Prediction of liver toxicity and mode of action using metabolomics in vitro in HepG2 cells.

Liver toxicity is a leading systemic toxicity of drugs and chemicals demanding more human-relevant, high throughput, cost effective in vitro solutions. In addition to contributing to animal welfare, in vitro techniques facilitate exploring and understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying toxicity. New 'omics technologies can provide comprehensive information on the toxicological mode of action of compounds, as well as quantitative information about the multi-parametric metabolic response of cellular systems in normal and patho-physiological conditions. Here, we combined mass-spectroscopy metabolomics with an in vitro liver toxicity model. Metabolite profiles of HepG2 cells treated with 35 test substances resulted in 1114 cell supernatants and 3556 intracellular samples analyzed by metabolomics. Control samples showed relative standard deviations of about 10-15%, while the technical replicates were at 5-10%. Importantly, this procedure revealed concentration-response effects and patterns of metabolome changes that are consistent for different liver toxicity mechanisms (liver enzyme induction/inhibition, liver toxicity and peroxisome proliferation). Our findings provide evidence that identifying organ toxicity can be achieved in a robust, reliable, human-relevant system, representing a non-animal alternative for systemic toxicology.

A developmental toxicity study of 3S, 3'S-Astaxanthin in New Zealand white rabbits.

Astaxanthin, a naturally occurring pigment used to give the characteristic orange-pink colour to salmonid fish reared in aquaculture, is also marketed as a dietary supplement. Synthetic 3S, 3'S-Astaxanthin was tested for potential harmful effects on the in utero development of New Zealand white rabbits in a study according to international regulatory guidelines. There were two control groups, one being a placebo administration and three dose levels corresponding to 100, 200, and 400 mg of 3S, 3'S-Astaxanthin per kg body weight/day. The group sizes varied from 23 to 27 litters, providing approximately 200 fetuses per group for evaluation of developmental toxicity. There were no significant effects on the health of the does, nor on the size and viability of the litters. Malformations, both external and internal, were rare and occurred in all groups, including controls with no indication of a treatment relationship. Variations were much more common, being found in all litters. However, when examined by type and frequency, no pattern emerged indicating a relationship to administration of the test substance. It is concluded that administration of 3S, 3'S-Astaxanthin in a gelatin/carbohydrate powder formulation throughout pregnancy up to 400 mg/kg body weight/day is without harmful effects on reproduction or fetal development.

Subchronic toxicity of polyethylene glycol-g-polyvinyl alcohol grafted copolymer.

The safety of polyethylene glycol-g-polyvinyl alcohol (PEG-PVA) grafted copolymer was evaluated in a 13-week oral toxicity study in rats and in a 9-month oral toxicity study in dogs. Wistar rats were administered 600, 3000, or 15,000 ppm PEG-PVA grafted copolymer in their drinking water whereas beagle dogs were fed 3000, 10,000, or 30,000 ppm PEG-PVA grafted copolymer in the diet. There were no mortalities, no adverse clinical signs, no toxicologically adverse effects on body weight or body weight gain, feed consumption, hematological, clinical chemistry or urinary parameters, or histopathology in either species. In rats, no treatment-related effects were observed in the functional observational battery (FOB) or related measurements of motor activity. Increased water consumption observed in rats at the highest dose was the only test substance-induced effect noted. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was the highest concentration tested in both species: 15,000 ppm in rats (corresponding to a daily intake of 1611 mg/kg bw for males and 2191 mg/kg bw for females) and 30,000 ppm in dogs (corresponding to a mean daily intake of 783 mg/kg bw for males and 811 mg/kg bw for females).

Ethylbenzene: 4- and 13-week rat oral toxicity.

