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Razak MR, Wee SY, Yusoff FM, Yusof ZNB, Aris AZ. Zooplankton-based adverse outcome pathways: A tool for assessing endocrine disrupting compounds in aquatic environments. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 252:119045. [PMID: 38704014 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) pose a significant ecological risk, particularly in aquatic ecosystems. EDCs have become a focal point in ecotoxicology, and their identification and regulation have become a priority. Zooplankton have gained global recognition as bioindicators, benefiting from rigorous standardization and regulatory validation processes. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of zooplankton-based adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) with a focus on EDCs as toxicants and the utilisation of freshwater zooplankton as bioindicators in ecotoxicological assessments. This review presents case studies in which zooplankton have been used in the development of AOPs, emphasizing the identification of molecular initiating events (MIEs) and key events (KEs) specific to zooplankton exposed to EDCs. Zooplankton-based AOPs may become an important resource for understanding the intricate processes by which EDCs impair the endocrine system. Furthermore, the data sources, experimental approaches, advantages, and challenges associated with zooplankton-based AOPs are discussed. Zooplankton-based AOPs framework can provide vital tools for consolidating toxicological knowledge into a structured toxicity pathway of EDCs, offering a transformative platform for facilitating enhanced risk assessment and chemical regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Raznisyafiq Razak
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Sze Yee Wee
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Fatimah Md Yusoff
- International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 71050, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia; Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Zetty Norhana Balia Yusof
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ahmad Zaharin Aris
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 71050, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
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2
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Del Giudice G, Serra A, Pavel A, Torres Maia M, Saarimäki LA, Fratello M, Federico A, Alenius H, Fadeel B, Greco D. A Network Toxicology Approach for Mechanistic Modelling of Nanomaterial Hazard and Adverse Outcomes. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2400389. [PMID: 38923832 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Hazard assessment is the first step in evaluating the potential adverse effects of chemicals. Traditionally, toxicological assessment has focused on the exposure, overlooking the impact of the exposed system on the observed toxicity. However, systems toxicology emphasizes how system properties significantly contribute to the observed response. Hence, systems theory states that interactions store more information than individual elements, leading to the adoption of network based models to represent complex systems in many fields of life sciences. Here, they develop a network-based approach to characterize toxicological responses in the context of a biological system, inferring biological system specific networks. They directly link molecular alterations to the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework, establishing direct connections between omics data and toxicologically relevant phenotypic events. They apply this framework to a dataset including 31 engineered nanomaterials with different physicochemical properties in two different in vitro and one in vivo models and demonstrate how the biological system is the driving force of the observed response. This work highlights the potential of network-based methods to significantly improve their understanding of toxicological mechanisms from a systems biology perspective and provides relevant considerations and future data-driven approaches for the hazard assessment of nanomaterials and other advanced materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusy Del Giudice
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00790, Finland
| | - Angela Serra
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00790, Finland
- Tampere Institute for Advanced Study, Tampere University, Tampere, 33100, Finland
| | - Alisa Pavel
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
| | - Marcella Torres Maia
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
| | - Laura Aliisa Saarimäki
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00790, Finland
| | - Michele Fratello
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
| | - Antonio Federico
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00790, Finland
- Tampere Institute for Advanced Study, Tampere University, Tampere, 33100, Finland
| | - Harri Alenius
- Human Microbiome Research Program (HUMI), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
| | - Bengt Fadeel
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
| | - Dario Greco
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00790, Finland
- Tampere Institute for Advanced Study, Tampere University, Tampere, 33100, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00790, Finland
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Mihajlovic M, De Boever S, Tabernilla A, Callewaert E, Sanz-Serrano J, Verhoeven A, Maerten A, Rosseel Z, De Waele E, Vinken M. Investigation of parenteral nutrition-induced hepatotoxicity using human liver spheroid co-cultures. Arch Toxicol 2024:10.1007/s00204-024-03773-8. [PMID: 38740588 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-024-03773-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Parenteral nutrition (PN) is typically administered to individuals with gastrointestinal dysfunction, a contraindication for enteral feeding, and a need for nutritional therapy. When PN is the only energy source in patients, it is defined as total parenteral nutrition (TPN). TPN is a life-saving approach for different patient populations, both in infants and adults. However, despite numerous benefits, TPN can cause adverse effects, including metabolic disorders and liver injury. TPN-associated liver injury, known as intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD), represents a significant problem