High-throughput in Vitro Data To Inform Prioritization of Ambient Water Monitoring and Testing for Endocrine Active Chemicals.

The presence of industrial chemicals, consumer product chemicals, and pharmaceuticals is well documented in waters in the U.S. and globally. Most of these chemicals lack health-protective guidelines and many have been shown to have endocrine bioactivity. There is currently no systematic or national prioritization for monitoring waters for chemicals with endocrine disrupting activity. We propose ambient water bioactivity concentrations (AWBCs) generated from high throughput data as a health-based screen for endocrine bioactivity of chemicals in water. The U.S. EPA ToxCast program has screened over 1800 chemicals for estrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) pathway bioactivity. AWBCs are calculated for 110 ER and 212 AR bioactive chemicals using high throughput ToxCast data from in vitro screening assays and predictive pathway models, high-throughput toxicokinetic data, and data-driven assumptions about consumption of water. Chemical-specific AWBCs are compared with measured water concentrations in data sets from the greater Denver area, Minnesota lakes, and Oregon waters, demonstrating a framework for identifying endocrine bioactive chemicals. This approach can be used to screen potential cumulative endocrine activity in drinking water and to inform prioritization of future monitoring, chemical testing and pollution prevention efforts.

Development and Validation of a Computational Model for Androgen Receptor Activity.

Testing thousands of chemicals to identify potential androgen receptor (AR) agonists or antagonists would cost millions of dollars and take decades to complete using current validated methods. High-throughput in vitro screening (HTS) and computational toxicology approaches can more rapidly and inexpensively identify potential androgen-active chemicals. We integrated 11 HTS ToxCast/Tox21 in vitro assays into a computational network model to distinguish true AR pathway activity from technology-specific assay interference. The in vitro HTS assays probed perturbations of the AR pathway at multiple points (receptor binding, coregulator recruitment, gene transcription, and protein production) and multiple cell types. Confirmatory in vitro antagonist assay data and cytotoxicity information were used as additional flags for potential nonspecific activity. Validating such alternative testing strategies requires high-quality reference data. We compiled 158 putative androgen-active and -inactive chemicals from a combination of international test method validation efforts and semiautomated systematic literature reviews. Detailed in vitro assay information and results were compiled into a single database using a standardized ontology. Reference chemical concentrations that activated or inhibited AR pathway activity were identified to establish a range of potencies with reproducible reference chemical results. Comparison with existing Tier 1 AR binding data from the U.S. EPA Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program revealed that the model identified binders at relevant test concentrations (<100 µM) and was more sensitive to antagonist activity. The AR pathway model based on the ToxCast/Tox21 assays had balanced accuracies of 95.2% for agonist (n = 29) and 97.5% for antagonist (n = 28) reference chemicals. Out of 1855 chemicals screened in the AR pathway model, 220 chemicals demonstrated AR agonist or antagonist activity and an additional 174 chemicals were predicted to have potential weak AR pathway activity.

Predictive endocrine testing in the 21st century using in vitro assays of estrogen receptor signaling responses.

Thousands of environmental chemicals are subject to regulatory review for their potential to be endocrine disruptors (ED). In vitro high-throughput screening (HTS) assays have emerged as a potential tool for prioritizing chemicals for ED-related whole-animal tests. In this study, 1814 chemicals including pesticide active and inert ingredients, industrial chemicals, food additives, and pharmaceuticals were evaluated in a panel of 13 in vitro HTS assays. The panel of in vitro assays interrogated multiple end points related to estrogen receptor (ER) signaling, namely binding, agonist, antagonist, and cell growth responses. The results from the in vitro assays were used to create an ER Interaction Score. For 36 reference chemicals, an ER Interaction Score >0 showed 100% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity for classifying potential ER activity. The magnitude of the ER Interaction Score was significantly related to the potency classification of the reference chemicals (p < 0.0001). ERα/ERß selectivity was also evaluated, but relatively few chemicals showed significant selectivity for a specific isoform. When applied to a broader set of chemicals with in vivo uterotrophic data, the ER Interaction Scores showed 91% sensitivity and 65% specificity. Overall, this study provides a novel method for combining in vitro concentration response data from multiple assays and, when applied to a large set of ER data, accurately predicted estrogenic responses and demonstrated its utility for chemical prioritization.