Ethylbenzene was administered to groups of male and female Wistar rats by gavage for 4 (n = 5/dose/sex) and 13 weeks (n = 10/dose/sex) (OECD 408) at doses of 0 (vehicle control), 75, 250, and 750 mg/kg bodyweight/day (mg/kg bw/day), administered am/pm as half doses. In the 4-week study, > or =250 mg/kg increased serum alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin and cholesterol, liver weights and centrilobular hepatocyte hypertrophy, and kidney weights; males also had post-dose salivation, increased urinary epithelial cell casts and cells, and hyaline droplet nephropathy. In the 13-week study, > or =250 mg/kg increased water consumption and produced post-dose salivation. Liver-related effects: increased serum alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, bilirubin, total protein, albumin and globulins, cholesterol, liver weights and centrilobular hepatocyte hypertrophy, and reduced prothrombin times. Kidney-related effects: increased serum potassium, calcium, magnesium, kidney weights, and (males only) urea and hyaline droplets in renal tubular epithelium, and reduced sodium (females only); creatinine was reduced in 750 mg/kg males. The NOAEL of ethylbenzene in these studies, based on hepatocyte hypertrophy and liver- and kidney-related clinical chemistry changes, was 75 mg/kg bw/day.

Octyl methoxycinnamate: two generation reproduction toxicity in Wistar rats by dietary administration.

Wistar rats continuously received octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC) in the diet through two successive generations at nominal doses of 0, 150, 450 or 1000 mg/kg bw/day. OMC had no adverse effects on estrous cycles, mating behavior, conception, parturition, lactation and weaning, sperm and follicle parameters, macropathology and histopathology of the sexual organs. 1000 mg/kg bw/day reduced parental food consumption and body weight (-14% to -16% in males, -4% to -5% females), increased liver weight, produced hepatic cytoplasmic eosinophilia and erosion/ulceration of glandular stomach mucosa. and led to a slightly decreased implantation rate in the top dose F0 and F1 dams. The high dose F1 and F2 pups had reduced lactation weight gain and organ weights and delayed sexual maturation landmarks. There was no evidence of a selective influence of the test compound on pups' sexual landmarks. The NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) is 450 mg/kg bw/day for fertility and reproductive performance, for systemic parental and developmental toxicity.

Ring-oxidized metabolites of styrene contribute to styrene-induced Clara-cell toxicity in mice.

Styrene produced cytotoxicity in the terminal bronchioles of mice, but not rats, due to metabolites produced in situ by CYP2F2 metabolism. It has generally been presumed that styrene toxicity is mediated by styrene 7,8-oxide, but styrene oxide is not much more toxic than styrene. In contrast, ring-oxidized metabolites (4-vinylphenol or its metabolites) induce much greater toxicity. Administration of 4-vinylphenol results in pneumotoxicity, based on analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) at a 5- to 10 fold lower dose than does styrene oxide. In the current research, studies demonstrated that ip administration of 4-vinylphenol for 14 consecutive days at dosages of 6, 20, or 60 mg/kg/d (split into 3 doses) produced cytotoxicity in the terminal bronchioles of mice, but not rats. While higher doses of 4-vinylphenol produced adverse effects in both liver and lung, no liver toxicity was seen in mice exposed to 60 mg/kg/d for 14 d. Approximately 4 d was required for BALF parameters to return to normal following a single administration of 4-vinylphenol. These studies add further support for the role of ring-oxidized metabolites in the pneumotoxicity induced by styrene in mice and the lack thereof in rats.

Prevalidation of a rat liver foci bioassay (RLFB) based on results from 1600 rats: a study report.

A rat liver foci bioassay (RLFB) based on an initiation-promotion protocol employing preneoplastic foci of altered hepatocytes (FAH) as an endpoint, was prevalidated in 5 different laboratories. FAH were identified by immunohistochemical demonstration of glutathione-S-transferase (placental form, GSTP) and by staining with hematoxilin/eosin (H&E), and their area fraction was quantified morphometrically. The four model hepatocarcinogens N-nitrosomorpholine, 2-acetylaminofluoren, phenobarbital, and clofibrate were selected according to characteristic differences in their presumed mode of action, and tested in a total of 1,600 male and female rats at 2 different dose levels. The chemicals were found to differ characteristically in their potency and dose-response relationship to induce FAH when given alone or when administered following initiation with diethylnitrosamine. The interlaboratory variation was small for results obtained with the GSTP-stain and somewhat larger with respect to H&E. The assessment of the carcinogenic potential of the four chemicals by the different laboratories was in the same range and the nature of their dose-response relationships did not differ essentially between laboratories. Our results suggest that this RLFB is a sensitive bioassay, providing potentially valuable information for risk assessment including the classification of carcinogenic chemicals according to their mode of action.