Critical evaluation of key evidence on the human health hazards of exposure to bisphenol A.

Despite the fact that more than 5000 safety-related studies have been published on bisphenol A (BPA), there seems to be no resolution of the apparently deadlocked controversy as to whether exposure of the general population to BPA causes adverse effects due to its estrogenicity. Therefore, the Advisory Committee of the German Society of Toxicology reviewed the background and cutting-edge topics of this BPA controversy. The current tolerable daily intake value (TDI) of 0.05 mg/kg body weight [bw]/day, derived by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), is mainly based on body weight changes in two- and three-generation studies in mice and rats. Recently, these studies and the derivation of the TDI have been criticized. After having carefully considered all arguments, the Committee had to conclude that the criticism was scientifically not justified; moreover, recently published additional data further support the reliability of the two- and three-generation studies demonstrating a lack of estrogen-dependent effects at and below doses on which the current TDI is based. A frequently discussed topic is whether doses below 5 mg/kg bw/day may cause adverse health effects in laboratory animals. Meanwhile, it has become clear that positive results from some explorative studies have not been confirmed in subsequent studies with higher numbers of animals or a priori defined hypotheses. Particularly relevant are some recent studies with negative outcomes that addressed effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and the prostate in rodents for extrapolation to the human situation. The Committee came to the conclusion that rodent data can well be used as a basis for human risk evaluation. Currently published conjectures that rats are insensitive to estrogens compared to humans can be refuted. Data from toxicokinetics studies show that the half-life of BPA in adult human subjects is less than 2 hours and BPA is completely recovered in urine as BPA-conjugates. Tissue deconjugation of BPA-glucuronide and -sulfate may occur. Because of the extremely low quantities, it is only of minor relevance for BPA toxicity. Biomonitoring studies have been used to estimate human BPA exposure and show that the daily intake of BPA is far below the TDI for the general population. Further topics addressed in this article include reasons why some studies on BPA are not reproducible; the relevance of oral versus non-oral exposure routes; the degree to which newborns are at higher systemic BPA exposure; increased BPA exposure by infusions in intensive care units; mechanisms of action other than estrogen receptor activation; and the current regulatory status in Europe, as well as in the USA, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. Overall, the Committee concluded that the current TDI for BPA is adequately justified and that the available evidence indicates that BPA exposure represents no noteworthy risk to the health of the human population, including newborns and babies.

Increased uridine diphosphate-glucuronyltransferase activity in preneoplastic liver nodules and Morris hepatomas.

In preneoplastic rat liver nodules produced by 2-acetylaminofluorene, certain uridine diphosphate-glucuronyltransferase (UDP-GT) activities, which are ascribed to a distinct enzyme form, were selectively increased (5-fold). This enzyme form, operationally termed UDP-GT1, accepts 1-naphthol,4-methylumbelliferone, and 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene as substrates and is chiefly inducible in liver by 3-methylcholanthrene-type inducers. Glucuronidation of other substrates (morphine, 4-hydroxybiphenyl, chloramphenicol, bilirubin, and estrone) was only slightly enhanced or decreased in nodular tissue. Differentially increased UDP-GT1 activities were also found in Morris hepatomas 9121 and 7777. Rabbit antibodies to rat liver UDP-GT1, purified from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats, demonstrated immunological similarity between the enzymes from liver, nodular tissue, and Morris hepatoma 9121. Rocket immunoelectrophoresis ascertained that enhanced enzyme activity in nodular tissue reflected an increased level of enzyme protein. Increased activity of UDP-GT1 together with decreased cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase may contribute to the resistance of preneoplastic hepatocytes to the cytotoxic actions of chemical carcinogens.

N-glucuronide formation of carcinogenic aromatic amines in rat and human liver microsomes.