Profiling 976 ToxCast chemicals across 331 enzymatic and receptor signaling assays.

Understanding potential health risks is a significant challenge due to the large numbers of diverse chemicals with poorly characterized exposures and mechanisms of toxicities. The present study analyzes 976 chemicals (including failed pharmaceuticals, alternative plasticizers, food additives, and pesticides) in Phases I and II of the U.S. EPA's ToxCast project across 331 cell-free enzymatic and ligand-binding high-throughput screening (HTS) assays. Half-maximal activity concentrations (AC50) were identified for 729 chemicals in 256 assays (7,135 chemical-assay pairs). Some of the most commonly affected assays were CYPs (CYP2C9 and CYP2C19), transporters (mitochondrial TSPO, norepinephrine, and dopaminergic), and GPCRs (aminergic). Heavy metals, surfactants, and dithiocarbamate fungicides showed promiscuous but distinctly different patterns of activity, whereas many of the pharmaceutical compounds showed promiscuous activity across GPCRs. Literature analysis confirmed >50% of the activities for the most potent chemical-assay pairs (54) but also revealed 10 missed interactions. Twenty-two chemicals with known estrogenic activity were correctly identified for the majority (77%), missing only the weaker interactions. In many cases, novel findings for previously unreported chemical-target combinations clustered with known chemical-target interactions. Results from this large inventory of chemical-biological interactions can inform read-across methods as well as link potential targets to molecular initiating events in adverse outcome pathways for diverse toxicities.

Real-time growth kinetics measuring hormone mimicry for ToxCast chemicals in T-47D human ductal carcinoma cells.

High-throughput screening (HTS) assays capable of profiling thousands of environmentally relevant chemicals for in vitro biological activity provide useful information on the potential for disrupting endocrine pathways. Disruption of the estrogen signaling pathway has been implicated in a variety of adverse health effects including impaired development, reproduction, and carcinogenesis. The estrogen-responsive human mammary ductal carcinoma cell line T-47D was exposed to 1815 ToxCast chemicals comprising pesticides, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, cosmetics, food ingredients, and other chemicals with known or suspected human exposure potential. Cell growth kinetics were evaluated using real-time cell electronic sensing. T-47D cells were exposed to eight concentrations (0.006-100 µM), and measurements of cellular impedance were repeatedly recorded for 105 h. Chemical effects were evaluated based on potency (concentration at which response occurs) and efficacy (extent of response). A linear growth response was observed in response to prototypical estrogen receptor agonists (17ß-estradiol, genistein, bisphenol A, nonylphenol, and 4-tert-octylphenol). Several compounds, including bisphenol A and genistein, induced cell growth comparable in efficacy to that of 17ß-estradiol, but with decreased potency. Progestins, androgens, and corticosteroids invoked a biphasic growth response indicative of changes in cell number or cell morphology. Results from this cell growth assay were compared with results from additional estrogen receptor (ER) binding and transactivation assays. Chemicals detected as active in both the cell growth and ER receptor binding assays demonstrated potencies highly correlated with two ER transactivation assays (r = 0.72; r = 0.70). While ER binding assays detected chemicals that were highly potent or efficacious in the T-47D cell growth and transactivation assays, the binding assays lacked sensitivity in detecting weakly active compounds. In conclusion, this cell-based assay rapidly detects chemical effects on T-47D growth and shows potential, in combination with other HTS assays, to detect environmentally relevant chemicals with potential estrogenic activity.

