An evaluation of reproductive toxicity studies and data interpretation of N-methylpyrrolidone for risk assessment: An expert panel review.

An expert panel was assembled to evaluate reproductive toxicology study data and their application to health risk assessment to provide input on the data quality, interpretation, and application of data from three multi-generation reproductive toxicity studies of N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Panelists were engaged using a double-blinded, modified Delphi format that consisted of three rounds. Key studies were scored using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) questions and general considerations to guide the evaluation of experimental animal studies for systematic review. The primary conclusions of the panel are that one of the studies (Exxon, 1991) is not a high-quality study due to several design flaws that includes: (1) exceedance of the maximum tolerable dose in the high dose group; (2) failure to adjust feed concentrations of NMP during the lactation period, resulting in NMP doses that were 2- to 3-fold higher than nominal levels; and/or (3) underlying reproductive performance problems in the strain of rats used. For these reasons, the panel recommended that this study should not be considered for quantitative risk assessment of NMP. Exclusion of this study, and its corresponding data for male fertility and female fecundity, from the quantitative risk assessment results in a change in the identification of the most sensitive endpoint. Instead, changes in rat fetal/pup body weight, an endpoint previously selected by EPA, was identified as an appropriate basis for human health risk assessment based on a consideration of the best available science and weight of scientific evidence supported by the NMP toxicity database.

Phenobarbital exposure in utero: alterations in female reproductive function in rats.

Phenobarbital administration to pregnant rats from day 12 to day 19 of gestation suppressed body weight gain and produced significant effects on reproductive function in their offspring. These effects included delays in the onset of puberty, disorders in the estrous cycle, and infertility. Moreover, the animals exposed to phenobarbital in utero showed altered concentrations of sex steroids, gonadotrophic hormones, and estrogen receptors. These findings suggest that phenobarbital treatment during prenatal development can produce permanent alterations in sexual maturation.

Hepatic and extrahepatic N-acetyltransferase. Perinatal development using a new radioassay.

We report a sensitive and rapid radioassay method for p-aminobenzoic acid N-acetyltransferase. The principle of this assay involves acetylation of p-aminobenzoic acid with [1-14C] labeled acetyl coenzyme A and direct extraction of enzymically formed radioactive p-acetamidobenzoic acid into nonaqueous scintillation fluid. Using this radiometric assay, hepatic and extrahepatic tissue distributions from rat and rabbit were studied. Rabbit blastocyst and endometrial N-acetyltransferase specific activities were equivalent to hepatic activities. Perinatal development studies in rats and rabbits revealed that fetal and neonatal animals are capable of N-acetylation. Rat liver developmental studies exhibited two peaks of activity with the first peak occurring in the late fetus followed by a second peak 3 days after birth. Rabbit fetal and neonatal enzyme activity increased to adult levels by the second week after birth in liver and gut, however, lung showed a different developmental pattern. These studies demonstrate that fetal extrahepatic tissues, like adult tissues, play an important role in N-acetylation.

Chemical contaminants in human milk: an overview.

This review contains a succinct overview of the nature and extent of the problem of contamination of human milk with environmental and occupational chemicals, excluding drugs. Factors influencing the levels of contaminants in breast milk are discussed. Also, data on major chemicals of concern with potential health risk(s) to the general population and risk-benefit considerations are dealt with briefly. Based on the available data on the subject, research needs have been identified and policy recommendations are suggested.

Placental transfer of cadmium in rats: influence of dose and gestational age.

