Effects of Space Flight on Mouse Liver versus Kidney: Gene Pathway Analyses.

Understanding genome wide, tissue-specific, and spaceflight-induced changes in gene expression is critical to develop effective countermeasures. Transcriptome analysis has been performed on diverse tissues harvested from animals flown in space, but not the kidney. We determined the genome wide gene expression using a gene array analysis of kidney and liver tissue from mice flown in space for 12 days versus ground based control animals. By comparing the transcriptome of liver and kidney from animals flown in space versus ground control animals, we tested a unique hypothesis: Are there common gene expression pathways activated in multiple tissue types in response to spaceflight stimuli? Although there were tissue-specific changes, both liver and kidney overexpressed genes in the same four areas: (a) cellular responses to peptides, hormones, and nitrogen/organonitrogen compounds; (b) apoptosis and cell death; (c) fat cell differentiation and (d) negative regulation of protein kinase.

Physical Forces Modulate Oxidative Status and Stress Defense Meditated Metabolic Adaptation of Yeast Colonies: Spaceflight and Microgravity Simulations.

Baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) has broad genetic homology to human cells. Although typically grown as 1-2mm diameter colonies under certain conditions yeast can form very large (10 + mm in diameter) or 'giant' colonies on agar. Giant yeast colonies have been used to study diverse biomedical processes such as cell survival, aging, and the response to cancer pharmacogenomics. Such colonies evolve dynamically into complex stratified structures that respond differentially to environmental cues. Ammonia production, gravity driven ammonia convection, and shear defense responses are key differentiation signals for cell death and reactive oxygen system pathways in these colonies. The response to these signals can be modulated by experimental interventions such as agar composition, gene deletion and application of pharmaceuticals. In this study we used physical factors including colony rotation and microgravity to modify ammonia convection and shear stress as environmental cues and observed differences in the responses of both ammonia dependent and stress response dependent pathways We found that the effects of random positioning are distinct from rotation. Furthermore, both true and simulated microgravity exacerbated both cellular redox responses and apoptosis. These changes were largely shear-response dependent but each model had a unique response signature as measured by shear stress genes and the promoter set which regulates them These physical techniques permitted a graded manipulation of both convection and ammonia signaling and are primed to substantially contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of drug action, cell aging, and colony differentiation.

Is nitrous oxide a genotoxic carcinogen?

Nitrous oxide (N2O) has been widely used as a dental and surgical anaesthetic for over 150 years. However, results from a recent study suggested that increased DNA damage was seen in lymphocytes from surgical patients and this led to its continued clinical use to be questioned. The data can be challenged on technical grounds and must be considered with other studies in order to assess any possible risk. There are other studies indicating that N2O has weak genotoxicity in man, but these are confused by exposure of the populations to other anaesthetic gases including isoflurane and sevoflurane, both of which have also been reported to increase DNA damage. It should be noted that the suggested genotoxic mechanisms are all indirect, including folate deficiency, oxidative stress and homocysteine toxicity. Further, results from in vitro studies indicate that N2O has no direct DNA reactivity as negative results were obtained in a bacterial mutation (Ames) test and an assay for mutation at the hprt locus in Chinese hamster lung cells. Although not performed to definitive study designs, no evidence of carcinogenicity was seen in two long-term tests in mice and another in rats. Although there is some evidence that N2O is weakly genotoxic in humans, this appears to be similar to that reported for isoflurane and sevoflurane and all the postulated mechanisms have clear thresholds with no evidence of direct DNA reactivity. Because any potential genotoxic mechanism would have a threshold, it seems reasonable to conclude that neither occasional high exposure to patients as an anaesthetic nor low-level exposure to staff within published recommended exposure limits presents any significant carcinogenic risk.

Role of Shear Stress on Renal Proximal Tubular Cells for Nephrotoxicity Assays.