Predictive model of rat reproductive toxicity from ToxCast high throughput screening.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ToxCast research program uses high throughput screening (HTS) for profiling bioactivity and predicting the toxicity of large numbers of chemicals. ToxCast Phase I tested 309 well-characterized chemicals in more than 500 assays for a wide range of molecular targets and cellular responses. Of the 309 environmental chemicals in Phase I, 256 were linked to high-quality rat multigeneration reproductive toxicity studies in the relational Toxicity Reference Database. Reproductive toxicants were defined here as having achieved a reproductive lowest-observed-adverse-effect level of less than 500 mg kg(-1) day(-1). Eight-six chemicals were identified as reproductive toxicants in the rat, and 68 of those had sufficient in vitro bioactivity to model. Each assay was assessed for univariate association with the identified reproductive toxicants. Significantly associated assays were linked to gene sets and used for the subsequent predictive modeling. Using linear discriminant analysis and fivefold cross-validation, a robust and stable predictive model was produced capable of identifying rodent reproductive toxicants with 77% ± 2% and 74% ± 5% (mean ± SEM) training and test cross-validation balanced accuracies, respectively. With a 21-chemical external validation set, the model was 76% accurate, further indicating the model's potential for prioritizing the many thousands of environmental chemicals with little to no hazard information. The biological features of the model include steroidal and nonsteroidal nuclear receptors, cytochrome P450 enzyme inhibition, G protein-coupled receptors, and cell signaling pathway readouts-mechanistic information suggesting additional targeted, integrated testing strategies and potential applications of in vitro HTS to risk assessment.

Estimating toxicity-related biological pathway altering doses for high-throughput chemical risk assessment.

We describe a framework for estimating the human dose at which a chemical significantly alters a biological pathway in vivo, making use of in vitro assay data and an in vitro-derived pharmacokinetic model, coupled with estimates of population variability and uncertainty. The quantity we calculate, the biological pathway altering dose (BPAD), is analogous to current risk assessment metrics in that it combines dose-response data with analysis of uncertainty and population variability to arrive at conservative exposure limits. The analogy is closest when perturbation of a pathway is a key event in the mode of action (MOA) leading to a specified adverse outcome. Because BPADs are derived from relatively inexpensive, high-throughput screening (HTS) in vitro data, this approach can be applied to high-throughput risk assessments (HTRA) for thousands of data-poor environmental chemicals. We envisage the first step of HTRA to be an assessment of in vitro concentration-response relationships across biologically important pathways to derive biological pathway altering concentrations (BPAC). Pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling is then used to estimate the in vivo doses required to achieve the BPACs in the blood at steady state. Uncertainty and variability are incorporated in both the BPAC and the PK parameters and then combined to yield a probability distribution for the dose required to perturb the critical pathway. We finally define the BPADL as the lower confidence bound of this pathway-altering dose. This perspective outlines a framework for using HTRA to estimate BPAD values; provides examples of the use of this approach, including a comparison of BPAD values with published dose-response data from in vivo studies; and discusses challenges and alternative formulations.

Impact of environmental chemicals on key transcription regulators and correlation to toxicity end points within EPA's ToxCast program.

Exposure to environmental chemicals adds to the burden of disease in humans and wildlife to a degree that is difficult to estimate and, thus, mitigate. The ability to assess the impact of existing chemicals for which little to no toxicity data are available or to foresee such effects during early stages of chemical development and use, and before potential exposure occurs, is a pressing need. However, the capacity of the current toxicity evaluation approaches to meet this demand is limited by low throughput and high costs. In the context of EPA's ToxCast project, we have evaluated a novel cellular biosensor system (Factorial (1) ) that enables rapid, high-content assessment of a compound's impact on gene regulatory networks. The Factorial biosensors combined libraries of cis- and trans-regulated transcription factor reporter constructs with a highly homogeneous method of detection enabling simultaneous evaluation of multiplexed transcription factor activities. Here, we demonstrate the application of the technology toward determining bioactivity profiles by quantitatively evaluating the effects of 309 environmental chemicals on 25 nuclear receptors and 48 transcription factor response elements. We demonstrate coherent transcription factor activity across nuclear receptors and their response elements and that Nrf2 activity, a marker of oxidative stress, is highly correlated to the overall promiscuity of a chemical. Additionally, as part of the ToxCast program, we identify molecular targets that associate with in vivo end points and represent modes of action that can serve as potential toxicity pathway biomarkers and inputs for predictive modeling of in vivo toxicity.

Xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme and transporter gene expression in primary cultures of human hepatocytes modulated by ToxCast chemicals.

Primary human hepatocyte cultures are useful in vitro model systems of human liver because when cultured under appropriate conditions the hepatocytes retain liver-like functionality such as metabolism, transport, and cell signaling. This model system was used to characterize the concentration- and time-response of the 320 ToxCast chemicals for changes in expression of genes regulated by nuclear receptors. Fourteen gene targets were monitored in quantitative nuclease protection assays: six representative cytochromes P-450, four hepatic transporters, three Phase II conjugating enzymes, and one endogenous metabolism gene involved in cholesterol synthesis. These gene targets are sentinels of five major signaling pathways: AhR, CAR, PXR, FXR, and PPARalpha. Besides gene expression, the relative potency and efficacy for these chemicals to modulate cellular health and enzymatic activity were assessed. Results demonstrated that the culture system was an effective model of chemical-induced responses by prototypical inducers such as phenobarbital and rifampicin. Gene expression results identified various ToxCast chemicals that were potent or efficacious inducers of one or more of the 14 genes, and by inference the 5 nuclear receptor signaling pathways. Significant relative risk associations with rodent in vivo chronic toxicity effects are reported for the five major receptor pathways. These gene expression data are being incorporated into the larger ToxCast predictive modeling effort.

Analysis of eight oil spill dispersants using rapid, in vitro tests for endocrine and other biological activity.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has led to the use of >1 M gallons of oil spill dispersants, which are mixtures of surfactants and solvents. Because of this large scale use there is a critical need to understand the potential for toxicity of the currently used dispersant and potential alternatives, especially given the limited toxicity testing information that is available. In particular, some dispersants contain nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), which can degrade to nonylphenol (NP), a known endocrine disruptor. Given the urgent need to generate toxicity data, we carried out a series of in vitro high-throughput assays on eight commercial dispersants. These assays focused on the estrogen and androgen receptors (ER and AR), but also included a larger battery of assays probing other biological pathways. Cytotoxicity in mammalian cells was also quantified. No activity was seen in any AR assay. Two dispersants showed a weak ER signal in one assay (EC50 of 16 ppm for Nokomis 3-F4 and 25 ppm for ZI-400). NPs and NPEs also had a weak signal in this same ER assay. Note that Corexit 9500, the currently used product, does not contain NPEs and did not show any ER activity. Cytotoxicity values for six of the dispersants were statistically indistinguishable, with median LC50 values approximately 100 ppm. Two dispersants, JD 2000 and SAF-RON GOLD, were significantly less cytotoxic than the others with LC50 values approaching or exceeding 1000 ppm.

Toxicogenomic effects common to triazole antifungals and conserved between rats and humans.