Placental transfer rates of cadmium were investigated in rats in relation to dose (0.1, 0.4, and 1.6 mg Cd/kg) and the gestational age (12, 15, and 20 days) when rats were treated. Pregnant rats were injected intravenously with a single dose of 109CdCl2 (approximately 20 muCi/animal), and animals were sacrificed after 24 hr. 109Cd concentrations were measured in the fetus, placenta, maternal liver, and blood. Cadmium crossed the placenta at all doses and at all gestational ages tested. However, higher percentages of administered cadmium accumulated in the fetus with increasing dose and increasing gestational age. For example, after pregnant rats were injected with low, middle, and high doses of Cd on day 12 of gestation, fetuses accumulated 0.0001, 0.0028, and 0.0095 per cent of the injected dose, respectively. Percentages of administered Cd detected in placental tissue did not change consistently with dose but Cd levels did increase with gestational age. Placental to maternal blood Cd concentration ratios increased with gestational age but not with dose. Maternal liver to fetal liver concentration ratios were 295, 137, and 27 for low, middle and high doses, respectively, 24 hr after pregnant rats were treated on day 20 of gestation. These results are discussed in relation to placental damage, metallothionein inducibility, and fetotoxicity.

Workshop to identify critical windows of exposure for children's health: cardiovascular and endocrine work group summary.

The work group on cardiovascular and endocrine effects was asked to review the current state of knowledge about children's windows of vulnerability to developmental toxicants and to recommend how that information may be used to improve risk assessment and public health. We considered differences between structural defects, where periods of vulnerability are rather well defined, and functional defects, where periods of vulnerability are quite elusive.

Postnatal stimulation of hepatic microsomal enzymes following administration of TCDD to pregnant rats.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) administered to pregnant rats at 3 mu-g/kg as a single oral dose during early, middle, or late gestation caused marked elevations of some maternal hepatic microsomal enzymes for at least 10 weeks after treatment. This dose was not teratogenic and fetal rates of glucuronidation of testosterone and p-nitrophenol (PNP) were unaffected. Increases in fetal liver benzpyrene hydroxylase (BPH) activities were evident during late gestation although cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b-5 contents were unchanged. The offspring of pregnant rats administered TCDD had markedly elevated hepatic PNP UDP-glucuronyltransferase (UDPGT) BPH, and microsomal cytochrome contents whereas the perinatal development of testosterone UDPGT was unchanged. PNP glucuronidation attained a maximal 8-fold increase above controls by 3 weeks after birth and activities were twice that of controls 8 weeks after birth (adults). Maximal increases in benzpyrene hydroxylation rates occurred one day after birth when in the prenatally exposed group activities were approximately 20 times higher than controls. Foster mother experiments demonstrated that the postnatal inductive effect resulted both from exposure of newborns to TCDD via maternal milk and the activation of an inducing mechanism occurring after birth. Tese data demonstrate that multiple factors are responsible for the induction of hepatic microsomal enzymes in the newborn following administration of TCDD to pregnant rats.

Perinatal development of N-acetyltransferase in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues of guinea pigs.

Hepatic and extrahepatic distribution and the perinatal developmental pattern of p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA)-N-acetyltransferase (E.C.2.3.1.5) in guinea pig liver, lung, and placenta were studied. In adult guinea pigs, kidney and small intestine enzyme specific activities were equivalent to hepatic activity. Lung enzyme activity was about 15% of that in adult liver. No sex differences in hepatic or extrahepatic distribution of enzyme levels were evident. The perinatal development study revealed that fetal as well as neonatal animals are capable of N-acetylation. The peak in liver and lung activity occur between 3 and 8 days after birth. Placenta has about 50% of adult liver activity for PABA-N-acetylation and it declines near term. These data indicate that extrahepatic organs of guinea pigs significantly contribute to PABA-N-acetylation.

Inhibition of hepatic monooxygenases in neonatal rats by thyroxine.

The effect of thyroxine administration on the activities of hepatic microsomal monooxygenases were studied in neonatal rats. While there were no sexual differences in the activities of hepatic hexobarbital hydroxylase, cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5 in 8 day old rats, thyroxine administration significantly reduced the activities of these monooxygenases in both male and female neonates. The results suggest that the liver of the neonatal rat has not developed the ability to respond to the enzyme-stimulating effects of thyroxine as reported for adults.

Endotoxin and low protein diet induced depression of the rat hepatic drug metabolism.