Drug-induced nephrotoxicity causes huge morbidity and mortality at massive financial cost. The greatest burden of drug-induced acute kidney injury falls on the proximal tubular cells. To maintain their structure and function, renal proximal tubular cells need the shear stress from tubular fluid flow. Diverse techniques to reintroduce shear stress have been studied in a variety of proximal tubular like cell culture models. These studies often have limited replicates because of the huge cost of equipment and do not report all relevant parameters to allow reproduction and comparison of studies between labs. This review codifies the techniques used to reintroduce shear stress, the cell lines utilized, and the biological outcomes reported. Further, we propose a set of interventions to enhance future cell biology understanding of nephrotoxicity using cell culture models.

Cell spinpods are a simple inexpensive suspension culture device to deliver fluid shear stress to renal proximal tubular cells.

Rotating forms of suspension culture allow cells to aggregate into spheroids, prevent the de-differentiating influence of 2D culture, and, perhaps most importantly of all, provide physiologically relevant, in vivo levels of shear stress. Rotating suspension culture technology has not been widely implemented, in large part because the vessels are prohibitively expensive, labor-intensive to use, and are difficult to scale for industrial applications. Our solution addresses each of these challenges in a new vessel called a cell spinpod. These small 3.5 mL capacity vessels are constructed from injection-molded thermoplastic polymer components. They contain self-sealing axial silicone rubber ports, and fluoropolymer, breathable membranes. Here we report the two-fluid modeling of the flow and stresses in cell spinpods. Cell spinpods were used to demonstrate the effect of fluid shear stress on renal cell gene expression and cellular functions, particularly membrane and xenobiotic transporters, mitochondrial function, and myeloma light chain, cisplatin and doxorubicin, toxicity. During exposure to myeloma immunoglobulin light chains, rotation increased release of clinically validated nephrotoxicity cytokine markers in a toxin-specific pattern. Addition of cisplatin or doxorubicin nephrotoxins reversed the enhanced glucose and albumin uptake induced by fluid shear stress in rotating cell spinpod cultures. Cell spinpods are a simple, inexpensive, easily automated culture device that enhances cellular functions for in vitro studies of nephrotoxicity.

Effects of spaceflight on murine skeletal muscle gene expression.

Spaceflight results in a number of adaptations to skeletal muscle, including atrophy and shifts toward faster muscle fiber types. To identify changes in gene expression that may underlie these adaptations, we used both microarray expression analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction to quantify shifts in mRNA levels in the gastrocnemius from mice flown on the 11-day, 19-h STS-108 shuttle flight and from normal gravity controls. Spaceflight data also were compared with the ground-based unloading model of hindlimb suspension, with one group of pure suspension and one of suspension followed by 3.5 h of reloading to mimic the time between landing and euthanization of the spaceflight mice. Analysis of microarray data revealed that 272 mRNAs were significantly altered by spaceflight, the majority of which displayed similar responses to hindlimb suspension, whereas reloading tended to counteract these responses. Several mRNAs altered by spaceflight were associated with muscle growth, including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit p85alpha, insulin response substrate-1, the forkhead box O1 transcription factor, and MAFbx/atrogin1. Moreover, myostatin mRNA expression tended to increase, whereas mRNA levels of the myostatin inhibitor FSTL3 tended to decrease, in response to spaceflight. In addition, mRNA levels of the slow oxidative fiber-associated transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-associated receptor (PPAR)-gamma coactivator-1alpha and the transcription factor PPAR-alpha were significantly decreased in spaceflight gastrocnemius. Finally, spaceflight resulted in a significant decrease in levels of the microRNA miR-206. Together these data demonstrate that spaceflight induces significant changes in mRNA expression of genes associated with muscle growth and fiber type.

Transcriptional regulation of changes in growth, cell cycle, and gene expression of Saccharomyces cerevisiae due to changes in buoyancy.

