Two-year carcinogenicity studies with the oral direct thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran in the rat and the mouse.

The results of 18 months mouse and 24 months rat carcinogenicity studies with the oral direct thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran are presented. In the mouse, gavage doses of ximelagatran up to 180 µmol/kg per d produced no neoplastic changes in any of the tissues examined. In the rat, gavage doses up to 240 µmol/kg per d produced multiple macroscopically detectable nodules in the pancreas, which are seen to be focal/multifocal acinar cell hyperplasia and focal/multifocal acinar cell adenoma upon histological evaluation. There were no other treatment-related effects on tumor incidence or distribution in the rat. The studies show a clear species difference in pancreatic effects between the rat and the mouse to long-term treatment with ximelagatran.

An analysis of pharmaceutical experience with decades of rat carcinogenicity testing: support for a proposal to modify current regulatory guidelines.

Data collected from 182 marketed and nonmarketed pharmaceuticals demonstrate that there is little value gained in conducting a rat two-year carcinogenicity study for compounds that lack: (1) histopathologic risk factors for rat neoplasia in chronic toxicology studies, (2) evidence of hormonal perturbation, and (3) positive genetic toxicology results. Using a single positive result among these three criteria as a test for outcome in the two-year study, fifty-two of sixty-six rat tumorigens were correctly identified, yielding 79% test sensitivity. When all three criteria were negative, sixty-two of seventy-six pharmaceuticals (82%) were correctly predicted to be rat noncarcinogens. The fourteen rat false negatives had two-year study findings of questionable human relevance. Applying these criteria to eighty-six additional chemicals identified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as likely human carcinogens and to drugs withdrawn from the market for carcinogenicity concerns confirmed their sensitivity for predicting rat carcinogenicity outcome. These analyses support a proposal to refine regulatory criteria for conducting a two-year rat study to be based on assessment of histopathologic findings from a rat six-month study, evidence of hormonal perturbation, genetic toxicology results, and the findings of a six-month transgenic mouse carcinogenicity study. This proposed decision paradigm has the potential to eliminate over 40% of rat two-year testing on new pharmaceuticals without compromise to patient safety.

Regulation of human CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 in transgenic mice: influence of castration, testosterone, and growth hormone.

The hormonal regulation of human CYP2C18 and CYP2C19, which are expressed in a male-specific manner in liver and kidney in a mouse transgenic model, was examined. The influence of prepubertal castration in male mice and testosterone treatment of female mice was investigated, as was the effect of continuous administration of growth hormone (GH) to transgenic males. Prepubertal castration of transgenic male mice suppressed the expression of CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 in liver and kidney to female levels, whereas expression was increased for the endogenous female-specific mouse hepatic genes Cyp2c37, Cyp2c38, Cyp2c39, and Cyp2c40. Testosterone treatment of female mice increased CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 expression in kidney, and to a lesser extent in liver, but was without effect in brain or small intestine, where gene expression was not gender-dependent. Continuous GH treatment of transgenic males for 7 days suppressed hepatic expression of CYP2C19 (>90% decrease) and CYP2C18 ( approximately 50% decrease) but had minimal effect on the expression of these genes in kidney, brain, or small intestine. Under these conditions, continuous GH induced all four female-specific mouse liver Cyp2c genes in males to normal female levels. These studies indicate that the human CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 genes contain regulatory elements that respond to the endogenous mouse hormonal profiles, with androgen being the primary regulator of male-specific expression in kidney, whereas the androgen-dependent pituitary GH secretory pattern is the primary regulator of male-specific expression in liver in a manner that is similar to the regulation of the endogenous gender-specific hepatic genes.

Few alterations in clinical pathology and histopathology observed in a CYP2C18&19 humanized mice model.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to characterize a gene-addition transgenic mouse containing a BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) clone spanning the human CYP2C18&19 genes (tg-CYP2C18&19). METHODS: Hemizygous tg-CYP2C18&19, 11 week old mice were compared with wild-type littermates to obtain information regarding clinical status, clinical pathology and anatomical pathology. After one week of clinical observations, blood samples were collected, organs weighed, and tissues collected for histopathology. RESULTS: In males, the tissue weights were lower in tg-CYP2C18&19 than in wild-type mice for brain (p < or = 0.05), adrenal glands (p < or = 0.05) and brown fat deposits (p < or = 0.001) while the heart weight was higher (p < or = 0.001). In female tg-CYP2C18&19, the tissue weights were lower for brain (p < or = 0.001) and spleen (p < or = 0.001) compared to wild-type females. Male tg-CYP2C18&19 had increased blood glucose levels (p < or = 0.01) while females had decreased blood triglyceride levels (p < or = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Despite the observed alterations, tg-CYP2C18&19 did not show any macroscopic or microscopic pathology at the examined age. Hence, these hemizygous transgenic mice were considered to be viable and healthy animals.