affecting up to 90% of individuals receiving TPN. IFALD pathogenesis is complex, depending on the TPN components as well as on the patient's medical conditions. Despite numerous animal studies and clinical observations, the molecular mechanisms driving IFALD remain largely unknown. The present study was set up to elucidate the mechanisms underlying IFALD. For this purpose, human liver spheroid co-cultures were treated with a TPN mixture, followed by RNA sequencing analysis. Subsequently, following exposure to TPN and its single nutritional components, several key events of liver injury, including mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and lipid accumulation (steatosis), were studied using various techniques. It was found that prolonged exposure to TPN substantially changes the transcriptome profile of liver spheroids and affects multiple metabolic and signaling pathways contributing to liver injury. Moreover, TPN and its main components, especially lipid emulsion, induce changes in all key events measured and trigger steatosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milos Mihajlovic
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sybren De Boever
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andrés Tabernilla
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ellen Callewaert
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julen Sanz-Serrano
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anouk Verhoeven
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Amy Maerten
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Zenzi Rosseel
- Department of Pharmacy, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elisabeth De Waele
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Vinken
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
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Wu J, Gao F, Meng R, Li H, Mao Z, Xiao Y, Pu Q, Du M, Zhang Z, Shao Q, Zheng R, Wang M. Single-cell and multi-omics analyses highlight cancer-associated fibroblasts-induced immune evasion and epithelial mesenchymal transition for smoking bladder cancer. Toxicology 2024; 504:153782. [PMID: 38493947 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2024.153782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Tobacco carcinogens are recognized as critical hazard factors for bladder tumorigenesis, affecting the prognosis of patients through aromatic amines components. However, the specific function of tobacco carcinogens and systematic assessment models in the prognosis of bladder cancer remains poorly elucidated. We retrieved bladder cancer specific tobacco carcinogens-related genes from Comparative Toxicogenomic Database, our Nanjing Bladder Cancer cohort and TCGA database. Gene×Gene interaction method was utilized to establish a prognostic signature. Integrative assessment of immunogenomics, tumor microenvironments and single-cell RNA-sequencing were performed to illustrate the internal relations of key events from different levels. Finally, we comprehensively identified 33 essential tobacco carcinogens-related genes to construct a novel prognostic signature, and found that high-risk patients were characterized by significantly worse overall survival (HR=2.25; Plog-rank < 0.01). Single-cell RNA-sequencing and multi-omics analysis demonstrated that cancer-associated fibroblasts mediated the crosstalk between epithelial-mesenchymal transition progression and immune evasion. Moreover, an adverse outcome pathway framework was established to facilitate our understanding to the tobacco carcinogens-triggered bladder tumorigenesis. Our study systematically provided immune microenvironmental alternations for smoking-induced adverse survival outcomes in bladder cancer. These findings facilitated the integrative multi-omics insights into risk assessment and toxic mechanisms of tobacco carcinogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China; Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China; Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rui Meng
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Huiqin Li
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhenguang Mao
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanping Xiao
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiuyi Pu
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mulong Du
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhengdong Zhang
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiang Shao
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.
| | - Rui Zheng
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Meilin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China; Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Urology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.
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5
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Gölz L, Pannetier P, Fagundes T, Knörr S, Behnstedt L, Coordes S, Matthiessen P, Morthorst J, Vergauwen L, Knapen D, Holbech H, Braunbeck T, Baumann L. Development of the integrated fish endocrine disruptor test-Part B: Implementation of thyroid-related endpoints. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2024; 20:830-845. [PMID: 37578010 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Given the vital role of thyroid hormones (THs) in vertebrate development, it is essential to identify chemicals that interfere with the TH system. Whereas, among nonmammalian laboratory animals, fish are the most frequently utilized test species in endocrine disruptor research, for example, in guidelines for the detection of effects on the sex hormone system, there is no test guideline (TG) using fish as models for thyroid-related effects; rather, amphibians are used. Therefore, the objective of the present project was to integrate thyroid-related endpoints for fish into a test protocol combining OECD TGs 229 (Fish Short-Term Reproduction Assay) and 234 (Fish Sexual Development Test). The resulting integrated Fish Endocrine Disruption Test (iFEDT) was designed as a comprehensive approach to covering sexual differentiation, early development, and reproduction and to identifying disruption not only of the sexual and/or reproductive system but also the TH system. Two 85-day exposure tests were performed using different well-studied endocrine disruptors: 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2). Whereas the companion Part A of this study presents the findings on effects by PTU and EE2 on endpoints established in existing TGs, the present Part B discusses effects on novel thyroid-related endpoints such as TH levels, thyroid follicle histopathology, and eye development. 