Late-stage optimization of a tercyclic class of S1P3-sparing, S1P1 receptor agonists.

Poor solubility and cationic amphiphilic drug-likeness were liabilities identified for a lead series of S1P3-sparing, S1P1 agonists originally developed from a high-throughput screening campaign. This work describes the subsequent optimization of these leads by balancing potency, selectivity, solubility and overall molecular charge. Focused SAR studies revealed favorable structural modifications that, when combined, produced compounds with overall balanced profiles. The low brain exposure observed in rat suggests that these compounds would be best suited for the potential treatment of peripheral autoimmune disorders.

Extending (Q)SARs to incorporate proprietary knowledge for regulatory purposes: A case study using aromatic amine mutagenicity.

Statistical-based and expert rule-based models built using public domain mutagenicity knowledge and data are routinely used for computational (Q)SAR assessments of pharmaceutical impurities in line with the approach recommended in the ICH M7 guideline. Knowledge from proprietary corporate mutagenicity databases could be used to increase the predictive performance for selected chemical classes as well as expand the applicability domain of these (Q)SAR models. This paper outlines a mechanism for sharing knowledge without the release of proprietary data. Primary aromatic amine mutagenicity was selected as a case study because this chemical class is often encountered in pharmaceutical impurity analysis and mutagenicity of aromatic amines is currently difficult to predict. As part of this analysis, a series of aromatic amine substructures were defined and the number of mutagenic and non-mutagenic examples for each chemical substructure calculated across a series of public and proprietary mutagenicity databases. This information was pooled across all sources to identify structural classes that activate or deactivate aromatic amine mutagenicity. This structure activity knowledge, in combination with newly released primary aromatic amine data, was incorporated into Leadscope's expert rule-based and statistical-based (Q)SAR models where increased predictive performance was demonstrated.

Discovery of MK-4688: an Efficient Inhibitor of the HDM2-p53 Protein-Protein Interaction.

Identification of low-dose, low-molecular-weight, drug-like inhibitors of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is a challenging area of research. Despite the challenges, the therapeutic potential of PPI inhibition has driven significant efforts toward this goal. Adding to recent success in this area, we describe herein our efforts to optimize a novel purine carboxylic acid-derived inhibitor of the HDM2-p53 PPI into a series of low-projected dose inhibitors with overall favorable pharmacokinetic and physical properties. Ultimately, a strategy focused on leveraging known binding hot spots coupled with biostructural information to guide the design of conformationally constrained analogs and a focus on efficiency metrics led to the discovery of MK-4688 (compound 56), a highly potent, selective, and low-molecular-weight inhibitor suitable for clinical investigation.

An in silico method for predicting Ames activities of primary aromatic amines by calculating the stabilities of nitrenium ions.

In this paper, we describe an in silico first principal approach to predict the mutagenic potential of primary aromatic amines. This approach is based on the so-called "nitrenium hypothesis", which was developed by Ford et al. in the early 1990s. This hypothesis asserts that the mutagenic effect for this class of molecules is mediated through the transient formation of a nitrenium ion and that the stability of this cation is correlated with the mutagenic potential. Here we use quantum mechanical calculations at different levels of theory (semiempirical AM1, ab initio HF/3-21G, HF/6-311G(d,p), and DFT/B3LYP/6-311G(d,p)) to compute the stability of nitrenium ions. When applied to a test set of 257 primary aromatic amines, we show that this method can correctly differentiate between Ames active and inactive compounds, and furthermore that it is able to rationalize and predict SAR trends within structurally related chemical series. For this test set, the AM1 nitrenium stability calculations are found to provide a good balance between speed and accuracy, resulting in an overall accuracy of 85%, and sensitivity and specificity of 91% and 72%, respectively. The nitrenium-based predictions are also compared to the commercial software packages DEREK, MULTICASE, and the MOE-Toxicophore descriptor. One advantage of the approach presented here is that the calculation of relative stabilities results in a continuous spectrum of activities and not a simple yes/no answer. This allows us to observe and rationalize subtle trends due to the different electrostatic properties of the organic molecules. Our results strongly indicate that nitrenium ion stability calculations should be used as a complementary approach to assist the medicinal chemist in prioritizing and selecting nonmutagenic primary aromatic amines during preclinical drug discovery programs.

Evaluation of respiratory parameters in rats and rabbits exposed to methyl iodide.

Laboratory animals exposed to methyl iodide (MeI) have previously demonstrated lesions of the olfactory epithelium that were associated with local metabolism in the nasal tissues. Interactions of MeI in the nasal passage may, therefore, alter systemic toxicokinetics. The current study used unrestrained plethysmographs to determine the MeI effect on the breathing frequency and minute volume (MV) in rats and rabbits. Groups of 4 rats each were exposed to 0, 25, or 100 ppm and groups of 4 rabbits each were exposed to 0 and 20 ppm MeI for 6 h. Breathing frequency and MV were measured and recorded during the exposure. Blood samples were collected for inorganic serum iodide and the globin adduct S-methylcysteine (SMC) as biomarkers of systemic kinetics immediately following exposure. No significant reductions in breathing frequency were observed for either rats or rabbits. Significant changes in minute volume were demonstrated by both rats and rabbits; however, the changes observed in rats were not concentration dependent. The MeI-induced changes in MV resulted in significant differences in the total volume of test substance atmosphere inhaled over the 6-h period. Rats demonstrated a concentration-dependent increase in both inorganic serum iodide and SMC. Rabbits exposed to 20 ppm MeI demonstrated a significant increase of inorganic serum iodide; SMC was also increased but was not statistically significant. The results of this study are consistent with previous kinetic studies with MeI, and the data presented here can be integrated into a computational fluid dynamics physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for both rats and rabbits.

