuna, Sweden). This inbred mouse strain is employed as a model system in a wide variety of research, including immunology and pharmacology, as well as for the generation of transgenic mice (Peters et al., 2007). Moreover, we used male animals to avoid the hormonal fluctuations associated with cyclic ovulation and menstruation, which can influence the immune system (Bouman et al., 2005; Verthelyi, 2001). These animals were housed in the facilities of the Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, at 22 C with a 12-h light/12-h dark cycle, 50% humidity and access to the diets indicated below and tap water ad libitum. Upon arrival, they were placed individually into polycarbonate cages with bedding of heat-treated pine-shavings, to allow individual monitoring of food intake. Each cage was also provided with nesting materials, e.g., white paper towels and toilet paper rolls. The mice were allowed to acclimatize to this environment for 7 days before dietary exposure to PFOA or PFOS. All of these experiments were pre-approved by the Northern Stockholm Ethical Committee for Animal Experimentation (approval numbers N300/05, N16/10 and N3/12).
Recovery study - 10days Short-term (1-30 days) PFOS: Male C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice (6–8 weeks old at the beginning of each experiment) were obtained from NOVA-SCB (Sollentuna, Sweden). This inbred mouse strain is employed as a model system in a wide variety of research, including immunology and pharmacology, as well as for the generation of transgenic mice (Peters et al., 2007). Moreover, we used male animals to avoid the hormonal fluctuations associated with cyclic ovulation and menstruation, which can influence the immune system (Bouman et al., 2005; Verthelyi, 2001). These animals were housed in the facilities of the Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, at 22 C with a 12-h light/12-h dark cycle, 50% humidity and access to the diets indicated below and tap water ad libitum. Upon arrival, they were placed individually into polycarbonate cages with bedding of heat-treated pine-shavings, to allow individual monitoring of food intake. Each cage was also provided with nesting materials, e.g., white paper towels and toilet paper rolls. The mice were allowed to acclimatize to this environment for 7 days before dietary exposure to PFOA or PFOS. All of these experiments were pre-approved by the Northern Stockholm Ethical Committee for Animal Experimentation (approval numbers N300/05, N16/10 and N3/12).
     For investigation of the dose dependency of effects on bone marrow cells, groups of 4 mice were supplied with chow containing no added, 0.001%, 0.002% or 0.02% PFOA or PFOS for 10 consecutive days. We have found in previous studies that this duration of dietary treatment to high doses of PFOA or PFOS exerts maximal effects on the immune organs (Qazi et al., 2009b; Yang et al., 2001). During the exposure period, the animals were weighed daily and their food consumption for each 24-h period recorded. For examination of recovery following such exposure, all groups of mice consumed regular chow containing no added xenobiotics for an additional 10 days, with determination of individual body weight and food intake in the same manner.