Inferring Alcoholism SNPs and Regulatory Chemical Compounds Based on Ensemble Bayesian Network.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The disturbance of consciousness is one of the most common symptoms of those have alcoholism and may cause disability and mortality. Previous studies indicated that several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) increase the susceptibility of alcoholism. In this study, we utilized the Ensemble Bayesian Network (EBN) method to identify causal SNPs of alcoholism based on the verified GAW14 data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We built a Bayesian network combining random process and greedy search by using Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 (GAW14) dataset to establish EBN of SNPs. Then we predicted the association between SNPs and alcoholism by determining Bayes' prior probability. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Thirteen out of eighteen SNPs directly connected with alcoholism were found concordance with potential risk regions of alcoholism in OMIM database. As many SNPs were found contributing to alteration on gene expression, known as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), we further sought to identify chemical compounds acting as regulators of alcoholism genes captured by causal SNPs. Chloroprene and valproic acid were identified as the expression regulators for genes C11orf66 and SALL3 which were captured by alcoholism SNPs, respectively.

Kinetic modeling of beta-chloroprene metabolism: II. The application of physiologically based modeling for cancer dose response analysis.

beta-Chloroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene; CD), which is used in the synthesis of polychloroprene, caused significant incidences of several tumor types in B6C3F1 mice and Fischer rats, but not in Wistar rats or Syrian hamsters. This project investigates the relevance of the bioassay lung tumor findings to human health risk by developing a physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) model and exploring a tissue specific exposure-dose-response relationship. Key steps included identification of the plausible genotoxic mode of action, experimental quantification of tissue-to-air partition coefficients, scaling of in vitro parameters of CD metabolism for input into the PBTK model, comparing the model with in vivo experimental gas uptake data, selecting an appropriate tissue dosimetric, and predicting a corresponding human exposure concentration. The total daily milligram amount of CD metabolized per gram of lung was compared with the animal bioassay response data, specifically combined bronchiolar adenoma/carcinoma. The faster rate of metabolism in mouse lung agreed with the markedly greater incidence of lung tumors compared with the other rodent species. A lung tissue dose was predicted for the combined rodent lung tumor bioassay data at a 10% benchmark response. A human version of the PBTK model predicted that the lung tissue dose in humans would be equivalent to continuous lifetime daily exposure of 23 ppm CD. PBTK model sensitivity analysis indicated greater dependence of model predictions of dosimetry on physiological than biochemical parameters. The combined analysis of lung tumor response across species using the PBTK-derived internal dose provides an improved alternative to default pharmacokinetic interspecies adjustments for application to human health risk assessment.

Kinetic modeling of beta-chloroprene metabolism: I. In vitro rates in liver and lung tissue fractions from mice, rats, hamsters, and humans.

Beta-chloroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene, CD) is carcinogenic by inhalation exposure to B6C3F1 mice and Fischer F344 rats but not to Wistar rats or Syrian hamsters. The initial step in metabolism is oxidation, forming a stable epoxide (1-chloroethenyl)oxirane (1-CEO), a genotoxicant that might be involved in rodent tumorigenicity. This study investigated the species-dependent in vitro kinetics of CD oxidation and subsequent 1-CEO metabolism by microsomal epoxide hydrolase and cytosolic glutathione S-transferases in liver and lung, tissues that are prone to tumor induction. Estimates for Vmax and Km for cytochrome P450-dependent oxidation of CD in liver microsomes ranged from 0.068 to 0.29 micromol/h/mg protein and 0.53 to 1.33 microM, respectively. Oxidation (Vmax/Km) of CD in liver was slightly faster in the mouse and hamster than in rats or humans. In lung microsomes, Vmax/Km was much greater for mice compared with the other species. The Vmax and Km estimates for microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity toward 1-CEO ranged from 0.11 to 3.66 micromol/h/mg protein and 20.9 to 187.6 microM, respectively, across tissues and species. Hydrolysis (Vmax/Km) of 1-CEO in liver and lung microsomes was faster for the human and hamster than for rat or mouse. The Vmax/Km in liver was 3 to 11 times greater than in lung. 1-CEO formation from CD was measured in liver microsomes and was estimated to be 2-5% of the total CD oxidation. Glutathione S-transferase-mediated metabolism of 1-CEO in cytosolic tissue fractions was described as a pseudo-second order reaction; rates were 0.0016-0.0068/h/mg cytosolic protein in liver and 0.00056-0.0022 h/mg in lung. The observed differences in metabolism are relevant to understanding species differences in sensitivity to CD-induced liver and lung tumorigenicity.

Results of NTP-sponsored mouse cytogenetic studies on 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, and chloroprene.