To understand the cellular effects of magnetic traps requires independent analysis of the effects of magnetic field, gravity, and buoyancy. In the current study, buoyancy is manipulated by addition of Ficoll, a viscous substance that can create gradients of buoyancy without significantly affecting osmolality. Specifically, we investigated whether Ficoll induces concentration dependent changes in cell growth, cell cycle, and gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with special attention paid to the neutrally buoyant concentration of 35% Ficoll. Cell growth and cell cycle analysis were examined in three strains: wild-type (WT) yeast and strains with deletions in transcription factors Msn4 (Msn4Delta) or Sfp1 (Sfp1Delta). Changes in growth were observed in all three strains with WT and Msn4Delta strains showing strong concentration dependence. In addition, these changes in growth were supported by changes in the cell cycle of all three strains. Gene expression changes were observed in seven GFP-reporter strains including: SSA4, YIL052C, YST2, Msn4DeltaSSA4, Sfp1DeltaSSA4, Msn4DeltaYIL052C, and Sfp1DeltaYIL052C. Buoyancy forces had selective concentration dependent effects on gene expression of SSA4 and YIL052C with transcription factor dependence on Msn4. Additionally, SSA4 expression was dependent on Sfp1. YST2 gene expression was not dependent on changes in buoyancy force. This study shows that buoyancy has selective and concentration dependent effects on growth, cell cycle and gene expression, some of which are Msn4 and Sfp1 dependent. For the first time, SSA4 gene expression is shown to be dependent on Sfp1 and YIL052C gene expression is dependent on Msn4.

Hepatocyte CYP2B6 Can Be Expressed in Cell Culture Systems by Exerting Physiological Levels of Shear: Implications for ADME Testing.

Cytochrome 2B6 (CYP2B6) has substantial clinical effects on morbidity and mortality and its effects on drug metabolism should be part of hepatotoxicity screening. Examples of CYP2B6's impacts include its linkage to mortality during cyclophosphamide therapy and its role in determining hepatotoxicity and CNS toxicity during efavirenz therapy for HIV infection. CYP2B6 is key to metabolism of many common drugs from opioids to antidepressants, anesthetics, and anticonvulsants. But CYP2B6 has been extremely difficult to express in cell culture, and as a result, it has been largely deemphasized in preclinical toxicity studies. It has now been shown that CYP2B6 expression can be supported for extended periods of time using suspension culture techniques that exert physiological levels of shear. New understanding of CYP2B6 has identified five clinically significant genetic polymorphisms that have a high incidence in many populations and that convey a substantial dynamic range of activity. We propose that, with the use of culture devices exerting physiological shear levels, CYP2B6 dependent drug testing, including definition of polymorphisms and application of specific inhibitors, should be a standard part of preclinical absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) testing.

Light chains are a ligand for megalin.

Cubilin and megalin are giant glycoprotein receptors abundant on the luminal surface of proximal tubular cells of the kidney. We showed previously that light chains are a ligand for cubilin. As cubilin and megalin share a number of common ligands, we further investigated the ligand specificity of these receptors. Three lines of evidence suggest that light chains can also bind megalin: 1) anti-megalin antiserum largely displaces brush-border light chain binding and megalin-expressing BN-16 cell uptake more than anti-cubilin antiserum, 2) direct binding studies on isolated proteins using surface plasmon resonance techniques confirm that megalin binds light chains, and 3) light chains compete with known megalin ligands for brush-border membrane binding and BN-16 cell uptake. The megalin-light chain interaction is divalent ion dependent and similar for both kappa- and lambda-light chains. A fit of the data on light chain binding to megalin over a concentration range 0.078-2.5 mg/ml leads to an estimated dissociation constant of 6 x 10(-5) M, corresponding approximately to one light chain-binding site per megalin and in the same range for dissociation constants for cubilin binding. These data suggest that light chains bind the tandem megalin-cubilin complex. Megalin is the major mediator of light chain entry into megalin-expressing membrane such as the apical surface of proximal tubular epithelial cells.

Genes required for survival in microgravity revealed by genome-wide yeast deletion collections cultured during spaceflight.

Spaceflight is a unique environment with profound effects on biological systems including tissue redistribution and musculoskeletal stresses. However, the more subtle biological effects of spaceflight on cells and organisms are difficult to measure in a systematic, unbiased manner. Here we test the utility of the molecularly barcoded yeast deletion collection to provide a quantitative assessment of the effects of microgravity on a model organism. We developed robust hardware to screen, in parallel, the complete collection of ~4800 homozygous and ~5900 heterozygous (including ~1100 single-copy deletions of essential genes) yeast deletion strains, each carrying unique DNA that acts as strain identifiers. We compared strain fitness for the homozygous and heterozygous yeast deletion collections grown in spaceflight and ground, as well as plus and minus hyperosmolar sodium chloride, providing a second additive stressor. The genome-wide sensitivity profiles obtained from these treatments were then queried for their similarity to a compendium of drugs whose effects on the yeast collection have been previously reported. We found that the effects of spaceflight have high concordance with the effects of DNA-damaging agents and changes in redox state, suggesting mechanisms by which spaceflight may negatively affect cell fitness.

