Use of a combined in vitro assay for effect-directed assessment of infant formulas.

Milk (M), soya (S) and hypoallergenic ( HA) infant formulas were evaluated for an effect-directed assessment of whole food on human liver (HuH6) and colon ( DLD-1) cell lines. Treatment concentrations were derived from an estimated meal for a 4-month infant. The expression of a panel of genes ( ERα, ERβ, AR, PPARγ, AhR) and functional markers ( TNFα, IL-8 in DLD1; γ- GT in HuH6) were evaluated comparing results with bisphenol A, vinclozolin, genistein, TCDD and mixture effects at concentrations reflecting dietary exposures. M increased only ERα in DLD-1; HA affected only DLD-1 ( ERα and ERβ upregulation; AhR and TNFα downregulation); S upregulated ERβ both cell lines), ERα ( DLD-1) and AR (HuH6). Bisphenol A showed similar effects as HA and S in DLD-1; the mixture upregulated AR and ERβ in HuH6 as S. Although DLD-1 was more responsive than HuH6, the use of both cell lines and all selected endpoints allow to characterise each tested formula or substance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]