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Energy metabolism and biotransformation as endpoints to pre-screen hepatotoxicity using a liver spheroid model.

The current study investigated liver spheroid culture as an in vitro model to evaluate the endpoints relevant to the status of energy metabolism and biotransformation after exposure to test toxicants. Mature rat liver spheroids were exposed to diclofenac, galactosamine, isoniazid, paracetamol, m-dinitrobenzene (m-DNB) and 3-nitroaniline (3-NA) for 24 h. Pyruvate uptake, galactose biotransformation, lactate release and glucose secretion were evaluated after exposure. The results showed that pyruvate uptake and lactate release by mature liver spheroids in culture were maintained at a relatively stable level. These endpoints, together with glucose secretion and galactose biotransformation, were related to and could reflect the status of energy metabolism and biotransformation in hepatocytes. After exposure, all of the test agents significantly reduced glucose secretion, which was shown to be the most sensitive endpoint of those evaluated. Diclofenac, isoniazid, paracetamol and galactosamine reduced lactate release (P <0.01), but m-DNB increased lactate release (P <0.01). Diclofenac, isoniazid and paracetamol also reduced pyruvate uptake (P <0.01), while galactosamine had little discernible effect. Diclofenac, galactosamine, paracetamol and m-DNB also reduced galactose biotransformation (P <0.01), by contrast, isoniazid did not. The metabolite of m-DNB, 3-NA, which served as a negative control, did not cause significant changes in lactate release, pyruvate uptake or galactose biotransformation. It is concluded that pyruvate uptake, galactose biotransformation, lactate release and glucose secretion can be used as endpoints for evaluating the status of energy metabolism and biotransformation after exposure to test agents using the liver spheroid model to pre-screen hepatotoxicity.

Animals↗

Application of in vitro biotransformation data and pharmacokinetic modeling to risk assessment.

The adverse biological effects of toxic substances are dependent upon the exposure concentration and the duration of exposure. Pharmacokinetic models can quantitatively relate the external concentration of a toxicant in the environment to the internal dose of the toxicant in the target tissues of an exposed organism. The exposure concentration of a toxic substance is usually not the same as the concentration of the active form of the toxicant that reaches the target tissues following absorption, distribution, and biotransformation of the parent toxicant. Biotransformation modulates the biological activity of chemicals through bioactivation and detoxication pathways. Many toxicants require biotransformation to exert their adverse biological effects. Considerable species differences in biotransformation and other pharmacokinetic processes can make extrapolation of toxicity data from laboratory animals to humans problematic. Additionally, interindividual differences in biotransformation among human populations with diverse genetics and lifestyles can lead to considerable variability in the bioactivation of toxic chemicals. Compartmental pharmacokinetic models of animals and humans are needed to understand the quantitative relationships between chemical exposure and target tissue dose as well as animal to human differences and interindividual differences in human populations. The data-based compartmental pharmacokinetic models widely used in clinical pharmacology have little utility for human health risk assessment because they cannot extrapolate across dose route or species. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models allow such extrapolations because they are based on anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. In PBPK models, the compartments represent organs or groups of organs and the flows between compartments are actual blood flows. The concentration of a toxicant in a target tissue is a function of the solubility of the toxicant in blood and tissues (partition coefficients), blood flow into the tissue, metabolism of the toxicant in the tissue, and blood flow out of the tissue. The appropriate degree of biochemical detail can be added to the PBPK models as needed. Comparison of model simulations with experimental data provides a means of hypothesis testing and model refinement. In vitro biotransformation data from studies with isolated liver cells or subcellular fractions from animals or humans can be extrapolated to the intact organism based upon protein content or cell number. In vitro biotransformation studies with human liver preparations can provide quantitative data on human interindividual differences in chemical bioactivation. These in vitro data must be integrated into physiological models to understand the true impact of interindividual differences in chemical biotransformation on the target organ bioactivation of chemical contaminants in air and drinking water.

Air Pollutants↗

Characterization of rumen bacterial pyrrolizidine alkaloid biotransformation in ruminants of various species.