(1) Sensitive fluorimetric assays were developed for the determination of microsomal UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities towards 1- and 2-naphthylamine and 4-aminobiphenyl. (2) In rat liver microsomes, enzyme activity towards 1-naphthylamine was orders of magnitude higher than the activities towards 2-naphthylamine, 4-aminobiphenyl or aniline. The differences were less marked with human liver microsomes. (3) Glucuronidation of aniline and 4-aminobiphenyl was not appreciably altered in rat liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene- or phenobarbital-treated rats. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities towards 1- and 2-naphthylamine were selectively increased (about 2-fold) by 3-methylcholanthrene-treatment. However the increases were less marked than those observed with representative substrates of the 3-methylcholanthrene-inducible enzyme form. The results suggest that the arylamines investigated are predominantly conjugated by constitutive enzyme forms in rat liver. (4) Arylamine N-glucuronides were found to be susceptible to hydrolysis by E. coli beta-glucuronidase suggesting the release of carcinogenic arylamines in the gut and their enterohepatic circulation.

Functional heterogeneity of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities in C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice.

Functional heterogeneity of liver microsomal UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities towards 1-naphthol, 4-methylumbelliferone or 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene (UDP-GT1 activities) and morphine or 4-hydroxybiphenyl (UDP-GT2 activities) was studied in two inbred strains of mice which are genetically responsive (C57BL/6) or non-responsive (DBA/2) to 3-methylcholanthrene-induction of drug metabolizing enzymes. 3-Methylcholanthrene preferentially induced UDP-GT1 activities in C57BL/6 mice. Phenobarbital, however, at low doses (50 mg/kg), selectively induced UDP-GT2 activities. Higher doses of phenobarbital (80 mg/kg) induced both UDP-GT1 and UDP-GT2 activities. In DBA/2 mice 3-methylcholanthrene-induction of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities was not detectable whereas enzyme induction by phenobarbital appeared to be unimpaired. UDP-GT1 activities were ubiquitously detectable in mouse tissues whereas appreciable UDP-GT2 activities were only found in liver and small intestinal mucosa. UDP-GT1 (1-naphthol as substrate) was not inhibited by morphine suggesting different active sites for the conjugation of these substrates. The results suggest the presence of at least two functionally different forms of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase in mice. In conjunction with the results of Owens (J. biol. Chem. 252, 2827 (1977)) it is evident that one of these enzyme forms is regulated by the Ah locus.

Differential induction of rat liver microsomal UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activites by various inducing agents.

The selectivity of various inducers of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase was investigated in rat liver microsomes and compared with their effect on monooxygenase reactions. (1) Similar to 3-methyl-cholanthrene beta-naphthoflavone selectively stimulated the glucuronidation of 1-naphthol and 4-methylumbelliferone (GT1 substrates). (2) In contrast, DDT preferentially enhanced the glucuronidation of morphine, 4-hydroxybiphenyl (GT2 substrates) and bilirubin, similar to phenobarbital. (3) Colfibric acid and bezafibrate selectively enhanced bilirubin glucuronidation without affecting GT1 and GT2 reactions. (4) Similar to ethoxyquin and Aroclor 1254, trans-stilbene oxide enhanced both GT1 and GT2 activities but not bilirubin glucuronidation. (5) In contrast to 3-methylcholanthrene-type inducers which induce both cytochrome P-450MC and GT1, probably through a common receptor protein, ethoxyquin and trans-stilbene oxide markedly induced GT1 reactions without affecting benzo[a]pyrene monooxygenase.

Induction of UDP-glucuronyltransferase and arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase activity in mouse skin and in normal and transformed skin cells in culture.

Methods have been developed which allow quantitative determination of UDP-glucuronyltransferase (UDPGT) and arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activities in unfractionated mouse skin. These methods were used for comparative studies of basal and induced enzyme activities in whole skin and cultured skin cells. After topical application of Aroclor 1254 to the skin UDPGT activities towards 1-naphthol, 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol were increased 3-fold and AHH activity was increased 15-fold. Topical application of the inducer also led to a marked increase of these enzyme activities in liver. UDPGT activity towards 1-naphthol was comparable in whole skin and in cultured keratinocytes and fibroblasts. In contrast, AHH activity was higher in cultured keratinocytes than in skin. In transformed epithelial cell lines the pattern of drug metabolizing enzymes was altered: UDPGT activity was increased 4- to 6-fold whereas AHH activity was decreased. However, AHH activity was still inducible by benz[a]anthracene or 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in cultured cells. The altered pattern of AHH and UDPGT in transformed epithelial cell lines is consistent with toxin-resistance of initiated cells, similar to the toxin-resistance phenotype characterized in liver after initiation of hepatocarcinogenesis.

