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Exposure of humans to complex chemical mixtures: hazard identification and risk assessment.

A complex chemical mixture is defined as a mixture that consists of tens, hundreds or thousands of chemicals, and of which the composition is qualitatively and quantitatively not fully known. In contrast, a simple mixture consists of a relatively small number of chemicals, say ten or less, and the composition of which is fully known. In the present paper a number of options for hazard identification and risk assessment of complex chemical mixtures is discussed, and a scheme aimed at selecting the most appropriate approach for each (type of) complex mixture is presented. A conspicuous element of this scheme is the dichotomy of complex mixtures into mixtures that are readily available and mixtures that are virtually unavailable for testing in their entirety. Another characteristic aspect of the scheme is the inclusion of the "top-ten" and "pseudo top-ten" approaches, which in essence are ways to select the, say ten, most risky chemicals or pseudocomponents to be dealt with as a simple chemical mixture.

Drug Interactions↗

Application of the "-Omic-" technologies in phytomedicine.

The proof of efficacy of phytopreparations and the determination of their mode of action are permanent challenges for an evidence-based phytotherapy. The technology platform of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics ("-omic-" technologies) are high-throughput technologies. They increase substantially the number of proteins/genes that can be detected simultaneously and have the potential to relate complex mixtures to complex effects in the form of gene/protein expression profiles. Provided that phytopreparation-specific signatures in the form of gene/protein expression profiles can be developed, these technologies will be useful for the chemical and pharmacological standardization and the proof of the toxicological potential of a plant extract. Over a long-term perspective they may economize the proof of efficacy, the determination of the mode of action of phytomedicines and allow to investigate herbal extracts without prominent active principle(s). The application of this genomics revealed already that gene expression profiles induced by single drugs and the ones induced by the combination of the same drugs can be entirely different. These results make the information of the mode of action of isolated "active principles/lead substances" of phytopreparations questionable. The application of the "-omic-" technologies may lead to a change of paradigms towards the application of complex mixtures in medicine and open the new field of phytogenomics, -proteomics and -metabolomics.

Drug Synergism↗

A semi-automated, microplate version of the SOS Chromotest for the analysis of complex environmental extracts.

Environmental monitoring for genotoxicity requires that a large number of measurements be made across space and time. This requirement demands a rapid and efficient bioassay system. The SOS Chromotest is a rapid, efficient bacterial system for the detection of DNA damaging agents. Over 100 publications have described its use on a variety of samples. Relatively few studies have used the test to examine complex mixtures. Effective testing of complex samples poses a variety of problems. Although solutions have been proposed, few have validated the resulting protocol. In this work we present a semi-automated microplate version of the SOS Chromotest for the examination of complex mixtures. Experiments were conducted to determine the optimal cell concentration, exposure time, substrate conversion time and S9 enzyme concentration. The performance of the method was evaluated using 6 reference genotoxins and 3 complex mixtures. The complex mixtures examined are extracts of diesel particulate matter, urban dust and coal tar. The results obtained indicate that optimal responses often require fewer cells (approximately equal to 5-10 x 10(6) CFU/ml) and a longer exposure (3 h) than that recommended in the original protocol. Interfering effects of colored and turbid samples are removed using centrifugation and initial optical density readings taken 60 min after cell resuspension and lysis. The performance of the established protocol was evaluated using mitomycin C and benzo[a]pyrene results for 207 microplates and solvent control results for 293 microplates. The results indicate that the established method is accurate, sensitive and precise. Coefficient of variation on mean SOSIP values for mitomycin C and benzo[a]pyrene are < 5%. Solvent control data indicate that the standard threshold for determination of a positive response (induction factor > 1.5) is excessively conservative. All liquid transfers were automated using the Biomek automated laboratory workstation. Automation permits a throughput of up to 72 samples per day and maintains excellent precision and accuracy.

Automation↗

Effect of a complex environmental mixture from coal tar containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on the tumor initiation, PAH-DNA binding and metabolic activation of carcinogenic PAH in mouse epidermis.