An in vitro assay was used to examine biotransformation of toxic Senecio jacobaea pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) in ovine, bovine, and caprine rumen contents. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography, and the rates of the alkaloid biotransformation were determined. The microbiological "Most Probable Numbers" technique was also used, in combination with thin-layer chromatography, to estimate relative numbers of rumen PA-biotransforming bacteria in the same samples. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids were biotransformed at average rates of 2.9 micrograms/ml/h (bovine), 25.6 micrograms/ml/h (caprine), and 19.2 micrograms/ml/h (ovine). Estimates of numbers of PA-biotransforming bacteria were 1.1 x 10(7) bacteria/ml rumen contents (bovine), 2.4 x 10(7) bacteria/ml (caprine), and 3.0 x 10(7) bacteria/ml (ovine). This project is among the first to quantitate rates of PA biotransformation in rumen contents and to identify caprine and bovine, in addition to ovine, rumen PA-biotransforming activity, as well as to estimate the actual numbers of PA-biotransforming bacteria in rumen contents.

Animals↗

Intracellular biotransformation of platinum compounds with the 1,2-diaminocyclohexane carrier ligand in the L1210 cell line.

We have previously reported the development of a two-column high performance liquid chromatography system for separation of platinum(II) complexes with the 1,2-diaminocyclohexane (DACH) carrier ligand (Mauldin et al., Anal. Biochem., 157: 129, 1986). Here we report the application of this technique to the study of the intracellular biotransformations of (DL)-trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexanemalonatoplatinum(II) [PtCl2(trans-DACH)] and (DL)-trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexanemalonatoplatinum(II) [Pt(mal)(trans-DACH)] in the L1210 cell line. The two-column high performance liquid chromatography system allowed separation and identification of both parent drugs and intracellular biotransformation products containing glutathione, methionine, cysteine, arginine, lysine, aspartate or glutamate, and serine or threonine. With the exception of the platinum-glutathione complex, the relative abundance of each biotransformation product was independent of drug concentration. The relative abundance of the platinum-glutathione biotransformation product increased with increasing platinum concentration, suggesting that platinum drugs cause an increase in intracellular glutathione levels in a dose-dependent manner. This hypothesis was verified by direct measurement of intracellular glutathione levels. In continuous uptake experiments, the intracellular levels of the parent compounds peaked between 2 and 5 h and declined to negligible levels by 24 h. In pulse-chase experiments, the chemical t1/2 for PtCl2(trans-DACH) and Pt(mal)(trans-DACH) inside the cell at 37 degrees C was determined to be 12-15 and 21-28 min, respectively. This is far shorter than previously determined rates for the displacement of either ligand in vitro. The platinum-amino acid complexes accumulated gradually throughout the 24-h incubation. The free trans-DACH carrier ligand also accumulated to a level approaching 20% of filterable counts during the 24-h incubation, probably due to trans-labilization of the carrier ligand by sulfur-containing nucleophiles. A combination of reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography and a DNA binding assay was used to identify and quantitate the reactive biotransformation products. As expected from previous studies (Mauldin et al., Cancer Res., 46: 2876, 1986), the PtCl2(trans-DACH)-treated cells had approximately 3 times more reactive platinum biotransformation product at early times, but the levels of reactive biotransformation product fell much more rapidly than in Pt(mal)(trans-DACH)-treated cells. In the PtCl2(trans-DACH)-treated cells, the major reactive biotransformation product was the aquachloro species at all time points tested. In Pt(mal)(trans-DACH)-treated

Animals↗

Role of hemoglobin in the differential biotransformation of glyceryl trinitrate and isosorbide dinitrate by human erythrocytes.

