Suspect and non-target screening workflows to investigate the in vitro and in vivo metabolism of the synthetic cannabinoid 5Cl-THJ-018

In Vitro and In Vivo Toxicometabolomics of the Synthetic Cathinone PCYP Studied by Means of LC-HRMS/MS

Synthetic cathinones are one important group amongst new psychoactive substances (NPS) and limited information is available regarding their toxicokinetics and -dynamics. Over the past few years, nontargeted toxicometabolomics has been increasingly used to study compound-related effects of NPS to identify important exogenous and endogenous biomarkers. In this study, the effects of the synthetic cathinone PCYP (2-cyclohexyl-1-phenyl-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-ethanone) on in vitro and in vivo metabolomes were investigated. Pooled human-liver microsomes and blood and urine of male Wistar rats were used to generate in vitro and in vivo data, respectively. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry using an untargeted metabolomics workflow. Statistical evaluation was performed using univariate and multivariate statistics. In total, sixteen phase I and one phase II metabolite of PCYP could be identified as exogenous biomarkers. Five endogenous biomarkers (e.g., adenosine and metabolites of tryptophan metabolism) related to PCYP intake could be identified in rat samples. The present data on the exogenous biomarker of PCYP are crucial for setting up analytical screening procedures. The data on the endogenous biomarker are important for further studies to better understand the physiological changes associated with cathinone abuse but may also serve in the future as additional markers for an intake.

Simultaneous screening of 239 synthetic cannabinoids and metabolites in blood and urine samples using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are new psychoactive substances that function as endocannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptor agonists. Abuse of SCs can lead to symptoms such as confusion, dizziness, and even death. At present, Synthetic cannabinoids constitute one of the largest groups of new psychoactive substances and become popular recreational drugs of abuse for their psychoactive properties. The continuous transformation of SCs also leads to an endless emergence of new types. An efficient, high-throughput screening method is therefore very important for their identification. This paper describes a liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) method for simultaneously screening 179 SCs and 80 SC metabolites in blood and urine. Simple acetonitrile was used to precipitate the blood and urine proteins, and the supernatants obtained after centrifugation were analyzed. The LC-HRMS run time was 20 min. The mass spectrometer used an ESI source with a scanning range of m/z 100-1000. LC-HRMS provided accurate mass, retention time, and fragment ions for qualitative analysis. The method validation results showed that the limits of detection (LODs) for over 80% compounds were 5 ng/mL in blood and urine samples. At low concentrations (50 ng/mL), 229 compounds (95.8%) in the blood showed recoveries of more than 50%, and 232 compounds (97.1%) had matrix effects greater than 80%. In the urine, 219 compounds (91.6%) had recoveries above 50%, and the matrix effects of 234 compounds (97.9%) were greater than 80%. This method was successfully applied to actual forensic cases.

Development of a single retention time prediction model integrating multiple liquid chromatography systems: Application to new psychoactive substances

Database-driven suspect screening has proven to be a useful tool to detect new psychoactive substances (NPS) outside the scope of targeted screening; however, the lack of retention times specific to a liquid chromatography (LC) system can result in a large number of false positives. A singular stream-lined, quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR)-based retention time prediction model integrating multiple LC systems with different elution conditions is presented using retention time data (n = 1281) from the online crowd-sourced database, HighResNPS. Modelling was performed using an artificial neural network (ANN), specifically a multi-layer perceptron (MLP), using four molecular descriptors and one-hot encoding of categorical labels. Evaluation of test set predictions (n = 193) yielded coefficient of determination (R²) and mean absolute error (MAE) values of 0.942 and 0.583 min, respectively. The model successfully differentiated between LC systems, predicting 54%, 81% and 97% of the test set within ±0.5, ±1 and ±2 min, respectively. Additionally, retention times for an analyte not previously observed by the model were predicted within ±1 min for each LC system. The developed model can be used to predict retention times for all analytes on HighResNPS for each participating laboratory's LC system to further support suspect screening.

Current Situation of the Metabolomics Techniques Used for the Metabolism Studies of New Psychoactive Substances

PURPOSE

The purpose of this short overview is to summarize and discuss the English-written and PubMed-listed review articles and original studies published between January 2015 and April 2019 on the use of metabolomics techniques for investigating the metabolism of new psychoactive substances (NPS). First, a brief introduction is given on the metabolism of NPS and metabolomics techniques in general. Afterward, the selected original studies are summarized and discussed. Finally, a section dedicated to the studies on NPS beyond metabolism using metabolomics techniques is provided. Thereafter, both sections are concluded and perspectives are given.

METHODS

PubMed was searched for English-written literature published between January 1, 2015 and April 1, 2019.

RESULTS

The present short overview found that the current use of metabolomics techniques in investigating the metabolism of NPS is rather limited, but these techniques can support and facilitate traditional metabolism studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Thus, there may be a certain potential for using metabolomics techniques in the field of NPS research, but a great challenge remains to thoroughly adopt the existing metabolomics methods.

Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry-Based In Vitro Toxicometabolomics of the Synthetic Cathinones 4-MPD and 4-MEAP in Pooled Human Liver Microsomes

Synthetic cathinones belong to the most often seized new psychoactive substances on an international level. This study investigated the toxicometabolomics, particularly the in vitro metabolism of 2-(methylamino)-1-(4-methylphenyl)-1-pentanone (4-MPD) and 2-(ethylamino)-1-(4-methylphenyl)-1-pentanone (4-MEAP) in pooled human liver microsomes (pHLM) using untargeted metabolomics techniques. Incubations were performed with the substrates in concentrations ranging from 0, 12.5, and 25 µM. Analysis was done by means of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS/MS) in full scan only and the obtained data was evaluated using XCMS Online and MetaboAnalyst. Significant features were putatively identified using a separate parallel reaction monitoring method. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis test for prefiltering significant features and subsequent hierarchical clustering, as well as principal component analysis (PCA). Hierarchical clustering or PCA showed a distinct clustering of all concentrations with most of the features z-scores rising with the concentration of the investigated substances. Identification of significant features left many of them unidentified but revealed metabolites of both 4-MPD and 4-MEAP. Both substances formed carboxylic acids, were hydroxylated at the alkyl chain, and formed metabolites after combined hydroxylation and reduction of the cathinone oxo group. 4-MPD additionally formed a dihydroxy metabolite and a hydroxylamine. 4-MEAP was additionally found reduced at the cathinone oxo group, N-dealkylated, and formed an oxo metabolite. These findings are the first to describe the metabolic pathways of 4-MPD and to extend our knowledge about the metabolism of 4-MEAP. Findings, particularly the MS data of the metabolites, are essential for setting up metabolite-based toxicological (urine) screening procedures.

A comparative study on the in vitro biotransformation of medicagenic acid using human liver microsomes and S9 fractions

Many natural products are prodrugs which are biotransformed and activated after oral administration. The investigation of gastrointestinal and hepatic biotransformation can be facilitated by in vitro screening methods. This study compares two widely used in vitro models for hepatic biotransformation: 1) human S9 fractions and 2) human liver microsomes and cytosolic fractions in a two-step sequence, with the purpose of identifying differences in the biotransformation of medicagenic acid, the putative precursor of active metabolites, responsible for the medicinal effects of the herb Herniaria hirsuta. The combination of liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry with subsequent suspect and non-target data analysis allowed the identification of thirteen biotransformation products, four of which are reported here for the first time. Eight biotransformation products resulting from oxidative Phase I reactions were identified. Phase II conjugation reactions resulted in the formation of three glucuronidated and two sulfated biotransformation products. No major differences could be observed between incubations with human liver S9 or when utilizing human microsomal and cytosolic fractions. Apart from two metabolites, both methods rendered the same qualitative metabolic profile, with minor quantitative differences. As a result, both protocols applied in this study can be used to study in vitro human liver biotransformation reactions.

Identification of in vitro phase I metabolites of benzotriazole UV stabilizer UV-327 using HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry

The benzotriazole UV stabilizer (BUVS) 2-(5-chloro-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-di-(tert-butyl)phenol (UV-327) is used in various plastic products to protect them against harmful UV radiation. Meanwhile, there are concerns about potential adverse health effects on humans, as residues of UV-327 and other BUVSs have already been detected in various environmental matrices. However, information on the metabolism of UV-327 is not yet available. Therefore, in vitro experiments with human liver microsomes (HLMs) were performed in order to identify phase I metabolites to be used as specific biomarkers of exposure in biomonitoring studies. The samples were analyzed by HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS). Potential metabolites, which were formed by hydroxylation and further oxidation to carboxylic acid, were tentatively identified. Special metabolite structures were suspected and custom-synthesized as reference substances for verification. In total, seven phase I metabolites, which may be suitable biomarkers for the assessment of exposure to UV-327, have been identified and quantified. The results of the present study provide initial insights into the metabolic pathway of UV-327, which is essential for further research on its human metabolism.

Interpol review of toxicology 2016-2019

This review paper covers the forensic-relevant literature in toxicology from 2016 to 2019 as a part of the 19th Interpol International Forensic Science Managers Symposium. The review papers are also available at the Interpol website at: https://www.interpol.int/content/download/14458/file/Interpol%20Review%20.Papers%202019.pdf.