Human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) occurs through complex mixtures such as coal tar. The effect of complex PAH mixtures on the activation of carcinogenic PAH to DNA-binding derivatives and carcinogenesis were investigated in mice treated topically with NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Standard Reference Material 1597 (SRM), a complex mixture of PAH extracted from coal tar, and either additional benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) or dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P). In an initiation-promotion study using 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate as the promoter for 25 weeks, the SRM and B[a]P co-treated mice had a similar incidence of papillomas per mouse compared with the group exposed to B[a]P alone as the initiator. PAH-DNA adduct analysis of epidermal DNA by 33P-post-labeling and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography found the SRM co-treatment led to a significant decrease in the total level of DNA adducts and B[a]P-DNA adducts to less than that observed in mice treated with B[a]P alone at 6, 12 and 72 h exposure. After 24 and 48 h exposure, there was no significant difference in the levels of adducts between these groups. In the DB[a,l]P initiation-promotion study, the co-treated group had significantly fewer papillomas per mouse than mice treated with DB[a,l]P alone as initiator. Averaging over the times of exposure gave strong evidence that mice co-treated with SRM and DB[a,l]P had a significantly lower level of PAH-DNA adducts than mice treated with DB[a,l]P alone. Western immunoblots showed that both cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 1B1 were induced by the SRM. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that two major factors determining the carcinogenic activity of PAH within a complex mixture are (i) the persistence of certain PAH-DNA adducts as well as total adduct levels, and (ii) the ability of the components present in the mixture to inhibit the activation of carcinogenic PAH by the induced CYP enzymes.

Animals↗

Inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol formation in vitro by complex organic mixtures.

Coal-derived complex organic mixtures [COM] with boiling points greater than or equal to 370 degrees C (greater than or equal to 700 degrees F) are known to inhibit both mouse skin tumor initiation by benzo[a]pyrene [BAP], and BAP-induced bacterial mutagenesis. We have examined the effects of 5 COM, with boiling points of 149-370 degrees C (300-700 degrees F), 370-398 degrees C (700-750 degrees F), 398-426 degrees C (750-800 degrees F), 426-454 degrees C (800-850 degrees F), and greater than 454 degrees C (greater than 850 degrees F), on both the rate and the route of BAP metabolism by rat liver homogenates in vitro. When co-metabolized in 40:1 excess with BAP, all of the COM reduced the rate of BAP metabolism. The 149-370 degrees C (300-700 degrees F) COM reduced the initial rate of BAP metabolism to 34% of the rate for BAP alone, while the four higher-boiling COM reduced it to 6.3-9.3% of the rate for BAP alone. In addition, the 2 highest-boiling COM (426-454 degrees C and greater than 454 degrees C boiling points) were found to reduce the percentage of BAP metabolized to BAP-7,8-diol, in comparison to incubations using BAP alone. The 370-398 degrees C and 398-426 degrees C COM did not alter the percentage of BAP metabolized to BAP-7,8-diol, while the 149-370 degrees C COM increased it. Both the general inhibition of BAP metabolism (by all of the COM), and the specific inhibition of BAP-7,8-diol formation (by the highest-boiling COM) may play a role in the inhibition of formation of BAP-induced skin tumors by these materials.

