In utero and lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) affects bone tissue in rhesus monkeys.

Bone tissue is one of the target tissues for dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate effects of in utero and lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), on bone tissue in rhesus monkey, the most human-like experimental model available. Pregnant rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta; age 4-10 years) were exposed to TCDD with a total dose of 40.5-42.0 or 405-420ng/kg bodyweight by repeated subcutaneous injections starting at gestational day 20 and followed by injections every 30 days until 90 days after delivery. At a mean age of 7 years the offspring were sacrificed and the femur bone dissected. Results from peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (pQCT) analyses of the metaphyseal part of the femur bones in female offspring showed significant increases in trabecular bone mineral content (BMC; +84.6%, p<0.05, F-value (F)=5.9) in the low-dose treatment group compared with the controls. In the same animals, analysis of the mid-diaphyseal part revealed increases in total BMC (+21.3%, p<0.05, F=5.2) and cortical cross-sectional area (CSA; +16.4%, p<0.01, F=7.4) compared with the controls. In males, changes in biomechanical properties indicating more fragile bone were observed. Displacement at failure were significantly increased in the male low-dose group compared to the controls (+38.0%, p<0.05, F=11). The high dose of TCDD did not induce any significant changes in bone morphology. In conclusion, in utero and lactational low-dose, but not high-dose exposure to 2,3,7,8-TCDD induced disruption of bone tissue development in rhesus monkey, a result suggesting that similar effects might occur in humans also.

The Beginning of Kyoto Collection: Focus on Memories.

The early history of Kyoto Collection of Human Embryos and Fetuses was briefly described including reasons for planning the collection, ethical considerations, procedures for the collection, procedures for obtained specimens, research grants, participating members, and Professor Nishimura's Motto Anat Rec, 301:951-954, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Gestational and lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin affects social behaviors between developing rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Pregnant rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) at 30 and 300 ng/kg by subcutaneous injection at gestational day 20, followed by additional injections of TCDD (1.5 and 15 ng/kg, respectively) every 30 days till 90 days after parturition. The offspring delivered from these experimentally TCDD-exposed mothers were subjected to a series of behavioral tests after the weaning at 12-14 months old (MO): a finger maze learning task (12-15 MO), encounter tests between two monkeys (at 12-15 and 24-27 MO), and an eye-contact test (23-26 MO) to estimate learning ability, social interaction with a peer subject, and interest or hostility to a human observer, respectively. TCDD exposure had no significant effect on learning ability or interest/hostility to an observer. It did, however, significantly affect behavioral characteristics in the encounter tests. In the first encounter test, monkeys exposed to TCDD showed more visual exploration and mutual proximity but less stereotypy behavior compared to control monkeys. In the second encounter test, these differences seemed to disappear, suggesting that the behavioral effects of TCDD exposure in the encounter tests might disappear as the monkey develops. This study produced evidence of the behavioral toxicity of TCDD in social interactions using non-human primates.

In utero and lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) affects tooth development in rhesus monkeys.

We thought to validate the current tolerable daily intake (TDI) value for dioxin (4 pg/kg) in Japan. Pregnant rhesus monkeys received an initial dose of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD; 0, 30, or 300 ng/kg subcutaneously) on day 20 of gestation; the dams received additional injection of 5% of the initial dose every 30 days until day 90 after delivery. The teeth of stillborn, postnatally dead, and surviving offspring (now approximately 4 years old) were evaluated. None of the offspring in the 0 and 30 ng/kg groups (n=17 and 15, respectively) had tooth abnormalities, whereas 10 of 17 in the 300 ng/kg had them. These findings suggest the lowest-observed adverse-effect level (LOAEL) for TCDD in the rhesus monkey is between 30 and 300 ng/kg, and probably is close to that for rodents (86 ng/kg) on which the current TDI was based. It is reasonable to conclude that the current TDI needs no immediate modification.

Two-generation reproductive toxicity studies in rats with extra parameters for detecting endocrine disrupting activity: introductory overview of results for nine chemicals.