6-Propyl-2-thiouracil induced a massive proliferation of thyroid follicles in any life stage, and histopathological changes in the eyes proved to be highly sensitive for TH system disruption especially in younger life stages. For measurement of THs, further methodological development is required. 17-α-Ethinylestradiol demonstrated not only the well-known disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, but also induced effects on thyroid follicles in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to higher EE2 concentrations, suggesting crosstalk between endocrine axes. The novel iFEDT has thus proven capable of simultaneously capturing endocrine disruption of both the steroid and thyroid endocrine systems. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:830-845. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Gölz
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Section, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Pauline Pannetier
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Section, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratoire de Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort, Site de Plouzané, Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail, Plouzané, France
| | - Teresa Fagundes
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Section, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susanne Knörr
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Section, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Behnstedt
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Section, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sara Coordes
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Section, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Jane Morthorst
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Lucia Vergauwen
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Zebrafishlab, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Dries Knapen
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Zebrafishlab, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Henrik Holbech
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Thomas Braunbeck
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Section, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lisa Baumann
- Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Section, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Section Environmental Health & Toxicology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Correia D, Bellot M, Goyenechea J, Prats E, Moro H, Gómez-Canela C, Bedrossiantz J, Tagkalidou N, Ferreira CSS, Raldúa D, Domingues I, Faria M, Oliveira M. Parental exposure to antidepressants has lasting effects on offspring? A case study with zebrafish. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 355:141851. [PMID: 38579950 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Fish have common neurotransmitter pathways with humans, exhibiting a significant degree of conservation and homology. Thus, exposure to fluoxetine makes fish potentially susceptible to biochemical and physiological changes, similarly to what is observed in humans. Over the years, several studies demonstrated the potential effects of fluoxetine on different fish species and at different levels of biological organization. However, the effects of parental exposure to unexposed offspring remain largely unknown. The consequences of 15-day parental exposure to relevant concentrations of fluoxetine (100 and 1000 ng/L) were assessed on offspring using zebrafish as a model organism. Parental exposure resulted in offspring early hatching, non-inflation of the swimming bladder, increased malformation frequency, decreased heart rate and blood flow, and reduced growth. Additionally, a significant behavioral impairment was also found (reduced startle response, basal locomotor activity, and altered non-associative learning during early stages and a negative geotaxis and scototaxis, reduced thigmotaxis, and anti-social behavior at later life stages). These behavior alterations are consistent with decreased anxiety, a significant increase in the expression of the monoaminergic genes slc6a4a (sert), slc6a3 (dat), slc18a2 (vmat2), mao, tph1a, and th2, and altered levels of monoaminergic neurotransmitters. Alterations in behavior, expression of monoaminergic genes, and neurotransmitter levels persisted until offspring adulthood. Given the high conservation of neuronal pathways between fish and humans, data show the possibility of potential transgenerational and multigenerational effects of pharmaceuticals' exposure. These results reinforce the need for transgenerational and multigenerational studies in fish, under realistic scenarios, to provide realistic insights into the impact of these pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Correia
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Marina Bellot
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Applied (Chromatography Section), School of Engineering, Institut Químic de Sarrià-Universitat Ramon Llull, Via Augusta 390, 08017, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Júlia Goyenechea
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Applied (Chromatography Section), School of Engineering, Institut Químic de Sarrià-Universitat Ramon Llull, Via Augusta 390, 08017, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Eva Prats
- Center for Research and Development, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain.
| | - Hugo Moro
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain.
| | - Cristian Gómez-Canela
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Applied (Chromatography Section), School of Engineering, Institut Químic de Sarrià-Universitat Ramon Llull, Via Augusta 390, 08017, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Juliette Bedrossiantz
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain.
| | - Niki Tagkalidou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Greece.
| | - Carla S S Ferreira
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Demetrio Raldúa
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain.
| | - Inês Domingues
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Melissa Faria
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain.