Animals↗

Comparative studies on polyelectrolyte complexes and mixtures of chitosan-alginate and chitosan-carrageenan as prolonged diltiazem clorhydrate release systems.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the possibility of using mixtures and/or polyelectrolyte complexes from both chitosan-alginate and chitosan-carrageenan as prolonged drug release systems. Different dissolution profiles were obtained by changing the polymer matrix system (chitosan-alginate or chitosan-carrageenan) and the method used to include these polymers into the formulation (physical mixture or polyelectrolyte complex). Drug dissolution profiles from the matrices have been discussed by considering the swelling behavior of the polymers used. The swelling behavior of the chitosan-carrageenan and chitosan-alginate systems was analyzed by using the Hopfenberg model which permits to separate the diffusional contribution, kf, from the relaxational contribution, kr, involved in solvent penetration/sorption in glassy polymers. The chitosan-alginate system is better than the chitosan-carrageenan system as prolonged drug release matrix because the drug release is controlled at low percentage of the polymers in the formulation, the mean dissolution time is high, and different dissolution profiles could be obtained by changing the mode of inclusion of the polymers. Good agreement between td and kf/kr values for the system chitosan-alginate was found, which means that the swelling behavior of the polymers controlled the drug release from the matrix. In the case of the system chitosan-carrageenan, the high capacity of carrageenan promotes the entry of water into the tablet and therefore the main mechanism of drug release would be the disintegration instead of the swelling of the matrix.

Alginates↗

What can we expect from epidemiologic studies of chemical mixtures?

Determining the health risks of complex mixtures is equally daunting to toxicologists using experimental approaches and to epidemiologists using observational approaches. Accurate exposure estimation is essential in investigating the health consequences of exposures to chemical mixtures; random and non-random errors in exposure estimation typically blunt the sensitivity of epidemiologic studies and constrain interpretation of findings. On the other hand, epidemiologic data have the implicit strength of directly addressing risks of exposures in human populations and, for this reason, the findings of epidemiologic research have received prominence in the development of regulations. Epidemiologic studies have proved informative about many complex mixtures including cigarette smoke, diesel exhaust, and even the human diet, perhaps one of the most complex mixtures to which we are exposed. The continued interest in studying complex chemical mixtures is emphasized by this and other recent meetings directed at the topic. The variety of approaches used by epidemiologists in approaching complex mixtures reflects the difficulty of exposure estimation. Five general strategies can be identified, each with differing underlying assumptions and yielding results with distinct implications from biological and public health perspectives. These include treating the mixture as though it were a single agent, using a single component as a surrogate for the mixture, creating a summary index involving multiple components, attempting to estimate independent effects of individual components, and characterizing the independent and joint effects of key components of the mixture. These approaches have proved successful in establishing the adverse effects of a number of complex chemical mixtures including mainstream and environmental tobacco smoke and outdoor air pollution. New approaches for exposure assessment, including personal monitoring and biomarkers, should strengthen future epidemiologic investigations of complex chemical mixtures.

Air Pollutants↗

A simple dynamic flow-through exposure system for assessment of biological activity of complex organic mixtures to mammalian cells in vitro.

A system for in vitro exposure of lung epithelial cells and Chinese hamster ovary cells maintained at an air-medium interface to volatile organic compounds has been developed. The system has been used for exposure of cells to phenol (vapor pressure at 40 degrees C = 1.6 mm Hg) and to a complex mixture of organic compounds (vapor pressure range at 32 degrees C = 0.17 to 269 mm Hg). A linear relationship was found between vapor generator air flow rate (0.25 to 1.0 L/min at 39 degrees C) and exposure chamber phenol concentration. The relationship between generator air flow rate (0.5 to 1.0 L/min at 39 degrees C) and concentration of the complex mixture in the exposure chamber was also linear. Gas chromatographic analyses of chamber exhaust indicated that a majority of the compounds present in the crude mixture had been volatilized and made available to the cells in the chamber. This exposure system appears suitable for screening of complex mixtures of volatile organic pollutants for biological activity in mammalian cells in culture.

Air Movements↗

Ultrasonic and IR study of intermolecular association through hydrogen bonding in ternary liquid mixtures.