Two-generation reproductive toxicity studies using rats of benzophenone, n-butylbenzene, butyl benzyl phthalate, 2,4-dichlorophenol, dicychlohexyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, 4-nitrotoluene, lindane and vinclozolin, were performed to investigate whether these chemicals have endocrine-mediated effects with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment. Benzophenone exposure was via the diet at concentrations of 0, 100, 450 or 2000 ppm, n-butylbenzene was administered orally by gavage at dose levels of 0, 30, 100 or 300 mg/kg/day, butyl benzyl phthalate was administered orally by gavage at dose levels of 0, 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg/day, 2,4-dichlorophenol was administered in the diet at concentrations of 0, 500, 2000 or 8000 ppm, dicyclohexyl phthalate was given in the diet at concentrations of 0, 240, 1200 or 6000 ppm, diethyl phthalate was administered in the diet at concentrations of 0, 600, 3000 or 15000 ppm, 4-nitrotoluene was administered orally by gavage at doses of 0, 40, 80, or 160 mg/kg/day, lindane exposure was in the diet at concentrations of 0, 10, 60, or 300 ppm, and vinclozolin treatment was by feeding diet at concentrations of 0, 40, 200 or 1000 ppm.

Neurotoxic damage of granule cells in the dentate gyrus and the cerebellum and cognitive deficit following neonatal administration of phenytoin in mice.

The use of antiepileptic drugs during human gestation probably increases the risk of causing CNS disorders in later life. In brain, granule cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) and cerebellum are still developing in the last trimester of human gestation and a similar development is taking place during the mouse perinatal period. We treated newborn C57BL/6 mice orally with 35 mg/kg phenytoin (PHT) daily during postnatal days (PD) 5 to 14. Histopathological investigation revealed that the layer of mature granule cells in the DG that was immunoreactive to anti-calbindin D28k was thinner in PHT-treated mice. Purkinje cells in the treated group also had poor, immature arbors with an irregular arrangement. A number of TUNEL-positive cells were observed in the DG and cerebellum during the treatment. PHT-treated mice were impaired in the acquisition of a hidden platform task in the water maze and committed significantly more errors during the learning process in theradial arm maze. These findings demonstrate that neonatal administration of PHT interferes with the development of granule cells in the hippocampus and the cerebellum and causes spatial leaning deficits in later life. Cautious clinical use of this drug for pregnant patients is warranted, especially in the last trimester.

The Ontogeny of Thymic Myoid Cells in the Chicken: (chick/thymus/myoid cells/development/immunohistochemistry).

The ontogeny of thymic myoid cells in the chick was studied electron microscopically and immunohistochemically. An anticreatine kinase antibody which reacts specifically to skeletal muscle cells was used. This antibody reacts only to myoid cells in the thymus. Myoid cells were found in the medulla or in the interlobular region, though the number of the myoid cells was small. Immunohistochemically, myoid cells were detected on the 18th day of incubation. Mature myoid cells showed clear cross striations after immunohistochemical staining around the time of hatching. Electron microscopically, myoid cells were detectable on the 19th day of incubation. The discrepancy between immunohistochemical and electron microscopical detection may be due to the low number of myoid cells.

In utero and lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induces disruption of glands of the prostate and fibrosis in rhesus monkeys.

We investigated the effects that 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure has on the prostate in rhesus monkey offspring. Dams received 0, 30 or 300 ng/kg TCDD subcutaneously on Day 20 of gestation, and then 5% of the initial dose was injected every 30 days until Day 90 after delivery. The offspring were maintained until reaching sexual maturity, and examined histopathologically. Dose-dependent decreases in glands of the prostate and widespread fibrosis were observed in offspring. It is noteworthy that 7 years from the final lactational TCDD exposure, inflammatory cell infiltration and disruption of glands of the prostate were still observed. Differential mRNA expression associated with fibrosis, inflammatory response and disruption of cell components were demonstrated by microarray analysis, with up-regulation of TGM4, TGFB1, COL1A1 and MMP2 confirmed. In conclusion, in utero and lactational exposure to TCDD induced dose-related prostatic fibrosis, indicating prostatic dysfunction and inducible semen quality reduction in second-generation rhesus monkeys.

In utero and lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induces a reduction in epididymal and ejaculated sperm number in rhesus monkeys.