Induction of rat hepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferases by dietary ethoxyquin.

Dietary administration of 0.5% ethoxyquin markedly enhanced rat hepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities. Both 3-methylcholanthrene- and phenobarbital-inducible glucuronidation reactions were stimulated by the antioxidant. In contrast, phenobarbital-inducible bilirubin glucuronidation was not affected by ethoxyquin.

Release of mutagenic metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene from the perfused rat liver after inhibition of glucuronidation and sulfation by salicylamide.

The role of glucuronide and sulfate conjugation in presystemic inactivation of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) metabolites was investigated with rat livers perfused with BP (12 mumol). Comparisons were made between metabolite profiles and mutagenicity of medium from perfusions with and without salicylamide, a selective inhibitor of glucuronide and sulfate conjugation. After 4 h perfusion in the presence of salicylamide, certain BP metabolites (diols, quinones, phenols, and metabolites more polar than BP-9,10-diol) were significantly increased at the expense of quinones and phenols in the glucuronide fraction. Mutagenicity of medium (detected by the Ames test, using tester strains TA98 and TA100) was low in perfusion without salicylamide. Mutagenicity detected with tester strain TA98 was significantly increased in perfusions with salicylamide. Involvement of glucuronidation in BP inactivation was also observed at the subcellular level; when cofactors of glucuronidation were added to liver homogenates along with the NADPH regenerating system in the Ames test, BP mutagenicity was markedly decreased. Both the activation of BP to mutagenic metabolites and the inactivation of BP metabolites by glucuronidation was much more pronounced with liver homogenates from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats than with those from phenobarbital-treated animals or untreated controls. The results suggest an important role for glucuronidation and sulfation in the inactivation and elimination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Alternative methods to safety studies in experimental animals: role in the risk assessment of chemicals under the new European Chemicals Legislation (REACH).

During the last two decades, substantial efforts have been made towards the development and international acceptance of alternative methods to safety studies using laboratory animals. In the EU, challenging timelines for phasing out of many standard tests using laboratory animals were established in the seventh Amending Directive 2003/15/EC to Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC. In continuation of this policy, the new European Chemicals Legislation (REACH) favours alternative methods to conventional in vivo testing, if validated and appropriate. Even alternative methods in the status of prevalidation or validation, but without scientific or regulatory acceptance may be used under certain conditions. Considerable progress in the establishment of alternative methods has been made in some fields, in particular with respect to methods predicting local toxic effects and genotoxicity. In more complex important fields of safety and risk assessment such as systemic single and repeated dose toxicity, toxicokinetics, sensitisation, reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity, it is expected that the development and validation of in silico methods, testing batteries (in vitro and in silico) and tiered testing systems will have to overcome many scientific and regulatory obstacles which makes it extremely difficult to predict the outcome and the time needed. The main reasons are the complexity and limited knowledge of the biological processes involved on one hand and the long time frame until validation and regulatory acceptance of an alternative method on the other. New approaches in safety testing and evaluation using "Integrated Testing Strategies" (ITS) (including combinations of existing data, the use of chemical categories/grouping, in vitro tests and QSAR) that have not been validated or not gained wide acceptance in the scientific community and by regulatory authorities will need a thorough justification of their appropriateness for a given purpose. This requires the availability of knowledge and experience of experts in toxicology. The challenging deadlines for phasing out of in vivo tests in the Cosmetics Amending Directive 2003/15/EC appear unrealistic. Likewise, we expect that the application of validated alternative methods will only have a small or moderate impact on the reduction of in vivo tests under the regimen of REACH, provided that at least the same level of protection of human health as in the past is envisaged. As a consequence, under safety aspects, it appears wise to consider established in vivo tests to be indispensable as basic tools for hazard and risk assessment with respect to systemic single and repeated dose toxicity, sensitisation, carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity, especially regarding quantitative aspects of risk assessment such as NOAELs, LOAELs and health-related limit values derived from them. Based on the overall evaluation in this review, the authors are of the opinion that in the short- and mid-term, the strategy of the development of alternative methods should be more directed towards the refinement or reduction of in vivo tests. The lessons learnt during these efforts will provide a substantial contribution towards the replacement initiatives in the long-term.