Complex formation in ternary liquid mixtures of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) with phenol and o-cresol in carbontetrachloride has been studied by measuring ultrasonic velocity at 2 MHz, in the concentration range of 0.019-0.162 (in mole fraction of DMSO) at varying temperatures of 20, 30 and 40 degrees C. Using measured values of ultrasonic velocity, other parameters such as adiabatic compressibility, intermolecular free length, molar sound velocity, molar compressibility, specific acoustic impedance and molar volume have been evaluated. These parameters have been utilized to study the solute-solute interactions in these systems. The ultrasonic velocity shows a maxima and adiabatic compressibility a corresponding minima as a function of concentration for these mixtures. The results indicate the occurrence of complex formation between unlike molecules through intermolecular hydrogen bonding between oxygen atom of DMSO molecule and hydrogen atom of phenol and o-cresol molecules. The excess values of adiabatic compressibility and intermolecular free length have also been evaluated. The variation of both these parameters with concentration also indicates the possibility of the complex formation in these systems. Further, to investigate the presence of O-HO bond complexes and the strength of molecular association with concentrations, the infrared spectra of both the systems, DMSO-phenol and DMSO-o-cresol, have been recorded for various concentrations at room temperature (20 degrees C). The results obtained using infrared spectroscopy for both the systems also support the occurrence of complex formation through intermolecular hydrogen bonding in these ternary liquid mixtures.

Carbon Tetrachloride↗

Temperature- and solvent-dependent binding of dihydrogen in iridium pincer complexes.

Mixtures of deuterium labeled complexes (p-XPOCOP)IrH2-xDx (1-6-d0-2) {POCOP = [C6H2-1,3-[OP(tBu)2]2] X = MeO (1), Me (2), H (3), F (4), C6F5 (5), and ArF = 3,5-(CF3)2-C6H3 (6)} have been generated by reaction of (p-XPOCOP)IrH2 complexes with HD gas in benzene followed by removal of the solvent under high vacuum. Spectroscopic analysis employing 1H and 2D NMR reveals significant temperature and solvent dependent isotopic shifts and HD coupling constants. Complexes 1-6-d1 in toluene and pentane between 296 and 213 K exhibit coupling constants JHD of 3.8-9.0 Hz, suggesting the presence of an elongated H2 ligand, which is confirmed by T1(min) measurements of complexes 1, 3, and 6 in toluene-d8. In contrast, complex 6-d1 exhibits JHD = 0 Hz in CH2Cl2 or CDCl2F whereas isotopic shifts up to -4.05 ppm have been observed by lowering the temperature from 233 to 133 K in CDCl2F. The large and temperature-dependent isotope effects are attributed to nonstatistical occupation of two different hydride environments. The experimental observations are interpreted in terms of a two component model involving rapid equilibration of solvated Ir(III) dihydride and Ir(I) dihydrogen structures.

Binding Sites↗

Mutagenic detection of complex environmental mixtures using the Salmonella/arabinose-resistant assay system.

The mutagenic sensitivity of SV50, the R-factor plasmid containing tester, of the Salmonella/arabinose-resistant assay system has been evaluated with different environmental complex mixtures, including extracts of airborne and diesel emission particles, oil-shale ash, nitrosated coal dust and water samples. The mutagenicities of all extracts were detectable with this assay. This study indicates that the arabinose-resistant assay with SV50 is useful for the detection of the mutagenic activity of environmental complex mixtures.

Air Pollutants↗

Multicomponent internal recalibration of an LC-FTICR-MS analysis employing a partially characterized complex peptide mixture: systematic and random errors.

In high-throughput proteomics, a promising current approach is the use of liquid chromatography coupled to Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (LC-FTICR-MS) of tryptic peptides from complex mixtures of proteins. To apply this method, it is necessary to account for any systematic measurement error, and it is useful to have an estimate of the random error expected in the measured masses. Here, we analyze by LC-FTICR-MS a complex mixture of peptides derived from a sample previously characterized by LC-QTOF-MS. Application of a Bayesian probability model of the data and partial knowledge of the composition of the sample suffice to estimate both the systematic and random errors in measured masses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Potentiation and antagonism of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin effects in a complex environmental mixture.