A long-term developmental toxicity study of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure was performed in rhesus monkeys and the effect on male reproductive organs was determined in the second generation. Dams received 0, 30 or 300 ng/kg TCDD subcutaneously on Day 20 of gestation, and then 5% of the initial dose was injected every 30 days until Day 90 after delivery. The offspring were maintained until reaching sexual maturity, and evaluated by semen analysis, and histopathology of the testes and epididymides. Ejaculated sperm concentration was severely reduced at 300 ng/kg, and sperm viability and activity were dose-proportionally reduced, although effects on spermatogenesis were slight. Histomorphometry revealed markedly reduced area of the ductus epididymis accompanying decreased reserved sperm in the 30 and 300 ng/kg groups. In conclusion, in utero and lactational exposure to TCDD induced a reduction of sperm quality in rhesus monkeys.

Comparative study of aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligand activities of six chemicals in vitro and in vivo.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligand activities of six known AhR ligands were compared in vivo and in vitro. The in vivo ligand activity was estimated in terms of induction of cytochrome P450 1A1/2 activities, i.e., ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (EROD) and methoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (MROD) activities, and in vitro ligand activity was evaluated with a recombinant yeast reporter gene assay. The test chemicals were 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), beta-naphthoflavone (beta-NF), indirubin, indigo, 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) and diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPPD). The first four showed potent AhR ligand activity in vitro, comparable with that of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, while DIM and DPPD showed weaker activity. Administration of MC and beta-NF to mice caused significant induction of EROD and MROD activities, while indirubin, indigo and DIM also induced these activities, but less potently. DPPD also induced the activities, but was toxic at higher doses. These enhancing effects were lost or greatly reduced in Ahr-null mice (Ahr (-/-)). Our results suggest that EROD and MROD activity assays are useful for evaluating the AhR ligand activity of chemicals in vivo, where the biodynamics of the chemicals plays an important role.

Identification and characterization of a novel Pyk2/related adhesion focal tyrosine kinase-associated protein that inhibits alpha-synuclein phosphorylation.

alpha-Synuclein is a presynaptic protein involved in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. Pyk2/related adhesion focal tyrosine kinase (RAFTK) tyrosine kinase is an upstream regulator of Src family kinases in the central nervous system that is involved in alpha-synuclein phosphorylation. The present study reports the cloning and characterization of a novel adaptor protein, Pyk2/RAFTK-associated protein (PRAP), that specifically binds to Pyk2/RAFTK and inhibits alpha-synuclein tyrosine phosphorylation. PRAP contains a coiled-coil domain, a pleckstrin homology domain, and a SH3 domain; the SH3 domain binds to the proline-rich domain of Pyk2/RAFTK. PRAP was observed to be present throughout the brain, including substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons, in which it localized to the cytoplasm. PRAP was found to function as a substrate for Src family kinases, such as c-Src or Fyn, but not for Pyk2/RAFTK. Hyperosmotic stress induced phosphorylation of tyrosine 125 of alpha-synuclein via Pyk2/RAFTK, which acted through Src family kinases. Such phosphorylation was inhibited by PRAP expression, suggesting that PRAP negatively regulates alpha-synuclein phosphorylation following cell stress. In conclusion, PRAP functions as a downstream target for Pyk2/RAFTK and plays a role in alpha-synuclein phosphorylation.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated induction of microsomal drug-metabolizing enzyme activity by indirubin and indigo.

Indirubin and indigo, which are thought to be natural ligands for aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), showed marked AhR ligand activities in a reporter gene assay using recombinant yeast. Their activities were comparable with or more potent than that of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. When indirubin and indigo were administered to mice, ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase and methoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase activities in the liver were increased, but subsequently decreased within 2 days. Indirubin was more potent than indigo. Levels of cytochrome P450 1A1/2 proteins and mRNAs in the liver of mice dosed with indirubin were also enhanced. These enhancing effects of indirubin and indigo were not observed in AhR knock-out mice. Ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase and methoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase activities in rat hepatocytes and HepG2 cells were enhanced by the addition of indirubin or indigo, but less potently than by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. Indigocarmine, a sulfate derivative of indigo, which is used as food additive, did not show these inducing effects on drug-metabolizing enzymes. Our results suggest that indirubin and indigo act as inducers for cytochrome P450 1A1/2 mediated by AhR in mammals in vivo.