The effects of the combination of low protein diet feeding and endotoxin (E. coli, serotype 026 B6) upon rat hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidase (MFO) enzymes were investigated. Short-term (7 days) feeding of low protein (8%) diet and acute (single dose) exposure to endotoxin resulted in an additive decrease in MFO enzymes. However, chronic (7 days) endotoxin exposure did not depress liver microsomal MFO enzyme activities except for aniline hydroxylase. Long-term (105 days) feeding of the low protein diet and acute endotoxin exposure further decreased aminopyrine N-demethylase and benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activities compared to individual treatments. These results suggest that, under these experimental conditions, the two host-related environmental factors interact and potentiate a decrease in rat hepatic microsomal drug metabolizing enzymes. These observations may be of clinical relevance to explain altered drug reactions in patients with gram-negative infections and endotoxemia under the conditions of malnutrition.

Gram-negative endotoxin administration decreases hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes during development in rats.

The frequency of gram-negative infections and endotoxemia in the perinatal period prompted an investigation of the effects of endotoxin (Escherichia coli 026B6) on hepatic drug metabolism. Gravid female rats given injections IP with different dosages of lipopolysaccharide during late pregnancy resulted in significant depression of the liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 dependent monooxygenase activities. The acute administration of endotoxin to mothers (1.4 mg/kg on seventh day after parturition) significantly decreased the hepatic activity of aminopyrine demethylase and contents of cytochrome P-450 of suckling neonates and mothers. However, chronic administration of endotoxin (0.2 mg/kg/day for 7 days) to lactating mothers did not alter neonatal enzyme activities. When neonates themselves were given injections of endotoxin (1.0 mg/kg) at 7, 16, and 27 days of age, a significant reduction in levels of mixed function oxidase enzymes was observed. These observations suggest that the ability of mothers and neonates to metabolize drugs is significantly decreased upon exposure to endotoxin, and this demands careful evaluation of drug disposition studies in gram-negative sepsis.

Delayed effects of drug exposure during pregnancy: reproductive function.

This article reviews the delayed effects of anticonvulsants (phenobarbital, phenytoin, and valproate) administered in utero upon the reproductive function in the offspring. Experimental data from the authors' laboratories are discussed in light of this context. Furthermore, comments are made emphasizing the gaps in our knowledge concerning the problem of drug exposure during pregnancy and the complex nature of drug effects upon the reproductive system.

Altered thyroid hormone status and dichlorvos toxicity in rats.

The effects of altered thyroid function upon serum cholin-esterase levels and dichlorvos toxicity were studied in adult male and female rats. No sexual dimorphism was observed in the base level of serum cholinesterase, however, oral administration of dichlorvos (52.5 mg/kg) resulted in 30% mortality to intact female rats. Hypothyroidism significantly elevated while hyperthyroidism decreased serum cholinesterase enzyme activity in both sexes of rats. Hyperthyroid females were more susceptible than males to dichlorvos challenge even with similar decrease in serum cholinesterase activity.

Susceptibility of mice to phenytoin-induced cleft palate correlated with inhibition of fetal palatal RNA and protein synthesis (41255).

Phenytoin administered to pregnant mice during the critical embryonic period of palatal differentiation produced 50% cleft palates in the Ajax (A/J) strain compared to 1.6% clefts in the C57BL/6 (B6) strain of mice. Furthermore, a single maternal injection of phenytoin produced a significantly greater and more persistent decrease in fetal palatal RNA and protein synthesis in the sensitive A/J strain compared to that in the insensitive B6 strain of mice. Thus, these differential effects of phenytoin on RNA and protein synthesis are associated with the differential susceptibility to the teratogenic action of phenytoin in the two strains.

Effects of endotoxin upon rat hepatic microsomal drug metabolism in vivo and in vitro.