Incubation of 2 X 10(-7) M glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) at 37 degrees C with human red blood cells resuspended in saline resulted in a 73.4 +/- 3.5% (S.D.) elimination of GTN after 10 min. The elimination of GTN was accompanied by the appearance of an equimolar amount of the GTN metabolites. The biotransformation of GTN and another organic nitrate, isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN), was examined in more detail using the 25,000 X g supernatant fraction of human red blood cells (RBC-SF). Incubation of 2 X 10(-7) M GTN or ISDN at 37 degrees C with RBC-SF resulted in a 46.3 +/- 7.3% (S.D.) elimination of GTN after 40 min and a 51.8 +/- 5.9% (S.D.) elimination of ISDN after 240 min. The elimination of the parent organic nitrate was accompanied by the appearance of an equimolar amount of metabolites. The biotransformation of ISDN was inhibited completely by pretreatment of the RBC-SF with trypsin, N-ethylmaleimide or heating at 65 degrees C, whereas GTN biotransformation was only inhibited partially by these treatments. Biotransformation of GTN was inhibited partially by pretreatment of the RBC-SF with CO or potassium ferricyanide; these treatments had no effect on ISDN biotransformation. Treatment of the RBC-SF with the combination of N-ethylmaleimide plus CO or trypsin plus CO resulted in complete inhibition of GTN biotransformation. We conclude that ISDN biotransformation by erythrocytes is a sulfhydryl-dependent enzymatic process, whereas the biotransformation of GTN is due to a combination of a sulfhydryl-dependent enzymatic process and an interaction with reduced hemoglobin.

Adult↗

Biotransformations of oxaliplatin in rat blood in vitro.

The partitioning and biotransformations of oxaliplatin [trans-l-1,2-diaminocyclohexaneoxalatoplatinum(II)] were investigated in the blood of Wistar male rats in vitro. [3-H]-Oxaliplatin was incubated with rat blood at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2 and the concentrations of all Pt complexes containing the [3-H]-dach carrier ligand were followed for up to 12 hours. Decay for both oxaliplatin and Pt-dach in the plasma ultrafiltrate (PUF) was rapid (t 1/2 oxaliplatin = 0.68 h and t 1/2 for Pt-dach in the PUF = 0.85 h). After 9 hours, the concentration of oxaliplatin fell below the detection limit. By 4 hours, the PUF-Pt-dach reached a plateau, which was 12% of total Pt-dach. The binding of Pt-dach to red blood cells (RBCs) and plasma proteins was also very rapid (t 1/2 RBCs = 0.58 h and t 1/2 plasma proteins = 0.78 h) and reached equilibrium by 4 hours. At equilibrium, 35% of total Pt-dach was bound to plasma proteins, 12% was in the plasma ultrafiltrate, and 53% was found associated with RBCs. Of the Pt-dach associated with RBCs, 23% was bound to the RBC membrane, 58% was bound to RBC cytosolic proteins, and 19% was in the RBC cytosol ultrafiltrate. Thus, these studies confirm previous observations of oxaliplatin accumulation by rat RBCs. To better characterize the determinants of this accumulation, oxaliplatin and other Pt-dach complexes were compared with respect to both their uptake by rat RBCs and their partition coefficients in octanol and water. The rank order for the rate of uptake was ormaplatin approximately Pt(dach)Cl2 > oxaliplatin > Pt(dach)(mal); while the rank order for hydrophobicity was ormaplatin > Pt(dach)Cl2 > Pt(dach)(mal) > oxaliplatin. Thus, in general, Pt-dach complexes appeared to be taken up better by RBCs than cisplatin or carboplatin, and the hydrophobicity of most of the Pt-dach complexes appeared to correlate with uptake. However, factors other than the dach carrier ligand and hydrophobicity clearly influence uptake. The biotransformations of oxaliplatin in rat blood were characterized utilizing reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). In the RBC cytosol, both oxaliplatin and Pt(dach)Cl2 were observed at early times, while Pt(dach)(GSH)2, Pt(dach)(Cys)2, Pt(dach)(GSH), and free dach accumulated and reached steady-state levels by 4 hours. Thus, in the RBC cytosol, only chemically unreactive biotransformation products such as free dach and Pt-dach complexes with cysteine and glutathione accumulated in significant amounts. Furthermore, only Pt(dach)(Cys)2 and free dach appeared to efflux from RBCs. Thus, RBCs do not appear to serve as a reservoir for cytotoxic Pt-dach complexes. Finally, the biotransformation products of oxaliplatin in the plasma were identified as Pt(dach)Cl2, Pt(dach)(Cys)2, Pt(dach)(GSH), Pt(dach)(Met), Pt(dach)(GSH)2, and free dach. Among these compounds, Pt(dach)Cl2 formed transiently, while Pt(dach)(Cys)2, Pt(dach)(Met), and free dach accumulated and were the major biotransformation products by 4 hours. Thus, this study has identified the major inert and reactive biotransformation products of oxaliplatin in both plasma and RBCs and thus provides the information required for detailed pharmacokinetic and biotransformation studies of oxaliplatin. [figure in text]