Chronic exposure to NMDA receptor and sodium channel blockers during development in monkeys and rats: long-term effects on cognitive function.

The effects of chronic administration of MK-801 (NMDA-receptor antagonist) and remacemide (sodium channel blocker) on monkey learning of several brain function tasks was assessed in juveniles (nine months old). Low (LO) and high (HI) doses of both drugs were given orally each day for 18 months. There were no adverse effects of any treatment on tests of short-term memory or motivation. HI doses of both MK-801 and remacemide delayed acquisition of a visual discrimination task (the remacemide effect was much greater). HI doses of remacemide alone severely disrupted learning task acquisition and this effect lasted for several months after dosing. Thus, in monkeys, chronic blockade of NMDA receptors is relatively well tolerated, whereas blockade of sodium channels (perhaps in conjunction with NMDA receptor blockade) has long-term-perhaps permanent-consequences. To further explore the roles of NMDA receptors and sodium channels in these effects, MK-801, phenytoin (sodium channel blocker), or both were administered to rats and the acquisition of tasks similar to those used in the monkey study were assessed. Dosing began at weaning and continued for nine months. Throughout the study, HI MK-801 subjects exhibited impaired performance in all tasks. Some effects of MK-801 were blocked completely by phenytoin. In the rat, blockade of sodium channels was well tolerated but blockade of NMDA receptors had significant and long-term (permanent?) adverse consequences. These data contrast markedly with those obtained for the monkey and suggest, at least for some drug classes, that the rat might not be a good predictor of effects in primates.

Expression of renal cell protein markers is dependent on initial mechanical culture conditions.

The rotating wall vessel is optimized for suspension culture, with laminar flow and adequate nutrient delivery, but minimal shear. However, higher shears may occur in vivo. During rotating wall vessel cultivation of human renal cells, size and density of glass-coated microcarrier beads were changed to modulate initial shear. Renal-specific proteins were assayed after 2 days. Flow cytometry antibody binding analysis of vitamin D receptor demonstrated peak expression at intermediate shears, with 30% reduction outside this range. Activity of cathepsin C showed the inverse pattern, lowest at midshear, with twofold increases at either extreme. Dipeptidyl-peptidase IV had no shear dependence, suggesting that the other results are specific, not universal, changes in membrane trafficking or protein synthesis. On addition of dextran, which changes medium density and viscosity but not shear, vitamin D receptor assay showed no differences from controls. Neither cell cycle, apoptosis/necrosis indexes, nor lactate dehydrogenase release varied between experiments, confirming that the changes are primary, not secondary to cell cycling or membrane damage. This study provides direct evidence that mechanical culture conditions modulate protein expression in suspension culture.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene expression changes during rotating wall vessel suspension culture.

This study utilizes Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study genetic responses to suspension culture. The suspension culture system used in this study is the high-aspect-ratio vessel, one type of the rotating wall vessel, that provides a high rate of gas exchange necessary for rapidly dividing cells. Cells were grown in the high-aspect-ratio vessel, and DNA microarray and metabolic analyses were used to determine the resulting changes in yeast gene expression. A significant number of genes were found to be up- or downregulated by at least twofold as a result of rotational growth. By using Gibbs promoter alignment, clusters of genes were examined for promoter elements mediating these genetic changes. Candidate binding motifs similar to the Rap1p binding site and the stress-responsive element were identified in the promoter regions of differentially regulated genes. This study shows that, as in higher order organisms, S. cerevisiae changes gene expression in response to rotational culture and also provides clues for investigations into the signaling pathways involved in gravitational response.

The application of in vitro methods to safety pharmacology.