Two-day inhalation toxicity study of methyl iodide in the rat.

The effects of inhaled methyl iodide (MeI) on clinical pathology parameters, glutathione (GSH) tissue levels, serum thyroid hormone and inorganic iodide concentrations, S-methylcysteine hemoglobin concentrations, and liver UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity were studied in the rat. Male rats were exposed by whole-body inhalation to 0, 25, or 100 ppm MeI, 6 h/day for up to 2 days. Serum cholesterol concentrations (both high-density lipoprotein [HDL] and low-density lipoprotein [LDL] fractions) were increased and triglycerides were decreased at both exposure levels. Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations were increased at 25 and 100 ppm, and serum triiodothyronine (T(3)) and thyroxine (T(4)) concentrations were decreased at 100 ppm. There was no change in either reverse triiodothyronine (rT(3)) or UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity at either exposure level. A dose- and time-dependent reduction in GSH levels in blood, kidney, liver, and nasal tissue was observed, with the greatest reduction in nasal tissue (olfactory and respiratory epithelium). MeI exposure also resulted in a substantial dose- and time-dependent increase in both serum inorganic iodide and red blood cell S-methylcysteine hemoglobin adducts. These results indicate that following inhalation exposure, MeI is rapidly metabolized in blood and tissue of rats, resulting in methylation products and release of inorganic iodide.

Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of 8-2 fluorotelomer alcohol in the rat.

The absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of [3-14C] 8-2 fluorotelomer alcohol (8-2 FTOH, C7F1514CF2CH2CH2OH) following a single oral dose at 5 and 125 mg/kg in male and female rats have been determined. Following oral dosing, the maximum concentration of 8-2 FTOH in plasma occurred by 1 h postdose and cleared rapidly with a half-life of less than 5 h. The internal dose to 8-2 FTOH, as measured by area under the concentration-time curve to infinity, was similar for male and female rats and was observed to increase in a dose-dependent fashion. The majority of the 14C 8-2 FTOH (> 70%) was excreted in feces, and 37-55% was identified as parent. Less than 4% of the administered dose was excreted in urine, which contained low concentrations of perfluorooctanoate (approximately 1% of total 14C). Metabolites identified in bile were principally composed of glucuronide and glutathione conjugates, and perfluorohexanoate was identified in excreta and plasma, demonstrating the metabolism of the parent FTOH by sequential removal of multiple CF2 groups. At 7 days postdose, 4-7% of the administered radioactivity was present in tissues, and for the majority, 14C concentrations were greater than whole blood with the highest concentration in fat, liver, thyroid, and adrenals. Distribution and excretion of a single 125-mg/kg [3-14C] 8-2 FTOH dermal dose following a 6-h exposure in rats was also determined. The majority of the dermal dose either volatilized from the skin (37%) or was removed by washing (29%). Following a 6-h dermal exposure and a 7-day collection period, excretion of total radioactivity via urine (< 0.1%) and feces (< 0.2%) was minor, and radioactivity concentrations in most tissues were below the limit of detection. Systemic availability of 8-2 FTOH following dermal exposure was negligible.

Genetic toxicology in the 21st century: reflections and future directions.

A symposium at the 40th anniversary of the Environmental Mutagen Society, held from October 24-28, 2009 in St. Louis, MO, surveyed the current status and future directions of genetic toxicology. This article summarizes the presentations and provides a perspective on the future. An abbreviated history is presented, highlighting the current standard battery of genotoxicity assays and persistent challenges. Application of computational toxicology to safety testing within a regulatory setting is discussed as a means for reducing the need for animal testing and human clinical trials, and current approaches and applications of in silico genotoxicity screening approaches across the pharmaceutical industry were surveyed and are reported here. The expanded use of toxicogenomics to illuminate mechanisms and bridge genotoxicity and carcinogenicity, and new public efforts to use high-throughput screening technologies to address lack of toxicity evaluation for the backlog of thousands of industrial chemicals in the environment are detailed. The Tox21 project involves coordinated efforts of four U.S. Government regulatory/research entities to use new and innovative assays to characterize key steps in toxicity pathways, including genotoxic and nongenotoxic mechanisms for carcinogenesis. Progress to date, highlighting preliminary test results from the National Toxicology Program is summarized. Finally, an overview is presented of ToxCast™, a related research program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, using a broad array of high throughput and high content technologies for toxicity profiling of environmental chemicals, and computational toxicology modeling. Progress and challenges, including the pressing need to incorporate metabolic activation capability, are summarized.

