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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are some of the most prominent organic contaminants in human blood. Although the toxicological implications from human exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) are well established, data on lesser-understood PFAS are limited. New approach methodologies (NAMs) that apply bioinformatic tools to high-throughput data are being increasingly considered to inform risk assessment for data-poor chemicals. The aim of this investigation was to identify biological response potencies (i.e., benchmark concentrations: BMCs) following PFAS exposures to inform read-across for risk assessment of data-poor PFAS. Gene expression changes were measured in primary human liver cell microtissues (i.e., 3D spheroids) after 1-day and 10-day exposures to increasing concentrations of 23 PFAS. The cells were treated with four subgroups of PFAS: carboxylates (PFCAs), sulfonates (PFSAs), fluorotelomers, and sulfonamides. An established pipeline to identify differentially expressed genes and transcriptomic BMCs was applied. We found that both PFCAs and PFSAs exhibited a trend toward increased transcriptional changes with carbon chain-length. Specifically, longer-chain compounds (7 to 10 carbons) were more likely to induce changes in gene expression, and have lower transcriptional BMCs. The combined high-throughput transcriptomic and bioinformatic analyses supports the capability of NAMs to efficiently assess the effects of PFAS in liver microtissues. The data enable potency ranking of PFAS for human liver cell spheroid cytotoxicity and transcriptional changes, and assessment of in vitro transcriptomic points of departure. These data improve our understanding of the health effects of PFAS and will be used to inform read-across for human health risk assessment.

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely found in the environment because of their extensive use and persistence. Although several PFAS are well studied, most lack toxicity data to inform human health hazard and risk assessment. This study focussed on four model PFAS: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; 8 carbon), perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS; 4 carbon), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS; 8 carbon), and perfluorodecane sulfonate (PFDS; 10 carbon). Human primary liver cell spheroids (pooled from 10 donors) were exposed to 10 concentrations of each PFAS and analyzed at four time-points. The approach aimed to: (1) identify gene expression changes mediated by the PFAS; (2) identify similarities in biological responses; (3) compare PFAS potency through benchmark concentration analysis; and (4) derive bioactivity exposure ratios (ratio of the concentration at which biological responses occur, relative to daily human exposure). All PFAS induced transcriptional changes in cholesterol biosynthesis and lipid metabolism pathways, and predicted PPARα activation. PFOS exhibited the most transcriptional activity and had a highly similar gene expression profile to PFDS. PFBS induced the least transcriptional changes and the highest benchmark concentration (i.e., was the least potent). The data indicate that these PFAS may have common molecular targets and toxicities, but that PFOS and PFDS are the most similar. The transcriptomic bioactivity exposure ratios derived here for PFOA and PFOS were comparable to those derived using rodent apical endpoints in risk assessments. These data provide a baseline level of toxicity for comparison with other known PFAS using this testing strategy.

BackgroundExposure to coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is linked to the development of insulin resistance. Previous studies suggested that PCB126 alters muscle mitochondrial function through an indirect mechanism. Since PCBs are stored in fat, we hypothesized that PCB126 alters adipokine secretion, which in turn affects muscle metabolism.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were: 1) To study the impacts of PCB126 exposure on adipocyte cytokine/adipokine secretion; 2) To determine whether adipocyte-derived factors alter glucose metabolism and mitochondrial function in myotubes when exposed to PCB126; 3) To determine whether pre-established insulin resistance alters the metabolic responses of adipocytes exposed to PCB126 and the communication between adipocytes and myotubes.Method3T3-L1 adipocytes were exposed to PCB126 (1-100 nM) in two insulin sensitivity conditions (insulin sensitive (IS) and insulin resistant (IR) adipocytes), followed by the measurement of secreted adipokines, mitochondrial function and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Communication between adipocytes and myotubes was reproduced by exposing C2C12 or mouse primary myotubes to conditioned medium (CM) derived from IS or IR 3T3-L1 adipocytes exposed to PCB126. Mitochondrial function and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake were then determined in myotubes.ResultsPCB126 significantly increased adipokine (adiponectin, IL-6, MCP-1, TNF-α) secretion and decreased mitochondrial function, glucose uptake and glycolysis in IR but not in IS 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Altered energy metabolism in IR 3T3-L1 adipocytes was linked to decreased phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK) and increased superoxide dismutase 2 levels, an enzyme involved in reactive oxygen species detoxification. Exposure of myotubes to CM from PCB126-treated IR adipocytes decreased glucose uptake, without altering glycolysis or mitochondrial function. Interestingly, p-AMPK levels were increased rather than decreased in myotubes exposed to the CM of PCB126-treated IR adipocytes.ConclusionTaken together, these data suggest that increased adipokine secretion from IR adipocytes exposed to PCB126 may explain impaired glucose uptake in myotubes.