There is increasing need to understand the toxicity of complex environmental mixtures. The organic phase of a leachate (OPL) from the Love Canal chemical dump site is a complex mixture that contains over 100 organic compounds, including 0.74 ppm 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Mice congenic at the Ah locus were used to evaluate several toxic effects of the OPL, including immune function and hepatic enzyme induction. OPL toxicity was compared with that of pure TCDD in both C57BL/6J Ahb/b and congenic C57BL/6 Ahd/d (B6.D2) mice. Mice were given single oral doses of up to 2 g OPL/kg or 100 micrograms TCDD/kg, immunized, and evaluated after 7 days. The TCDD equivalent of the OPL was determined to be 3.9 and 5.0 ppm in C57BL/6J and B6.D2 mice, respectively. This is six times the TCDD content. The Ah phenotype-dependent response ratio was calculated by dividing the dose required to cause an effect in the B6.D2 strain by the dose causing the same effect in the C57BL/6J strain. Ratios based on both ED50s and the lowest observed adverse effect levels were used to determine whether each adverse effect was Ah phenotype-dependent, the extent to which TCDD contributed to the effect, whether there were interactive effects between the AhR ligands and nonligands and if they were additive, antagonistic, or synergistic, and whether the response was predictable based on the known chemical composition of the mixture. It was concluded that the non-TCDD component potentiated TCDD immune suppression, and possibly thymic atrophy, through AhR mechanisms. In contrast, this analysis indicated that the non-TCDD component of the OPL antagonized the ability of the TCDD component to induce hepatic AHH activity whereas OPL hepatomegaly was caused primarily by the non-TCDD component of the OPL. This study demonstrates that the toxicity of mixtures containing TCDD may not be accurately predicted based on the TCDD content alone and that this approach could be useful in the toxicologic assessment and management of environmental contamination.

Animals↗

A method for the in vitro exposure of human cells to environmental and complex gaseous mixtures: application to various types of atmosphere.

The application of in vitro methods to the analysis of the effects of airborne materials is still limited, because there are no generally accepted concepts and technologies for efficiently exposing adherent growing cells to test atmospheres, especially those comprising complex mixtures of gaseous and particulate phases. The introduction of in vitro research into the field of inhalation toxicology offers a unique possibility for using human cells and tissues for pre-screening studies, thus reducing the necessity for animal experiments, and cutting the numbers of animals used in toxicological testing. We therefore developed a novel experimental concept that uses an exposure device based on the cell cultivation system CULTEX (Patent No. DE 198011763; PCT/EP99/00295). This allowed us to investigate environmental atmospheres, which were chemically and physically unmodified, in an in vitro system, by exposing the target cells directly at the air/liquid interface. The exposure device itself is small and flexible enough to be connected to a variety of aerosol-generating systems without the need for an incubator, as it fulfils all the requirements for maintaining cell viability over a defined period. The general applicability and the sensitivity of this in vitro approach for testing various generated atmospheres under the same cell-exposure conditions were demonstrated by studying dose-dependent cytotoxic effects in human lung epithelial cells exposed to air contaminated with single gases or complex mixtures, such as diesel exhaust fumes and side-stream cigarette smoke.

Adenosine↗

Genetic activity profiles--application in assessing potential carcinogenicity of complex environmental mixtures.

Some knowledge of the potential genetic activity of a complex environmental mixture may be gained from an assessment of the genetic activity of its component chemicals. The expanded genetic activity profile (GAP) data-base provides a computer-generated graphic representation of genetic bioassay data as a function of dose of the substance tested. In addition, the atmospheric chemical compound (ACC) data-base contains information on chemical structures, properties, detection methods and sources of chemicals found in ambient air. Using the combined data-bases, information on the quantity of an individual chemical present within a mixture or fraction of a mixture may be related to the quantity (lowest effective dose; LED) of the chemical required to demonstrate a positive response in one or more genetic bioassays. Alternatively, quantitative information on the carcinogenic potency of each individual compound (TD50 value) may be related to the quantity present in the mixture or mixture fraction and used to calculate the percent human exposure dose/rodent potency dose (HERP) for the chemical. Using an additivity assumption, a conservative estimate of potential carcinogenic hazard for the mixture may be calculated based on the HERP indices for its chemical components. This conceptual approach is limited by the relatively small number of chemicals identified in complex mixtures for which genetic toxicology and animal cancer data exist.

