Perchlorate and Radioiodide Kinetics Across Life Stages in the Human: Using PBPK Models to Predict Dosimetry and Thyroid Inhibition and Sensitive Subpopulations Based on Developmental Stage

Perchlorate (ClO4 − ) is a drinking-water contaminant, known to disrupt thyroid hormone homeostasis in rats. This effect has only been seen in humans at high doses, yet the potential for long term effects from developmental endocrine disruption emphasizes the need for improved understanding of perchlorate’s effect during the perinatal period. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic/dynamic (PBPK/PD) models for ClO4 − and its effect on thyroid iodide uptake were constructed for human gestation and lactation data. Chemical specific parameters were estimated from life-stage and species-specific relationships established in previously published models for various life-stages in the rat and nonpregnant adult human. With the appropriate physiological descriptions, these kinetic models successfully simulate radioiodide data culled from the literature for gestation and lactation, as well as ClO4 − data from populations exposed to contaminated drinking water. These models provide a framework for extrapolating from chemical exposure in laboratory animals to human response, and support a more quantitative understanding of life-stage-specific susceptibility to ClO4 −. The pregnant and lactating woman, fetus, and nursing infant were predicted to have higher blood ClO4 − concentrations and greater thyroid iodide uptake inhibition at a given drinking-water concentration than either the nonpregnant adult or the older child. The fetus is predicted to receive the greatest dose (per kilogram body weight) due to several factors, including placental sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) activity and reduced maternal urinary clearance of ClO4 −. The predicted extent of iodide inhibition in the most sensitive population (fetus) is not significant (∼1%) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose (0.0007 mg/kg-d).