Studies were conducted to determine the cytotoxic and cytogenetic effects of 1,3-butadiene and two structural analogs, chloroprene and isoprene, in the bone marrow cells of B6C3F1 mice exposed to the chemicals by inhalation. In one study, animals were exposed to 1,3-butadiene concentrations of 6.25, 62.5, or 625 ppm 6 hr/day on 10 exposure days and in the second study, to the same concentrations on weekdays for 13 weeks. Chloroprene and isoprene treatments involved 6 hr/day exposures on 12 exposure days at concentrations of 0, 12, 32, 80, and 200 ppm for chloroprene and 0, 438, 1750, and 7000 ppm for isoprene. In the 10-day study, 1,3-butadiene induced significant increases in sister chromatid exchange (SCE) at 6.25 ppm, micronuclei at 62.5 ppm, and chromosomal aberrations at 625 ppm. In the 13-week study, the frequency of micronucleated normochromatic erythrocytes in the peripheral blood was significantly elevated in all exposure groups including the 6.25-ppm group. Isoprene induced both SCE and micronuclei, whereas chloroprene gave negative results for all cytogenetic end points assessed in bone marrow cells.

[Functional value of the pancreatic microtransplant in rats after intraductal injection of chloroprene]. / Contribution à l'étude de la valeur fonctionnelle du microtransplant pancréatique de rat après injection intra-canalaire de chloroprène.

Microsurgery permits the carrying out of pancreatic isografts in inbred rats. By this experimental pattern, it is possible to study the technical problems of pancreatic transplantation without interference from the immune reaction. The research of suppressing exocrine function in the graft by intraductal chloroprene injection and the study of the short-term effects of this procedure on endocrine function of the pancreas are the aim of this work. These experiments show that injection of chloroprene into the main pancreatic duct is an effective method of selective suppression of pancreatic exocrine function without interference with endocrine function. This procedure prevents the high mortality and morbidity which characterizes the other procedures with pancreatic juice derivation.

Biochemical and hematological evaluation of chloroprene workers.

Swedish and Russian investigators have reported a variety of biochemical and hematological alterations in choloroprene-exposed workers. In view of their findings, an evaluation of the biochemical and hematological status of active chloroprene workers at a Du Pont Company plant was undertaken. The distributions of biochemical and hematological values of 336 currently exposed and 227 previously exposed chloroprene workers were compared to those of 283 workers never exposed to chloroprene. The comparative analysis did no indicate or suggest that chloroprene workers have biochemical or hematological alterations, or both, of medical significance. Some of the biochemical and hematological alterations cited by other researchers were investigated in the current study. Of those alterations investigated, none were found among the current cohort of chloroprene-exposed workers.

Threshold levels in toxicology: significance of inactivation mechanisms.

Metabolic inactivation of chemicals may prevent toxic effects of reactive intermediates when present at low levels whereas inactivation may be overcome at high levels changing dose-effect relation. This is demonstrated in various in vitro test systems: a) Monooxygenase-mediated metabolism causes formation of reactive oxygen species which induce DNA repair in lymphoblastoid cells. DNA damage is suppressed in the presence of glutathione (GSH), catalase or superoxide dismutase. b) Chloroprene is mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium but not carcinogenic, possibly due to inactivation by GSH-conjugations. c) Chlorodinitrobenzene is not mutagenic is Salmonella typhimurium in the presence of GSH. However it is increasingly mutagenic at concentrations exceeding those of the GSH. d) Suppression of glucuronidation and sulfation in isolated hepatocytes highly increases irreversible binding of naphthalene. It is concluded that information on the metabolism of chemicals is essential for interpretation of toxicity studies in animals and their relevance to man.

Permeation of glove materials by physiologically harmful chemicals.

The breakthrough times and permeation rates of 1,4-dichloro-2-butene, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, and 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene for eleven commercially available gloves were determined. Four methods of determining the breakthough time and permeation rate were evaluated. A wide variation in the glove material thickness and protection time was found showing that the adequate protection time can only be determined by testing the proposed glove with the chemicals to be handled.

Mutagenicity of vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride and chloroprene in V79 Chinese hamster cells.

The mutagenicity of vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride (1,1-dichloroethylene) and chloroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene) was tested in V79 Chinese hamster cells in the presence of a 15 000 x g liver supernatant from phenobarbitone-pre-treated rats and mice. Mutations in terms of 8-azaguanine and ouabain resistance were induced in a dose-related fasion by exposure to vapour of vinyl chloride in the presence of liver supernatant from phenobarbitone-pretreated rats. Vapours of vinylidene chloride and chloroprene induced a dose-related toxicity in the presence of liver supernatant from phenobarbitone-retreated rats, but these two compounds were not mutagenic in V79 Chinese hamster cells under the present assay conditions. The results are discussed with regard to the metabolic activation of the compounds and to the correlation with their carcinogenicity in man and experimental animals.

[In vitro malignant transformation of hamster lung cells by 2-chlorobutadiene]. / Transformation in vitro de cellules de poumons de jeunes hamsters par le chloro-2 butadiène (CB).

Normal Hamster lung cells from an established line were treated with 1-500 microgram . ml-1 2-chlorobutadiene. Those treated with 1 microgram . ml-1 of the compound showed malignant transformations 14 weeks after treatment. The treatment with higher concentrations did not accelerate the transformation process.