Animals↗

Effect of phenobarbital pretreatment on in vitro enzyme kinetics and in vivo biotransformation of benzene in the rat.

Phenobarbital pretreatment (50 mg/kg/day for 3 days orally) of male Wistar rats increased Vmax of benzene in vitro hepatic microsomal biotransformation about 6-fold without changing Km. However, benzene blood levels after oral, intraperitoneal, or subcutaneous benzene administration (3-3.5 mmoles/kg) were not influenced by phenobarbital pretreatment. The phenol blood levels after oral or intraperitoneal benzene were increased by phenobarbital pretreatment, but less than expected from in vitro data and only 3 h after benzene administration. Phenol elimination in urine after subcutaneous benzene was not affected by phenobarbital. After oral or intraperitoneal benzene administration, phenol urine excretion closely followed the levels of phenol in blood, i.e., rate of phenol urine excretion was significantly, but shortly increased, and the cumulative urine excretion of phenol increased very little or remained unchanged. Differences between the in vitro and in vivo observations of the effect of phenolbarbital on benzene biotransformation may partly be explained by distribution of benzene, which apparently limited benzene availability for biotransformation (Vd = 5.5) and caused rapid decrease of benzene concentrations in blood. Conditions for enzyme activity may have been substantially different in vitro vs. in vivo: in vitro concentrations of benzene were at least by an order of magnitude higher than phenol concentrations, while in vivo, an opposite relation prevailed making a competition for microsomal monooxygenase possible. Cofactor availability may be another rate-limiting step or factor of in vivo benzene biotransformation, as benzene ring hydroxylation requires high energy. The rate of in vitro hepatic microsomal benzene biotransformation proved to be of limited value when predicting benzene quantitative biotransformation in vivo in contradistinction to various substrates where the in vitro and in vivo biotransformation data are in good agreement.

Administration, Oral↗

Comparative neurotoxicity of oxaliplatin, ormaplatin, and their biotransformation products utilizing a rat dorsal root ganglia in vitro explant culture model.