The triazole antifungals myclobutanil, propiconazole and triadimefon cause varying degrees of hepatic toxicity and disrupt steroid hormone homeostasis in rodent in vivo models. To identify biological pathways consistently modulated across multiple timepoints and various study designs, gene expression profiling was conducted on rat livers from three separate studies with triazole treatment groups ranging from 6 h after a single oral gavage exposure, to prenatal to adult exposures via feed. To explore conservation of responses across species, gene expression from the rat liver studies were compared to in vitro data from rat and human primary hepatocytes exposed to the triazoles. Toxicogenomic data on triazoles from 33 different treatment groups and 135 samples (microarrays) identified thousands of probe sets and dozens of pathways differentially expressed across time, dose, and species--many of these were common to all three triazoles, or conserved between rodents and humans. Common and conserved pathways included androgen and estrogen metabolism, xenobiotic metabolism signaling through CAR and PXR, and CYP mediated metabolism. Differentially expressed genes included the Phase I xenobiotic, fatty acid, sterol and steroid metabolism genes Cyp2b2 and CYP2B6, Cyp3a1 and CYP3A4, and Cyp4a22 and CYP4A11; Phase II conjugation enzyme genes Ugt1a1 and UGT1A1; and Phase III ABC transporter genes Abcb1 and ABCB1. Gene expression changes caused by all three triazoles in liver and hepatocytes were concentrated in biological pathways regulating lipid, sterol and steroid homeostasis, identifying a potential common mode of action conserved between rodents and humans. Modulation of hepatic sterol and steroid metabolism is a plausible mode of action for changes in serum testosterone and adverse reproductive outcomes observed in rat studies, and may be relevant to human risk assessment.

Inducible 70 kDa heat shock proteins protect embryos from teratogen-induced exencephaly: Analysis using Hspa1a/a1b knockout mice.

BACKGROUND: It is well known that a variety of teratogens induce neural tube defects in animals; however, less is known about proteins that play a role in protecting embryos from teratogen-induced neural tube defects. Previously, our laboratory has shown that embryos overexpressing the 70-Da heat shock proteins (HSPs) Hspa1a and Hspa1b were partially protected from the deleterious effects of exposure to hyperthermia in vitro. METHODS: In the present studies, we have used a transgenic mouse in which both of the stress-inducible HSPs Hspa1a and Hspa1b were deleted by homologous recombination. Time-mated Hspa1a/a1b(-/-) (KO) and wildtype (WT) mice were exposed to hyperthermia in vivo on gestational day 8.5. RESULTS: Results show that 52% of the gestational day 15 fetuses from KO litters were exencephalic, whereas only 20% of WT fetuses were affected. In addition, 6% of treated KO fetuses also exhibited eye defects (microphthalmia and anopthalmia), defects not observed in WT fetuses exposed to hyperthermia. Lysotracker red staining and caspase-3 enzyme activity were examined within 10 hours after exposure to hyperthermia, and significantly greater levels of apoptosis and enzyme activity were observed in the KO embryos compared with WT embryos. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that embryos lacking the Hspa1a and Hspa1b genes are significantly more sensitive to hyperthermia-induced neural tube and eye defects, and this increased sensitivity is correlated with increased amounts of apoptosis. Thus, these results also suggest that Hspa1a and Hspa1b play an important role in protecting embryos from hyperthermia-induced congenital defects, possibly by reducing hyperthermia-induced apoptosis.

The MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) project shows inter- and intraplatform reproducibility of gene expression measurements.

Over the last decade, the introduction of microarray technology has had a profound impact on gene expression research. The publication of studies with dissimilar or altogether contradictory results, obtained using different microarray platforms to analyze identical RNA samples, has raised concerns about the reliability of this technology. The MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) project was initiated to address these concerns, as well as other performance and data analysis issues. Expression data on four titration pools from two distinct reference RNA samples were generated at multiple test sites using a variety of microarray-based and alternative technology platforms. Here we describe the experimental design and probe mapping efforts behind the MAQC project. We show intraplatform consistency across test sites as well as a high level of interplatform concordance in terms of genes identified as differentially expressed. This study provides a resource that represents an important first step toward establishing a framework for the use of microarrays in clinical and regulatory settings.