Toxicometabolomics of the new psychoactive substances α-PBP and α-PEP studied in HepaRG cell incubates by means of untargeted metabolomics revealed unexpected amino acid adducts

Toxicometabolomics, essentially applying metabolomics to toxicology of endogenous compounds such as drugs of abuse or new psychoactive substances (NPS), can be investigated by using different in vitro models and dedicated metabolomics techniques to enhance the number of relevant findings. The present study aimed to study the toxicometabolomics of the two NPS α-pyrrolidinobutiophenone (1-phenyl-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)butan-1-one, α-PBP) and α-pyrrolidinoheptaphenone (1-phenyl-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)heptan-1-one, α-PEP, PV8) in HepaRG cell line incubates. Evaluation was performed using reversed-phase and normal-phase liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry in positive and negative ionization mode, respectively, to analyze cells and cell media. Statistical evaluation was performed using one-way ANOVA, principal component discriminant function analysis, as well as hierarchical clustering. In general, the analysis of cells did not mainly reveal any features, but the parent compounds of the drugs of abuse. For α-PBP an increase in N-methylnicotinamide was found, which may indicate hepatotoxic potential of the substance. After analysis of cell media, significant features led to the identification of several metabolites of both compounds. Amino acid adducts with glycine and alanine were found, and these have not been described in any study before and are likely to appear in vivo. Additionally, significant changes in the metabolism of cholesterol were revealed after incubation with α-PEP. In summary, the application of metabolomics techniques after HepaRG cells exposure to NPS did not lead to an increased number of identified drug metabolites compared to previously published studies, but gave a wider perspective on the physiological effect of the investigated compounds on human liver cells.

Compound Characterization and Metabolic Profile Elucidation after In Vitro Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Biotransformation of an Herniaria hirsuta Extract Using Unbiased Dynamic Metabolomic Data Analysis

Herniaria hirsuta L. (Caryophyllaceae) is used for treatment of urinary stones and as a diuretic. Little is known about the active compounds and the mechanism of action. The phytochemical composition of H. hirsuta was comprehensively characterized using UHPLC-UV-HRMS (Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ultraviolet-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry) data. An in vitro gastrointestinal model was used to simulate biotransformation, which allowed the monitoring of the relative abundances of individual compounds over time. To analyze the longitudinal multiclass LC-MS data, XCMS, a platform that enables online metabolomics data processing and interpretation, and EDGE, a statistical method for time series data, were used to extract significant differential profiles from the raw data. An interactive Shiny app in R was used to rate the quality of the resulting features. These ratings were used to train a random forest model. The most abundant aglycone after gastrointestinal biotransformation was subjected to hepatic biotransformation using human S9 fractions. A diversity of compounds was detected, mainly saponins and flavonoids. Besides the known saponins, 15 new saponins were tentatively identified as glycosides of medicagenic acid, acetylated medicagenic acid and zanhic acid. It is suggested that metabolites of phytochemicals present in H. hirsuta, most likely saponins, are responsible for the pharmaceutical effects. It was observed that the relative abundance of saponin aglycones increased, indicating loss of sugar moieties during colonic biotransformation, with medicagenic acid as the most abundant aglycone. Hepatic biotransformation of this aglycone resulted in different metabolites formed by phase I and II reactions.

Optimization of an in vitro gut microbiome biotransformation platform with chlorogenic acid as model compound: From fecal sample to biotransformation product identification

Recent data clearly show that the gut microbiota plays a significant role in the biotransformation of many endogenous molecules and xenobiotics, leading to a potential influence of this microbiotic metabolism on activation, inactivation and possible toxicity of these compounds. To study the colonic biotransformation of xenobiotics by the gut microbiome, in vitro models are often used as they allow dynamic and multiple sampling overtime. However, the pre-analytical phase should be carefully optimized to enable biotransformation product identification representative for the in vivo situation. During this study, chlorogenic acid was used as a model compound to optimize a ready-to-use gut microbiome biotransformation platform using an in vitro gastrointestinal dialysis-model with colon phase together with an instrumental platform using liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). Identification of the biotransformation products of chlorogenic acid was performed using complementary suspect and non-targeted data analysis approaches (MZmine + R and MPP workflow). Concerning the pre-analytical phase, (i) the influence of different incubation media (Wilkins-Chalgren Anaerobic Broth (WCB) and (versus) phosphate buffer) and different incubation times (prior to implementation in the colonic stage of the dialysis model) on fecal bacterial composition and concentration were investigated and (ii) four different sample preparation methods (centrifugation, extraction, sonication and freeze-drying) were evaluated targeting colonic biotransformation of chlorogenic acid. WCB as incubation medium showed to introduce substantial variation in the bacterial composition of the fecal samples, while the sterile phosphate buffer guaranteed a closer resemblance to the in vivo composition. Furthermore, incubation during 24 h in sterile phosphate buffer as medium showed no significant increase or decrease in anaerobic bacterial concentration, concluding that incubation prior to the colonic stage is not needed. Concerning sample preparation, centrifugation, sonication and extraction gave similar results, while freeze-drying appeared to be inferior. The extraction method was selected as an optimal sample preparation method given the quick execution together with a good instrumental sensitivity. This study optimized a ready-to-use platform to investigate colonic biotransformation of xenobiotics by using chlorogenic acid as a model compound. This platform can be used in the future to study differences in colonic biotransformation of xenobiotics using fecal samples of different patient groups.