Protection against toxic redox cycles between benzo(a)pyrene-3,6-quinone and its quinol by 3-methylcholanthrene-inducible formation of the quinol mono- and diglucuronide.

Cytotoxic effects of quinones are thought to be mediated by redox cycles between quinones and quinols whereby reactive oxygen species are generated. The role of glucuronidation in preventing these toxic redox cycles was investigated by using benzo(a)pyrene-3,6-quinone and isolated rat hepatocytes or Reuber hepatoma cells (H4IIE). Inhibition of quinol glucuronidation by salicylamide enhanced quinone-dependent oxygen uptake and cytotoxicity. Conjugation of benzo(a)pyrene-3,6-quinol was shown to proceed via the 6-monoglucuronide to the diglucuronide. Diglucuronide formation was low in hepatocytes from untreated controls and phenobarbital-treated rats. However, it was highly stimulated (26-fold) in hepatocytes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats and was also high in Reuber hepatoma cells. Kinetic analysis with liver microsomes indicated that 3-methylcholanthrene-stimulated glucuronidation was due to an increased Vmax of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase which was enhanced 10- and 40-fold or mono- and diglucuronide formation, respectively. These findings suggest that the investigation of quinol glucuronidation (in particular the formation of benzo(a)pyrene-3,6-quinol diglucuronide) is a most useful probe for the 3-methylcholanthrene-inducible isoenzyme(s) of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase. Moreover, this isoenzyme may be particularly suited to protect against toxic redox cycles between benzo(a)pyrene quinones and quinols.

Immunohistochemical differentiation of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase in focal lesions and in zone I of rat liver after treatment with chemical carcinogens.

gamma-Glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GT) is known to be increased in putative pre-neoplastic foci but also in the periportal zone I of rat liver under a variety of circumstances not directly related to carcinogenesis. To be able to distinguish between these two instances gamma-GT was studied by enzyme determination in micro-dissections obtained from the two locations and by both histochemical and immunohistochemical staining in serial sections. Altered hepatic foci and alterations in zone I were produced in three models of hepatocarcinogenesis: initiation by N-nitrosomorpholine and tumor promotion by phenobarbital, continuous administration of 2-acetylaminofluorene and continuous administration of methapyrilene hydrochloride. In micro-dissections gamma-GT activity was similarly increased in focal lesions and in zone I after feeding methapyrilene. Histochemically detectable gamma-GT, stained according to Rutenburg et al. (23), was observed both in zone I and in focal lesions. Focal lesions were also ATPase negative and UDP-glucuronyltransferase positive in all three models. gamma-GT in focal lesions could be selectively detected by immunohistochemical staining using antibodies to the rat kidney enzyme and an indirect peroxidase reaction. These findings suggest immunochemical differences between gamma-GT in focal lesions and in zone I.

Purification of rat-liver microsomal UDP-glucuronyltransferase. Separation of two enzyme forms inducible by 3-methylcholanthrene or phenobarbital.

Glucuronidation reactions catalysed by rat liver microsomal UDP-glucuronyltransferase are differentially inducible by 3-methylcholanthrene and phenobarbital. To elucidate the molecular basis of this functional heterogeneity the enzyme was purified from livers of rats pretreated with the inducing agents. Using cholate solubilization, chromatography on Bio-Gel A-1.5m and on DEAE-cellulose in the presence of the nonionic detergent Brij 58, two enzyme forms could be separated. Both forms were subsequently purified to apparent homogeneity by affinity chromatography on UDP-hexanolamine Sepharose 4B, 3-Methylcholanthrene-inducible enzyme activity towards 1-naphthol, 4-nitrophenol, 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene and N-hydroxy-2-naphthylamine copurified with one enzyme form (enzyme 1). In contrast phenobarbital-inducible enzyme activity towards morphine, chloramphenicol and 4-hydroxybiphenyl was associated with the other enzyme fraction (enzyme 2). Sodium dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gels showed similar molecular weights of 54000 for enzyme 1 and 56000 for enzyme 2. The results suggest the presence of at least two forms of UDP-glucuronyltransferase in rat liver. Factors affecting enzyme activity in purified and membrane-bound states are discussed.