Deletion of the inducible 70-kDa heat shock protein genes in mice impairs cardiac contractile function and calcium handling associated with hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND: Hspa1a and Hspa1b genes encode stress-inducible 70-kDa heat shock proteins (Hsp70) that protect cells from insults such as ischemia. Mice with null mutations of both genes (KO) were generated, and their cardiac phenotype was explored. METHODS AND RESULTS: Heart rate and blood pressures were normal in the KO mice. Hearts from KO mice were more susceptible to both functional and cellular damage by ischemia/reperfusion. Cardiac hypertrophy developed in Hsp70-KO mice. Ca2+ transients in cardiomyocytes of KO mice showed a delayed (120%) calcium decline and decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium content. Cell shortening was decreased by 35%, and rates of contraction and relaxation were slower by 40%. These alterations can be attributed to the absence of Hsp70 because viral expression of Hsp70 in KO cultured cardiomyocytes restored these parameters. One mechanism underlying myocyte dysfunction could be decreased SERCA2a expression. This hypothesis was supported by a prolonged calcium decline and decreased SERCA2a protein. Viral SERCA2a expression restored contractility and Ca2+ transients. We examined the involvement of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK), Raf-1, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in SERCA2a downregulation and the cardiac phenotype of KO mice. Levels of phosphorylated JNK, p38-MAPK, Raf-1, and ERK were elevated in KO hearts. Activation of the Raf-1-ERK pathway in normal cardiomyocytes resulted in decreased SERCA2a. CONCLUSIONS: Absence of Hsp70 leads to dysfunctional cardiomyocytes and impaired stress response of Hsp70-KO hearts against ischemia/reperfusion. In addition, deletion of Hsp70 genes might induce cardiac dysfunction and development of cardiac hypertrophy through the activation of JNK, p38-MAPK, Raf-1, and ERK.

The ToxCast program for prioritizing toxicity testing of environmental chemicals.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing methods for utilizing computational chemistry, high-throughput screening (HTS), and various toxicogenomic technologies to predict potential for toxicity and prioritize limited testing resources toward chemicals that likely represent the greatest hazard to human health and the environment. This chemical prioritization research program, entitled "ToxCast," is being initiated with the purpose of developing the ability to forecast toxicity based on bioactivity profiling. The proof-of-concept phase of ToxCast will focus upon chemicals with an existing, rich toxicological database in order to provide an interpretive context for the ToxCast data. This set of several hundred reference chemicals will represent numerous structural classes and phenotypic outcomes, including tumorigens, developmental and reproductive toxicants, neurotoxicants, and immunotoxicants. The ToxCast program will evaluate chemical properties and bioactivity profiles across a broad spectrum of data domains: physical-chemical, predicted biological activities based on existing structure-activity models, biochemical properties based on HTS assays, cell-based phenotypic assays, and genomic and metabolomic analyses of cells. These data will be generated through a series of external contracts, along with collaborations across EPA, with the National Toxicology Program, and with the National Institutes of Health Chemical Genomics Center. The resulting multidimensional data set provides an informatics challenge requiring appropriate computational methods for integrating various chemical, biological, and toxicological data into profiles and models predicting toxicity.

Toxicogenomic study of triazole fungicides and perfluoroalkyl acids in rat livers predicts toxicity and categorizes chemicals based on mechanisms of toxicity.

Toxicogenomic analysis of five environmental chemicals was performed to investigate the ability of genomics to predict toxicity, categorize chemicals, and elucidate mechanisms of toxicity. Three triazole antifungals (myclobutanil, propiconazole, and triadimefon) and two perfluorinated chemicals [perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)] were administered daily via oral gavage for one, three, or five consecutive days to male Sprague-Dawley rats at single doses of 300, 300, 175, 20, or 10 mg/kg/day, respectively. Clinical chemistry, hematology, and histopathology were measured at all time points. Gene expression profiling of livers from three rats per treatment group at all time points was performed on the CodeLink Uniset Rat I Expression array. Data were analyzed in the context of a large reference toxicogenomic database containing gene expression profiles for over 630 chemicals. Genomic signatures predicting hepatomegaly and hepatic injury preceded those results for all five chemicals, and further analysis segregated chemicals into two distinct classes. The triazoles caused similar gene expression changes as other azole antifungals, particularly the induction of pregnane X receptor (PXR)-regulated xenobiotic metabolism and oxidative stress genes. In contrast, PFOA and PFOS exhibited peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha agonist-like effects on genes associated with fatty acid homeostasis. PFOA and PFOS also resulted in downregulation of cholesterol biosynthesis genes, matching an in vivo decrease in serum cholesterol, and perturbation of thyroid hormone metabolism genes matched by serum thyroid hormone depletion in vivo. The concordance of in vivo observations and gene expression findings demonstrated the ability of genomics to accurately categorize chemicals, identify toxic mechanisms of action, and predict subsequent pathological responses.