PURPOSE: Neurotoxicity is one of the major toxicities of platinum-based anticancer drugs, especially oxaliplatin and ormaplatin. It has been postulated that biotransformation products are likely to be responsible for the toxicity of platinum drugs. In our preceding pharmacokinetic study, both oxaliplatin and ormaplatin were observed to produce the same types of major plasma biotransformation products. However, while the plasma concentration of ormaplatin was much lower than that of oxaliplatin at an equimolar dose, one of their common biotransformation products, Pt(dach)Cl2, was present at 29-fold higher concentrations in the plasma following the i.v. injection of ormaplatin than of oxaliplatin. Because ormaplatin has severe neurotoxicity and Pt(dach)Cl2 is very cytotoxic, we have postulated that Pt(dach)Cl2 is likely to be responsible for the differences in neurotoxicity between ormaplatin and oxaliplatin. In order to test this hypothesis, we compared the neurotoxicity of oxaliplatin, ormaplatin, and their biotransformation products. Since the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) have been suggested to be the likely targtet for platinum drugs and in vitro DRG explant cultures have been suggested to be a valid model for studying cisplatin-associated neurotoxicity, our comparative neurotoxicity study was conducted with DRG explant cultures in vitro. METHODS: Based on the previous studies of cisplatin neurotoxicity, we established our in vitro DRG explant culture utilizing DRGs dissected from E-19 embryonic rats. Rat DRGs were incubated for 30 min with different platinum compounds to mimic in vivo exposure conditions; this was by followed by a 48-h incubation in culture medium at 37 degrees C. At the end of the incubation, the neurites were fixed and stained with toluidine blue, and neurite outgrowth was quantitated by phase-contrast microscopy. The inhibition of neurite outgrowth by platinum compounds was used as an indicator of in vitro neurotoxicity. Since an in vivo study has indicated that the order of neurotoxicity is ormaplatin > cisplatin > oxaliplatin > carboplatin as measured by morphometric changes to rat DRGs, we initially validated our DRG explant culture model by comparing the in vitro neurotoxicity of ormaplatin, cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and carboplatin. After observing the same neurotoxicity rank between this study and a previous in vivo study, we further compared the neurotoxicity of oxaliplatin, ormaplatin, and their biotransformation products including Pt(dach)Cl2, Pt(dach)(H2O)Cl, Pt(dach)(H2O)2, Pt(dach)(Met), and Pt(dach)(GSH) utilizing the DRG explant culture model. RESULTS: Our study indicated that Pt(dach)Cl2 and its hydrolysis products were more potent at inhibiting neurite outgrowth than the parent drugs oxaliplatin and ormaplatin. In contrast, no detectable inhibition of neurite outgrowth was observed for DRGs dosed with Pt(dach)(Met) and Pt(dach)(GSH). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that biotransformation products such as Pt(dach)Cl2 and its hydrolysis products are more neurotoxic than the parent drugs oxaliplatin and ormaplatin. The different neurotoxicity profiles of oxaliplatin and ormaplatin are more likely due to the different plasma concentrations of their common biotransformation product Pt(dach)Cl2 than to differences in their intrinsic neurotoxicity.

Animals↗

Human liver microsomal cytochrome P450 3A isozymes mediated vindesine biotransformation. Metabolic drug interactions.

Vindesine biotransformation was investigated using a bank of human liver microsomes. The drug was converted into one major metabolite (M) upon incubation with the microsomes. Large interindividual variations were observed: vindesine biotransformation rates ranged from 1.2 to 12.9 pmol/min/mg protein. Vindesine metabolic processes followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics: Km = 24.7 +/- 9.4 microM, Vmax = 1.5 +/- 0.8 nmol/min/mg protein. The involvement of human cytochrome P450 3A isozymes in vindesine metabolism was demonstrated by: (1) competitive inhibition of vindesine biotransformation by compounds known to be specifically metabolized by human cytochrome P450 3A. Apparent Ki values were 3.6, 17.9 and 19.8 microM for quinidine, troleandomycin and erythromycin, respectively; (2) immunoinhibition of vindesine metabolism by polyclonal anti-P450 3A antibody; (3) significant correlation between immunoquantified P450 3A and vindesine biotransformation (r = 0.800, P < 0.001); and (4) significant correlation between erythromycin N-demethylase activity, which was supported by P450 3A in humans, and vindesine biotransformation (r = 0.853, P < 0.001). Other vinca alkaloids also exerted an inhibitory effect on vindesine biotransformation with apparent Ki values of 3.8, 10.6 and 19.2 microM for vinblastine, vincristine and navelbine, respectively, suggesting a possible involvement of the same cytochrome subfamily in their hepatic metabolism. Moreover, a number of anticancer drugs currently associated with the vinca alkaloids, such as teniposide, etoposide, doxorubicin, lomustine, folinic acid and mitoxantrone, significantly inhibited vindesine biotransformation.

Adult↗

Nociceptin in vitro biotransformation in human blood.

In vitro biotransformation of a newly sequenced neuropeptide of 17 amino acid residues, named nociceptin and orphanin FQ by two separate research groups, was studied in human blood using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. Processing was carried out in freshly drawn blood incubated at 37 degrees C for various time periods. It was found that cleavage at peptide linkage Phe1-Gly2 was the predominant biotransformation pathway. Nociceptin (2-17) was the major biotransformation product. Further processing also occurred with the formation of a variety of minor biotransformation products. Cleavages at basic amino acid residues were observed, although these were not major biotransformation pathways found under these in vitro experimental conditions. Biotransformation of nociceptin followed a similar pattern to that of another neuropeptide, the endogenous opioid dynorphin A(1-17), but it appeared that nociceptin was more resistant to biotransformation in human blood in vitro than dynorphin A(1-17).