The ICH S7A guideline defines safety pharmacology (SP) studies as those that investigate 'the potential undesirable pharmacodynamic effects of a substance on physiological functions in relation to exposure in the therapeutic range and above', and permits both in vivo and in vitro techniques, as appropriate. The implementation of these ICH guidelines by the pharmaceutical industry--whilst providing a welcome and long overdue clarity into the scientific rationale, timing and regulatory requirements for SP studies--has also generated new challenges, both logistical and scientific, which have a major impact on drug development. These factors have motivated us to consider the introduction of in vitro techniques at an early stage of SP evaluation. Amongst these factors are: the expanded range of study types and physiological parameters to be assessed, the increased 'front-loading' of SP at earlier stages of the drug discovery process; the greater number of new chemical entities (NCEs) to be tested, together with limited compound supply; the condensed time frames for drug development, the higher and quicker throughput of in vitro vs. in vivo tests; the increasing predictability of in vitro tests and application of the '3Rs' rule of animal welfare (reduction, replacement and refinement). Also, there is the failure of traditional in vivo safety evaluation to predict certain clinical side-effects. The use of molecular (e.g. fluorescence and cloned ion channel), cellular (e.g. patch clamp and isolated cardiac cells) and tissue-based (e.g. microelectrodes and Purkinje fibres) methods offers a wide portfolio of novel techniques for SP evaluation of NCEs at a pre-in vivo stage. Thus, innovative in vitro techniques will contribute significantly to the early SP evaluation of NCEs.

Safety pharmacology--a progressive approach.

Although deaths and life-threatening adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in Phase I clinical trials are extremely rare, less severe ADRs occur with an incidence of over 13%. Of the candidate drugs (CDs) that fail prior to marketing, it is generally acknowledged that about 1 in 5 do so because of ADRs in the clinic. Once new chemical entities (NCEs) are on the market, ADRs are estimated to be the fourth leading cause of death in the USA. These various statistics indicate that there is room for improvement in preclinical safety assessment, and a smarter approach to safety pharmacology (SP) can contribute to this. Rather than 'bundling' the SP studies together just prior to Phase I trials, a step-wise, streamlined approach can be adopted throughout the drug discovery process. In this way, the SP information can contribute to making informed judgements at each milestone throughout the preclinical drug discovery process: (i) to assist in series and compound selection; (ii) to assess potential risk of failure in the clinic due to ADRs; (iii) to predict potential ADRs that the clinical pharmacologists can focus on; (iv) to define a therapeutic window for acute dosing in humans. To achieve these objectives, the SP tests need to be carefully selected, adequately validated in-house, and be robust and reliable. To achieve (ii) above, outcome criteria have to be set which, for each test (in vitro and in vivo), take into account acceptable safety margins for the particular therapeutic target. Thus, highly sensitive and predictive SP tests positioned strategically and as early as possible should contribute to reducing attrition during clinical development and ultimately to marketing safer medicines more rapidly.

Effects of microgravity on the virulence of Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Candida albicans, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

To evaluate effects of microgravity on virulence, we studied the ability of four common clinical pathogens--Listeria monocytogenes, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans--to kill wild type Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) nematodes at the larval and adult stages. Simultaneous studies were performed utilizing spaceflight, clinorotation in a 2-D clinorotation device, and static ground controls. The feeding rate of worms for killed E. coli was unaffected by spaceflight or clinorotation. Nematodes, microbes, and growth media were separated until exposed to true or modeled microgravity, then mixed and grown for 48 h. Experiments were terminated by paraformaldehyde fixation, and optical density measurements were used to assay residual microorganisms. Spaceflight was associated with reduced virulence for Listeria, Enterococcus, MRSA, and Candida for both larval and adult C. elegans. These are the first data acquired with a direct in vivo assay system in space to demonstrate virulence. Clinorotation reproduced the effects of spaceflight in some, but not all, virulence assays: Candida and Enterococcus were less virulent for larval worms but not adult worms, whereas virulence of MRSA and Listeria were unaffected by clinorotation in tests with both adult and larval worms. We conclude that four common clinical microorganisms are all less virulent in space.