Generation of mice transgenic for human CYP2C18 and CYP2C19: characterization of the sexually dimorphic gene and enzyme expression.

CYP2C19 is an important enzyme for human drug metabolism, and it also participates in the metabolism of endogenous substrates, whereas the CYP2C18 enzyme is not expressed in human liver despite high mRNA expression. Mice transgenic for the human CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 genes were generated. Quantitative mRNA analysis showed CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 transcripts in liver, kidneys, and heart to be expressed in a sexually dimorphic manner, with male mice having 2- to 100-fold higher levels. Transcript levels in the small intestine were somewhat higher than liver but were similar in both sexes. Transgene mRNA expression was much lower in lung and brain and least in the heart. Immunoblotting using an antipeptide antiserum, reactive with human CYP2Cs and mouse CYP2C70, revealed increased immunoreactive protein in liver microsomes from heterozygous transgenic male mice and a concomitant increase in 5'-hydroxylation of R-omeprazole and S-mephenytoin intrinsic clearance, consistent with CYP2C19 overexpression. A CYP2C18-specific antiserum showed that this enzyme was not expressed in livers or kidneys from heterozygous transgenic mice, but the antiserum had high affinity for recombinant CYP2C18 expressed in COS-7 cells. It is concluded that 1) both the CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 genes are subject to sexually dimorphic regulation in murine liver, kidney, and heart; 2) the CYP2C18 protein is not expressed in murine liver or kidney despite high levels of the corresponding mRNA; and 3) this transgenic model may be suitable for studying sex-dependent regulation of the human CYP2C genes and possibly serve as an in vivo model for CYP2C19-dependent drug metabolism.

Phenotypic screening of hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) 4-gamma receptor knockout mice.

Using the mouse as a model organism in pharmaceutical research presents unique advantages as its physiology in many ways resembles the human physiology, it also has a relatively short generation time, low breeding and maintenance costs, and is available in a wide variety of inbred strains. The ability to genetically modify mouse embryonic stem cells to generate mouse models that better mimic human disease is another advantage. In the present study, a comprehensive phenotypic screening protocol is applied to elucidate the phenotype of a novel mouse knockout model of hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) 4-gamma. HNF4-gamma is expressed in the kidneys, gut, pancreas, and testis. The first level of the screen is aimed at general health, morphologic appearance, normal cage behaviour, and gross neurological functions. The second level of the screen looks at metabolic characteristics and lung function. The third level of the screen investigates behaviour more in-depth and the fourth level consists of a thorough pathological characterisation, blood chemistry, haematology, and bone marrow analysis. When compared with littermate wild-type mice (HNF4-gamma(+/+)), the HNF4-gamma knockout (HNF4-gamma(-/-)) mice had lowered energy expenditure and locomotor activity during night time that resulted in a higher body weight despite having reduced intake of food and water. HNF4-gamma(-/-) mice were less inclined to build nest and were found to spend more time in a passive state during the forced swim test.

Quantitation of the cancer process in C57BL/6J, B6C3F1 and C3H/HeJ mice.

This study examines growth alterations in liver foci and tumor development as a basis for the different susceptibility in hepatocarcinogenesis found among different strains of mice. Male C57, B6C3F1, and C3H mice treated with a single dose (1 mg/kg) of N,N-diethylnitrosamine (DEN) at 15 days of age and followed up to 12 months displayed a strain-dependent (C3H > B6C3F1 > C57) increase in incidence, number, volume fraction, and size of foci and macroscopic lesions (masses). DEN-treated mice exhibited a time-dependent increase in foci size but not in foci number. Phenobarbital (PB) treatment (500 ppm) in the drinking water starting 2 weeks after DEN-initiation did not affect the incidence or number of masses and foci. In all 3 strains, the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index in foci correlated with foci growth, supporting the major role of cell proliferation in foci growth. Measurements of apoptosis by morphological criteria with H&E staining suggest that intrafocal apoptosis may be a late event preventing foci growth and possibly also promoting focal cell selection, whereas extrafocal apoptosis may facilitate clonal growth by removing adjacent normal cells. The onset of conversion of foci to masses also correlated with strain susceptibility to hepatocarcinogenesis.