Adult↗

Differential biotransformation of dynorphin A (1-17) and dynorphin A (1-13) peptides in human blood, ex vivo.

The biotransformation in human blood in vitro of three dynorphin A (Dyn A) peptides was studied by matrix assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry to determine whether the natural peptide, Dyn A(1-17), is biotransformed differently from Dyn A (1-13), the natural sequence shortened form used in numerous neurobiological and pharmacological studies. In addition to studies of Dyn A(1-17), a natural product from prodynorphin and Dyn A(1-13), a natural sequence truncation of Dyn A(1-17), Dyn A(1-10)amide, a synthetic analogue of Dyn A(1-17) presumed to be protected from rapid biotransformation was also studied Synthetic Dyn A peptides were incubated in freshly drawn blood for various periods of time prior to mass spectrometric analysis. Several peptide products were identified from each precursor; the time profiles of appearance and disappearance of the major products were followed. Substantial differences in products and especially in the rate of biotransformation were observed between the processing of Dyn A(1-17) and the two shorter Dyn A peptides, Dyn A(1-13) and Dyn A(1-10)amide. Significant amounts of the natural Dyn A(1-17) survived 4 h of incubation (half-life 3 h). Dyn A (2-17), a major processed product of Dyn A(1-17) in blood, continued to accumulate during the 4-h incubation period. By contrast, both Dyn A(1-13) and Dyn A(1-10) amide were biotransformed very rapidly with half-lives of < 1 min and 10 min, respectively. Most of the products from these two peptide precursors were also further processed rapidly, with the exception of Dyn A(4-12) and Dyn A(4-10)amide, which were detected for over 2 h. Dyn A(1-6) was found as a minor biotransformation product from all three precursor peptides. These findings suggest that an important function of the four C-terminal amino acid residues of the natural form, Dyn A(1-17) [compared to Dyn A(1-13)], is to stabilize or protect the peptide from biotransformation by enzymes, by preserving a natural hairpin structure possibly near the carboxyl-terminus.

Adult↗

Species differences in testicular and hepatic biotransformation of 2-methoxyethanol.

Biotransformation of 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME) by alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases is an established factor in the toxicity of this useful solvent. Little is known about potential capacity for 2-ME biotransformation by testis or other target tissues. We detected appreciable capacity for 2-ME biotransformation by alcohol dehydrogenase in testes from Sprague-Dawley rats. However, kinetic analysis showed a 6-fold lower affinity for 2-ME by alcohol dehydrogenase of testis compared to liver. 2-ME biotransformation was also detected in testes from Wistar rats and one strain of mice but not in testes from hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats or humans. Testes from all these species readily converted the aldehyde metabolite of 2-ME to 2-methoxyacetic acid. Hepatic capacities for 2-ME biotransformation by alcohol dehydrogenase varied from 22 to 2.5 mumol/mg prot/min with a species rank order of: hamsters >> rats = mice > guinea pigs = rabbits. There was no consistent concordance between activities for 2-ME versus ethanol, the prototype substrate for alcohol dehydrogenase, which could reflect substrate preferences of different isozymes. Species differences between rats and hamsters were also found for testicular and hepatic biotransformation of the glycol ethers, 2-ethoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol. Although species differences in capacity for 2-ME biotransformation were found, the observations do not provide an explanation for reported species and strain differences in susceptibility to 2-ME toxicity.

Adult↗

Predicting biotransformation potential from molecular structure.

The program PASS-BioTransfo is presented, which is capable of predicting many classes of biotransformation for chemical compounds. A particular class of biotransformation is defined by the chemical transformation type and may additionally include the name of the enzyme involved in a transformation. An evaluation of the approach is presented, using biotransformations taken from the databases Metabolite (MDL) and Metabolism (Accelrys), respectively. When trained with biotransformations from Metabolite, PASS-BioTransfo predicts 1927 classes of biotransformation; the average accuracy estimated in LOO cross-validation is about 88%. After training with the biotransformations from the Metabolism database, 178 classes of biotransformation are predicted with an average accuracy of about 85%. The results of cross-prediction with several training and evaluation sets are presented and discussed.