Comparative metabolism of geranyl nitrile and citronellyl nitrile in mouse, rat, and human hepatocytes.

Geranyl nitrile (GN) and citronellyl nitrile (CN) are fragrance components used in consumer and personal care products. Differences in the clastogenicity of these two terpenes are postulated to result from differential biotransformation, presumably involving the conjugated nitrile moiety. The metabolic clearance and biotransformation of GN and CN were compared in primary hepatocytes from mice, rats, and humans. For determination of intrinsic clearance, GN and CN were incubated with hepatocytes in sealed vials, and the headspace was sampled periodically by solid-phase microextraction and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. For metabolite identification, GN and CN were incubated with hepatocytes from each species for 60 min, and reaction mixtures were extracted and analyzed by mass spectroscopy. Both GN and CN were rapidly metabolized in hepatocytes from all species (T1/2, 0.7-11.6 min). Within a species, intrinsic clearance was similar for both compounds and increased in the order human < rat << mouse. Major common pathways for biotransformation of GN and CN involved 1) epoxidation of the 6-alkenyl moiety followed by conjugation with glutathione, 2) hydroxylation of the terminal methyl group(s) followed by direct conjugation with glucuronic acid in rodents or further oxidation to the corresponding acid in human cells, and 3) hydroxylation of the allylic C5 position. No evidence for either phase I or phase II metabolism of the conjugated nitrile moiety was obtained. Thus, the presumed metabolic basis for differences in genotoxicity remains elusive.

In vitro studies in microsomes from rat and human liver, kidney, and intestine suggest that perfluorooctanoic acid is not a substrate for microsomal UDP-glucuronosyltransferases.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a fluorinated fatty acid analogue used as a surfactant in the manufacture of fluoropolymers. Previous studies have indicated that PFOA was metabolically inert in mammals, but recent metabolism studies with related fluorochemicals suggested that PFOA might form a glucuronide conjugate. [(14)C(1)]-PFOA was incubated with male and female human and rat liver, kidney, and small intestine microsomes. Incubations were carried out in the presence of alamethicin and beta-saccharolactone to increase access of PFOA to the enzyme active site and to inhibit potential hydrolysis of PFOA-glucuronide by microsomal beta-glucuronidase, respectively. Although positive control experiments using p-nitrophenol demonstrated significant UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT) activity in all of the tested microsomal preparations, no evidence for formation of a PFOA-glucuronide was obtained, either by high-sensitivity radiochromatography or by LC/MS. These data suggest that PFOA is not a substrate for human or rodent microsomal UDPGTs.

Subcellular distribution and protein binding of perfluorooctanoic acid in rat liver and kidney.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is an organic fluorochemical, and its elimination in rats is markedly sex-dependent. Liver and kidney are two primary tissues of distribution of PFOA in rats. In this study, the subcellular distribution of PFOA in male and female rat liver and kidney was examined. The results demonstrated that PFOA content in the liver cytosol of the female rat was significantly higher (49 +/- 6% of total radioactive residues, TRR) than in the male liver (26 +/- 5% TRR), whereas PFOA distribution in the heavier subcellular fractions, especially the nuclei and cell debris fraction, was marginally higher in male rat liver. In rat kidney, more than 70% of PFOA was distributed in the cytosolic fraction, with no significant difference between sexes. The degree of protein binding of PFOA in rat liver and kidney cytosol was analyzed by two different chromatographic methods. The percentage of protein-bound PFOA in the liver cytosol was found to be approximately 55% in both male and female rats. In contrast, significantly more PFOA was bound to cytosolic proteins in the kidney of male rats (42 +/- 6% TRR) than in females (17 +/- 5% TRR). Ligand blotting analysis revealed that multiple proteins from the liver cytosol, nuclei, and mitochondria fractions were capable of specific binding to PFOA.

Binding of perfluorooctanoic acid to rat and human plasma proteins.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a commercially important organic fluorochemical and is considered to have a long half-life in human blood. In this paper, PFOA binding to rat and human plasma proteins was investigated. On the basis of results from size-exclusion chromatography and ligand blotting, most PFOA was in protein-bound form in male and female rat plasma, and the primary PFOA binding protein in plasma was serum albumin. PFOA binding to rat serum albumin (RSA) in the gas phase was observed by electrospray ionization MS. (19)F NMR experiments revealed that binding to RSA caused peak broadening and chemical shift changes of PFOA resonances, and on the basis of this observation, the dissociation constant was determined to be approximately 0.3 mM. The dissociation constants for PFOA binding to RSA and human serum albumin (HSA) and the numbers of PFOA binding sites on RSA and HSA were also determined by a separation method using microdesalting columns. No significant difference was found between PFOA binding to RSA and PFOA binding to HSA. The dissociation constants for binding of PFOA to RSA or HSA and the numbers of PFOA binding sites were in the range of 0.3-0.4 mM and 6-9, respectively. On the basis of these binding parameters and the estimated plasma concentration of serum albumin, greater than 90% of PFOA would be bound to serum albumin in both rat and human blood.