Selectivity of chlorantraniliprole to parasitoid wasps.

BACKGROUND: Chlorantraniliprole is a novel anthranilic diamide insecticide registered for use in vegetables, fruits, grains and turf against a variety of insect pests. The objective of this article is to summarize results of acute toxicity testing of chlorantraniliprole on seven species of parasitic wasps with wide geographic distribution and relevance to different crops and integrated pest management (IPM) programmes. RESULTS: Tier-1, worst-case laboratory studies evaluated wasp survival and reproduction following different exposure concentrations and scenarios to chlorantraniliprole (i.e. fresh-dried spray deposits on glass plates, direct contact, ingestion, egg card, dipped leaf residue bioassays, sprayed mummies). No statistically significant effects on adult survival, percentage parasitism or emergence were observed following exposures to chlorantraniliprole compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Chlorantraniliprole was harmless to the parasitoid wasp species tested according to IOBC classification criteria (<30% effects) and may be a useful tool in IPM programmes.

Novel Sfp1 transcriptional regulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene expression changes during spaceflight.

This study identifies transcriptional regulation of stress response element (STRE) genes in space in the model eukaryotic organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To determine transcription-factor dependence, gene expression changes in space were examined in strains bearing green fluorescent protein-tagged (GFP-tagged) reporters for YIL052C (Sfp1 dependent with stress), YST-2 (Sfp1/Rap1 dependent with stress), or SSA4 (Msn4 dependent with stress), along with strains of SSA4-GFP and YIL052C-GFP with individual deletions of the Msn4 or Sfp1. When compared to parallel ground controls, spaceflight induces significant gene expression changes in SSA4 (35% decrease) and YIL052C (45% decrease), while expression of YST-2 (0.08% decrease) did not change. In space, deletion of Sfp1 reversed the SSA4 gene expression effect (0.00% change), but Msn4 deletion yielded a similar decrease in SSA4 expression (34% change), which indicates that SSA4 gene expression is dependent on the Sfp1 transcription factor in space, unlike other stresses. For YIL052C, deletion of Sfp1 reversed the effect (0.01% change), and the Msn4 deletion maintained the decrease in expression (30% change), which indicates that expression of YIL052C is also dependent on Sfp1 in space. Spaceflight has selective and specific effects on SSA4 and YIL052C gene expression, indicated by novel dependence on Sfp1.

Metabolic inhibition-induced transient Ca2+ increase depends on mitochondria in a human proximal renal cell line.

During ischemia or hypoxia an increase in intracellular cytosolic Ca(2+) induces deleterious events but is also implicated in signaling processes triggered in such conditions. In MDCK cells (distal tubular origin), it was shown that mitochondria confer protection during metabolic inhibition (MI), by buffering the Ca(2+) overload via mitochondrial Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX). To further assess this process in cells of human origin, human cortical renal epithelial cells (proximal tubular origin) were subjected to MI and changes in cytosolic Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)), Na(+), and ATP concentrations were monitored. MI was accomplished with both antimycin A and 2-deoxyglucose and induced a 3.5-fold increase in [Ca(2+)](i), reaching 136.5 +/- 15.8 nM in the first 3.45 min. Subsequently [Ca(2+)](i) dropped and stabilized to 62.7 +/- 7.3 nM by 30 min. The first phase of the transient increase was La(3+) sensitive, not influenced by diltiazem, and abolished when mitochondria were deenergized with the protonophore carbonylcyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone. The subsequent recovery phase was impaired in a Na(+)-free medium and weakened when the mitochondrial NCX was blocked with 7-chloro-5-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,5-dihydro-4,1-benzothiazepin-2(3H)-one (CGP-37157). Thus Ca(2+) entry is likely mediated by store-operated Ca(2+) channels and depends on energized mitochondria, whereas [Ca(2+)](i) recovery relied partially on the activity of mitochondrial NCX. These results indicate a possible mitochondrial-mediated signaling process triggered by MI, support the hypothesis that mitochondrial NCX has an important role in the Ca(2+) clearance, and overall suggest that mitochondria play a preponderant role in the regulation of responses to MI in human renal epithelial cells.