1. Bacterial endotoxin, a soluble lipopolysaccharide, has been studied to ascertain its effects in vivo and in vitro on the hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes of adult male and female rats. 2. 24 h after a single 1 X 0 or 2 X 0 mg/kg i.p. dose of endotoxin, hexobarbital sleeping time was significantly increased in adult male rats. Significant inhibition of liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 occurred after 6 h and continued only until 24 h after endotoxin administration, while injection of inactivated endotoxin did not result in any significant decrease of hepatic mixed-function oxidase enzymes or cytochrome P-450. In contrast, rho-nitrophenol-UDP-glucuronyltransferase enzyme activity was unaffected by these levels of endotoxin. 3. Electron-microscopic examination of rat liver hepatocytes did not reveal any significant change in ultrastructure 24 h after a single i.p. dose of endotoxin. 4. Endotoxin failed to depress the phenobarbitone- or 3-methylcholanthrene-induced forms of cytochrome P-450 and the dependent mono-oxygenase enzymes. Simultaneous administration of phenobarbital and endotoxin resulted in 100% mortality of rats. Combination of 3-methylcholanthrene and endotoxin did not block the induction of cytochrome P-448 or dependent benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase activity. 5. Addition of endotoxin in vitro resulted in significant inhibition of hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 and aminopyrine N-demethylase activity only on preincubation with an NADPH-generating system supplemented with EDTA.

Glucuronidation and deglucuronidation reactions in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues during perinatal development.

The relative activities of uridine diphosphoglucuronyltransferase (UDPGT) and beta-glucuronidase (betaG) were measured during perinatal development of hepatic and extrahepatic tissues to determine the balance between glucuronidation and deglucuronidation reactions at different developmental stages. Liver, lung, kidney, intestine, and placenta were studied in guinea pigs and rabbits. In general, betaG activities exceeded those of UDPGT in fetal tissues, whereas the converse was evident in adults. There were significant species and age differences in the onset of betaG and UDPGT activities and the occurrence of developmental peaks. A dramatic betaG developmental peak was observed in fetal guinea pig intestine and newborn rabbit intestine. Both microsomal and lysosomal betaG exhibited similar developmental patterns in all tissues tested. Hepatic nonsteroid UDPGT activities were higher at parturition than in adult animals, whereas no such developmental peak occurred for steroid UDPGT. Triton X-100 activated fetal UDPGT in vitro by approximately the same factor as it did for adult UDPGT.

Characterization and induction of aryl hydrocarbon (benzo(a)pyrene) hydroxylase in rabbit bone marrow.

Benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activity was found in the bone marrow of control and 3MC-induced New Zealand white rabbits. This activity was localized in the microsomal fraction, was NADPH dependent and CO sensitive. The reaction was inhibited by 7,8-benzoflavone indicating that it was mediated by the 3MC-inducible form of cytochrome P-450. BP hydroxylase activity in rabbit bone marrow was located primarily in white cells, and was considerably higher than that previously reported for cultured human lymphocytes and monocytes. A possible role for the bone marrow mixed-function oxygenase in the production of hemopoietic toxicity is considered.

Postnatal development of mixed-function oxidation and conjugation in hemoglobin-free perfused rat liver.

In perfused livers from normal developing rats, rates of p-nitroanisole O-demethylation, nearly undetectable at 8 days of age, increased progressively to a maximum of 5.1 mumol of p-nitrophenol formed per gram of liver wet weight per hour by 20 days of age. However, by 30 days of age, the rate of p-nitrophenol formation decreased to 2.8 mumol/g/h, in spite of a 300% increase in microsomal p-nitroanisole O-demethylase activity between 20 and 30 days of age. Conjugation of p-nitrophenol in perfused livers was minimal before 16 days of age. Subsequently, rates of conjugation of p-nitrophenol increase in parallel with the development of hepatic glycogen metabolism and uridine diphosphate-glucuronyltransferase activity. At all stages of development studied (8-30 days), phenobarbital treatment increased the liver weight, cytochrome P-450 content and and in vitro p-nitroanisole O-demethylase and glucuronyltransferase activities. In perfused livers from phenobarbital-treated pups, mixed-function oxidation and conjugation increased in parallel with the development of the microsomal enzymes. These data indicate that both the development of microsomal enzyme activity and the availability of required cofactors (e.g. NADPH) influence rates of mixed-function oxidation and conjugation in intact liver during development.