Animals↗

Organochlorine compounds in Lake Superior: chiral polychlorinated biphenyls and biotransformation in the aquatic food web.

The enantiomeric composition of seven chiral PCB congeners was measured in the Lake Superior aquatic food web sampled in 1998, to determine the extent of enantioselective biotransformation in aquatic biota. All chiral PCB congeners studied (CBs 91, 95, 136, 149, 174, 176, and 183) biomagnified in the Lake Superior aquatic food web, based on biomagnification and food web magnification factors greater than unity. PCB atropisomers were racemic in phytoplankton and zooplankton, suggesting no biotransformation potential toward PCBs for these low trophic level organisms. However, Diporeia and mysids had significantly nonracemic residues for most chiral congeners studied. This observation suggests that these macrozooplankton can stereoselectively metabolize chiral congeners. Alternatively, macrozooplankton obtained nonracemic residues from feeding on organic-rich suspended particles and sediments, which would imply that stereoselective microbial PCB biotransformation may be occurring in Lake Superior sediments at PCB concentrations far lower than that previously associated with such activity. Widely nonracemic PCB residues in forage fish (lake herring, rainbow smelt, and slimy sculpin) and lake trout suggest a combination of both in vivo biotransformation and uptake of nonracemic residues from prey for these species. Minimum biotransformation rates, calculated from enantiomer mass balances between predators and prey, suggest metabolic half-lives on the order of 8 yr for CB 136 in lake trout and 2.6 yr for CB 95 in sculpins. This result suggests that significant biotransformation may occur for metabolizable PCB congeners over the lifespan of these biota. This study highlights the potential of chiral analysis to study biotransformation processes in food webs.

Animals↗

Bioaccumulation, biotransformation, and metabolite formation of fipronil and chiral legacy pesticides in rainbow trout.

To assess the fate of current-use pesticides, it is important to understand their bioaccumulation and biotransformation by aquatic biota. We examined the dietary accumulation and enantioselective biotransformation of the chiral current-use pesticide fipronil, along with a mixture of selected chiral [alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH), heptachlor epoxide (HEPX), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) 84, 132, 174, o,p'-DDT, and o,p'-DDD] and nonchiral (p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD) organochlorine compounds in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fish rapidly accumulated all compounds, as measured in the carcass (whole body minus liver and GI tract) during the 32 d uptake phase, which was followed by varying elimination rates of the chemicals (half-lives (t1/2s) ranging from 0.6 d for fipronil to 77.0 d for PCB 174) during the 96 d depuration period. No biotransformation was observed for alpha-HCH, HEPX, PCB 174, o,p'-DDT, or o,p'-DDD based on consistent enantiomeric fractions (EFs) in the fish and their t1/2s falling on a log K(ow)--log t1/2 relationship established for recalcitrant contaminants in fish. p,p'-DDT and PCBs 84 and 132 were biotransformed based on the former's t1/2 position below the log K(ow)--log t1/2 relationship, and the PCBs change in EF. Fipronil was rapidly biotransformed, based on a change in EF, a t1/2 that fell below the log K(ow)--log t1//2 relationship, which accounted for 88% of its elimination, and the rapid formation of fipronil sulfone, a known metabolite. Fipronil sulfone was found to persist longer (t1/2 approximately 2 d) than its parent compound fipronil (t1/2 approximately 0.6 d) and needs to be considered in fate studies of fipronil. This research demonstrates the utilities of the log K(ow)--log t1/2 relationship as a mechanistic tool for quantifying biotransformation and of chiral analysis to measure biotransformation in fish.

Animals↗

Measuring and modelling VOC biotransformation rates.