Disruption of testosterone homeostasis as a mode of action for the reproductive toxicity of triazole fungicides in the male rat.

Triazole fungicides associated with a range of reported male reproductive effects in experimental animals were selected to assess potential toxic modes of action. Wistar Han rats were fed myclobutanil (M: 100, 500, or 2000 ppm), propiconazole (P: 100, 500, or 2500 ppm), or triadimefon (T: 100, 500, or 1800 ppm) from gestation day 6 to postnatal day (PND) 120. One male per litter was necropsied on PND1, 22, 50, or 92. Measurements included anogenital distance (AGD) at PND0, body and organ weights, serum hormone levels, age at preputial separation (PPS), sperm morphology and motility, and fertility and fecundity. AGD was increased by the high dose of all three triazoles, indicating hypervirilization. Triadimefon delayed PPS, consistent with delayed puberty, at 1800 ppm. Relative liver weights were increased at PND1, 50, and 92 by all three triazoles. Hepatocellular hypertrophy was present at PND50 from propiconazole and triadimefon and at PND92 from all three high-dose triazole treatments. Relative pituitary weights were decreased at PND92 by middle- and high-dose myclobutanil treatment. Absolute testis weights were increased at PND1 by myclobutanil, at PND22 by myclobutanil and triadimefon, and at PND50 by propiconazole and triadimefon treatment. Relative ventral prostate weights were increased at PND92 by myclobutanil and triadimefon treatment. Serum testosterone was increased at PND50 by triadimefon and at PND92/99 by all three triazole treatments. Insemination and fertility were impaired by myclobutanil and triadimefon treatment. In addition to the reproductive system effects, total serum thyroxine levels were decreased at PND92 by high-dose triadimefon. These reproductive effects are consistent with the disruption of testosterone homeostasis as a key event in the mode of action for triazole-induced reproductive toxicity.

Genomic instability and enhanced radiosensitivity in Hsp70.1- and Hsp70.3-deficient mice.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are highly conserved among all organisms from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. In mice, the HSP genes Hsp70.1 and Hsp70.3 are induced by both endogenous and exogenous stressors, such as heat and toxicants. In order to determine whether such proteins specifically influence genomic instability, mice deficient for Hsp70.1 and Hsp70.3 (Hsp70.1/3(-/-) mice) were generated by gene targeting. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) prepared from Hsp70.1/3(-/-) mice did not synthesize Hsp70.1 or Hsp70.3 after heat-induced stress. While the Hsp70.1/3(-/-) mutant mice were fertile, their cells displayed genomic instability that was enhanced by heat treatment. Cells from Hsp70.1/3(-/-) mice also display a higher frequency of chromosome end-to-end associations than do control Hsp70.1/3(+/+) cells. To determine whether observed genomic instability was related to defective chromosome repair, Hsp70.1/3(-/-) and Hsp70.1/3(+/+) fibroblasts were treated with ionizing radiation (IR) alone or heat and IR. Exposure to IR led to more residual chromosome aberrations, radioresistant DNA synthesis (a hallmark of genomic instability), increased cell killing, and enhanced IR-induced oncogenic transformation in Hsp70.1/3(-/-) cells. Heat treatment prior to IR exposure enhanced cell killing, S-phase-specific chromosome damage, and the frequency of transformants in Hsp70.1/3(-/-) cells in comparison to Hsp70.1/3(+/+) cells. Both in vivo and in vitro studies demonstrate for the first time that Hsp70.1 and Hsp70.3 have an essential role in maintaining genomic stability under stress conditions.