Animals↗

Definition and characterization of a "trypsinosome" from specific peptide characteristics by nano-HPLC-MS/MS and in silico analysis of complex protein mixtures.

Although HPLC-ESI-MS/MS is rapidly becoming an indispensable tool for the analysis of peptides in complex mixtures, the sequence coverage it affords is often quite poor. Low protein expression resulting in peptide signal intensities that fall below the limit of detection of the MS system in combination with differences in peptide ionization efficiency plays a significant role in this. A second important factor stems from differences in physicochemical properties of each peptide and how these properties relate to chromatographic retention and ultimate detection. To identify and understand those properties, we compared data from experimentally identified peptides with data from peptides predicted by in silico digest of all corresponding proteins in the experimental set. Three different complex protein mixtures extracted were used to define a training set to evaluate the amino acid retention coefficients based on linear regression analysis. The retention coefficients were also compared with other previous hydrophobic and retention scale. From this, we have constructed an empirical model that can be readily used to predict peptides that are likely to be observed on our HPLC-ESI-MS/MS system based on their physicochemical properties. Finally, we demonstrated that in silico prediction of peptides and their retention coefficients can be used to generate an inclusion list for a targeted mass spectrometric identification of low abundance proteins in complex protein samples. This approach is based on experimentally derived data to calibrate the method and therefore may theoretically be applied to any HPLC-MS/MS system on which data are being generated.

Animals↗

Lethality and hepatotoxicity of complex waste mixtures.

Male F344 rats were exposed by gavage to samples of complex mixtures and evaluated 24 hr later. Seven of the 10 samples caused death at doses ranging from 1 to 5 ml/kg body wt. Eight of the 10 samples were hepatotoxic based on histopathologic evaluation; 6 were centrilobular and 2 were periportal hepatotoxicants. The waste samples exerted toxicity through different mechanisms, as indicated by differences in the severity and lobular location of the tissue damage. Nine of the 10 samples caused an increase in the ratio of liver weight to body weight (relative liver weight). With histopathological evaluation as the criterion, relative liver weight was the single best indicator of hepatotoxicity. Exposure to several of the waste samples increased serum total bilirubin and serum enzyme activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and ornithine carbamyl transferase. As a battery, but not individually, the serum indicators separated the 8 hepatotoxic samples from the 2 nonhepatotoxic samples. In general, the hepatotoxicity of the waste samples did not appear to be readily predicted from (partial) chemical characterization data. An approach that includes both chemical characterization and biological testing should provide valuable information regarding the hazardous nature of complex wastes.

Animals↗

Sephadex-binding RNA ligands: rapid affinity purification of RNA from complex RNA mixtures.

Sephadex-binding RNA ligands (aptamers) were obtained through in vitro selection. They could be classified into two groups based on their consensus sequences and the aptamers from both groups showed strong binding to Sephadex G-100. One of the highest affinity aptamers, D8, was chosen for further characterization. Aptamer D8 bound to dextran B512, the soluble base material of Sephadex, but not to isomaltose, isomaltotriose and isomaltotetraose, suggesting that its optimal binding site might consist of more than four glucose residues linked via alpha-1,6 linkages. The aptamer was very specific to the Sephadex matrix and did not bind appreciably to other supporting matrices, such as Sepharose, Sephacryl, cellulose or pustulan. Using Sephadex G-100, the aptamer could be purified from a complex mixture of cellular RNA, giving an enrichment of at least 60 000-fold, compared with a non-specific control RNA. These RNA aptamers can be used as affinity tags for RNAs or RNA subunits of ribonucleoproteins to allow rapid purification from complex mixtures of RNA using only Sephadex.

Acrylic Resins↗