A new protocol was used to determine biotransformation rate coefficients for volatile organic compounds in activated sludge systems. The values obtained from the protocol were compared to biotransformation rates obtained from a pilot plant. It was seen that biotransformation rates were easier to obtain from the protocol. Observations also showed that acclimation of the microorganisms to the volatile organic compounds did not change the biotransformation rates. The experimental conditions were then modelled using TOXCHEM+, a mechanistic model to predict volatile organic compound behaviour. The TOXCHEM+ predictions, using system default biotransformation rates, compared favourably with the low biotransformation rates measured by the protocol for bromoform and the chlorinated compounds, while under predicting the biotransformation rates for the non-chlorinated volatile organic compounds.

Biotransformation↗

Major phase I biotransformation pathways of Trichostatin a in rat hepatocytes and in rat and human liver microsomes.

Phase I biotransformation of Trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor with promising antifibrotic and antitumoral properties, was investigated in rat and human liver microsomes and in suspensions of rat hepatocytes. TSA (50 micro M) was readily and completely metabolized by rat hepatocytes in suspension (2 x 10(6) cells/ml), whereafter its phase I metabolites were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography and detected with simultaneous UV and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). ESI tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) was used to identify the metabolites. Two major phase I biotransformation pathways in rat hepatocytes were shown to be N-demethylation and reduction of the hydroxamic acid function to its corresponding amide. N-monodemethylated TSA and TSA amide were preferentially formed during the first 20 min of exposure, and N-monodemethylated TSA amide appeared as the main metabolite after a 30 min incubation period. At this time, virtually all TSA had been metabolized. Trichostatic acid, N-monodemethylated Trichostatic acid, and N-didemethylated TSA were identified as minor metabolites. Longer incubation led to the formation of N-didemethylated TSA amide as the main metabolite. Lower concentrations of TSA (5 and 25 micro M) formed relatively higher amounts of N-demethylated, nonreduced metabolites. Incubations of TSA with rat and human microsomal suspensions, however, led to an incomplete biotransformation with the formation of two major metabolites, N-mono- and N-didemethylated TSA. Traces of Trichostatic acid, TSA amide, N-mono- and N-didemethylated TSA amide were also detected. This study is the first to show that TSA undergoes intensive phase I biotransformation in rat hepatocytes. This has important consequences for its potential development as a drug, since rapid biotransformation resulting in a short exposure to the pharmacologically active parent compound, and a complex mixture of metabolites is usually not desired. Further biotransformation studies of TSA and structural analogs with antitumoral and antifibrotic properties need to be performed in cultured intact hepatocytes, in particular since one of the major phase I biotransformation pathways is catalyzed by nonmicrosomal enzymes.

Animals↗

Differential biotransformation of the enantiomers of isoidide dinitrate in isolated rat aorta.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the D-enantiomer of isoidide dinitrate (IIDN) is 10-fold more potent than the L-enantiomer for relaxation and cyclic GMP accumulation in isolated rat aorta. To test whether preferential biotransformation of D-IIDN to a species that activates guanylate cyclase is the basis for this observed enantioselectivity, paired segments of rat aorta were exposed to D- and L-IIDN and the tissue accumulation of the parent compound and the formation of their respective metabolites (D- and L-isoidide mononitrate, IIMN) were determined. The extent of relaxation of rat aorta following exposure to 2 microM D-IIDN was greater than that by L-IIDN over a 5-minute time course, and this was associated with a higher rate of D-IIDN biotransformation to D-IIMN at all time points. In addition, the rate of D-IIDN biotransformation was greater than that of L-IIDN at most IIDN concentrations tested. By contrast, the amount of D- and L-IIDN in the tissue was the same at all time points and concentrations tested, indicating that selective uptake of D-IIDN into blood vessels did not occur. When tissues were made tolerant to organic nitrate-induced relaxation by treatment with a high concentration of glyceryl trinitrate, the biotransformation of both D- and L-IIDN was attenuated. This suggests that mechanism-based biotransformation may be affected during tolerance development. Furthermore, the association of preferential D-IIDN biotransformation with its greater potency for vasodilation and cyclic GMP accumulation suggests than an enantioselective site for biotransformation is an important component of organic nitrate-induced vasodilation.

Animals↗