Application of Adverse Outcome Pathways to U.S. EPA's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program.

BACKGROUND: The U.S. EPA's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) screens and tests environmental chemicals for potential effects in estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormone pathways, and it is one of the only regulatory programs designed around chemical mode of action. OBJECTIVES: This review describes the EDSP's use of adverse outcome pathway (AOP) and toxicity pathway frameworks to organize and integrate diverse biological data for evaluating the endocrine activity of chemicals. Using these frameworks helps to establish biologically plausible links between endocrine mechanisms and apical responses when those end points are not measured in the same assay. RESULTS: Pathway frameworks can facilitate a weight of evidence determination of a chemical's potential endocrine activity, identify data gaps, aid study design, direct assay development, and guide testing strategies. Pathway frameworks also can be used to evaluate the performance of computational approaches as alternatives for low-throughput and animal-based assays and predict downstream key events. In cases where computational methods can be validated based on performance, they may be considered as alternatives to specific assays or end points. CONCLUSIONS: A variety of biological systems affect apical end points used in regulatory risk assessments, and without mechanistic data, an endocrine mode of action cannot be determined. Because the EDSP was designed to consider mode of action, toxicity pathway and AOP concepts are a natural fit. Pathway frameworks have diverse applications to endocrine screening and testing. An estrogen pathway example is presented, and similar approaches are being used to evaluate alternative methods and develop predictive models for androgen and thyroid pathways. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1304.

Fluconazole-induced hepatic cytochrome P450 gene expression and enzymatic activities in rats and mice.

This study was undertaken to examine the effects of the triazole antifungal agent fluconazole on the expression of hepatic cytochrome P450 (Cyp) genes and the activities of Cyp enzymes in male Sprague-Dawley rats and male CD-1 mice. Alkoxyresorufin O-dealkylation (AROD) methods were used as measures of Cyp enzyme activities. Western analyses identified specific Cyp isoforms. Quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (quantitative real time-RT-PCR) assays were used to quantitate the mRNA expression of specific Cyp genes induced by this conazole. Rats and mice were administered fluconazole 2, 25, or 50 mg/kg bw/d by gavage daily for 14 days. In rats, fluconazole treatment (50 mg/kg bw/d) significantly induced pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylation (PROD), benzyloxyresorufin O-dealkylation (BROD), and ethoxyresorufin O-dealkylation (EROD) hepatic microsomal activities. Fluconazole treatment significantly increased rat hepatic mRNA expression of CYP2B1 and CYP3A23/3A1 with dose-related responses. The highest dose of fluconazole gave a 128-fold induction of CYP2B1 and a 4.6-fold induction of CYP3A23/3A1 mRNA. CYP3A2 mRNA levels were also overexpressed 5.6-7.2-fold depending on dose. Western immunoblots of rat hepatic microsomal proteins identified Cyp isoforms: CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2B1/2, CYP3A23/3A1, and Cyp3A2 with increased levels of CYP2B1/2 and CYP3A23/3A1 proteins. In mice, fluconazole induced BROD, PROD, EROD, and methoxyresorufin O-dealkylation hepatic microsomal activities after treatment with 25 and 50 mg/kg bw/d. Fluconazole increased mouse hepatic mRNA expression of Cyp2b10 (1.9-fold) and Cyp3a11 (2.6-fold) in the 50 mg/kg bw/d treatment group. In summary, these results indicated that fluconazole, a triazole-containing conazole, clearly induced CYP2B and CYP3A families of isoforms in rat liver and Cyp2b and Cyp3a families of isoforms in mouse liver.