| | - Miguel Oliveira
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
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Franco A, Vieira D, Clerbaux LA, Orgiazzi A, Labouyrie M, Köninger J, Silva V, van Dam R, Carnesecchi E, Dorne JLCM, Vuaille J, Lobo Vicente J, Jones A. Evaluation of the ecological risk of pesticide residues from the European LUCAS Soil monitoring 2018 survey. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2024. [PMID: 38602265 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The 2018 LUCAS (Land Use and Coverage Area frame Survey) Soil Pesticides survey provides a European Union (EU)-scale assessment of 118 pesticide residues in more than 3473 soil sites. This study responds to the policy need to develop risk-based indicators for pesticides in the environment. Two mixture risk indicators are presented for soil based, respectively, on the lowest and the median of available No Observed Effect Concentration (NOECsoil,min and NOECsoil,50) from publicly available toxicity datasets. Two further indicators were developed based on the corresponding equilibrium concentration in the aqueous phase and aquatic toxicity data, which are available as species sensitivity distributions. Pesticides were quantified in 74.5% of the sites. The mixture risk indicator based on the NOECsoil,min exceeds 1 in 14% of the sites and 0.1 in 23%. The insecticides imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos and the fungicide epoxiconazole are the largest contributors to the overall risk. At each site, one or a few substances drive mixture risk. Modes of actions most likely associated with mixture effects include modulation of acetylcholine metabolism (neonicotinoids and organophosphate substances) and sterol biosynthesis inhibition (triazole fungicides). Several pesticides driving the risk have been phased out since 2018. Following LUCAS surveys will determine the effectiveness of substance-specific risk management and the overall progress toward risk reduction targets established by EU and UN policies. Newly generated data and knowledge will stimulate needed future research on pesticides, soil health, and biodiversity protection. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;00:1-15. © 2024 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Franco
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
| | - Diana Vieira
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
| | - Laure-Alix Clerbaux
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, University of Louvain, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Alberto Orgiazzi
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
- European Dynamics, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maeva Labouyrie
- Plant-Soil-Interactions, Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Julia Köninger
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Vera Silva
- Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud van Dam
- Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR), Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Arwyn Jones
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
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Sahoo AK, Chivukula N, Ramesh K, Singha J, Marigoudar SR, Sharma KV, Samal A. An integrative data-centric approach to derivation and characterization of an adverse outcome pathway network for cadmium-induced toxicity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 920:170968. [PMID: 38367714 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Cadmium is a prominent toxic heavy metal that contaminates both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Owing to its high biological half-life and low excretion rates, cadmium causes a variety of adverse biological outcomes. Adverse outcome pathway (AOP) networks were envisioned to systematically capture toxicological information to enable risk assessment and chemical regulation. Here, we leveraged AOP-Wiki and integrated heterogeneous data from four other exposome-relevant resources to build the first AOP network relevant for inorganic cadmium-induced toxicity. From AOP-Wiki, we filtered 309 high confidence AOPs, identified 312 key events (KEs) associated with inorganic cadmium from five exposome-relevant databases using a data-centric approach, and thereafter, curated 30 cadmium relevant AOPs (cadmium-AOPs). By constructing the undirected AOP network, we identified a large connected component of 18 cadmium-AOPs. Further, we analyzed the directed network of 59 KEs and 82 key event relationships (KERs) in the largest component using graph-theoretic approaches. Subsequently, we mined published literature using artificial intelligence-based tools to provide auxiliary evidence of cadmium association for all KEs in the largest component. Finally, we performed case studies to verify the rationality of cadmium-induced toxicity in humans and aquatic species. Overall, cadmium-AOP network constructed in this study will aid ongoing research in systems toxicology and chemical exposome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajaya Kumar Sahoo
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, India
| | - Nikhil Chivukula
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, India
| | | | - Jasmine Singha
- National Centre for Coastal Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, Pallikaranai, Chennai, India
| | | | - Krishna Venkatarama Sharma
- National Centre for Coastal Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, Pallikaranai, Chennai, India
| | - Areejit Samal
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, India.
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Sanz-Serrano J, Callewaert E, De Boever S, Drees A, Verhoeven A, Vinken M. Chemical-induced liver cancer: an adverse outcome pathway perspective. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2024; 23:425-438. [PMID: 38430529 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2024.2326479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The evaluation of the potential carcinogenicity is a key consideration in the risk assessment of chemicals. Predictive toxicology is currently switching toward non-animal approaches that rely on the mechanistic understanding of toxicity. AREAS COVERED Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) present toxicological processes, including chemical-induced carcinogenicity, in a visual and comprehensive manner, which serve as the conceptual backbone for the development of non-animal approaches eligible for hazard identification. The current review provides an overview of the available AOPs leading to liver cancer and discusses their use in advanced testing of liver carcinogenic chemicals. Moreover, the challenges related to their use in risk assessment are outlined, including the exploitation of available data, the need for semantic ontologies, and the development of quantitative AOPs. EXPERT OPINION To exploit the potential of liver cancer AOPs in the field of risk assessment, 3 immediate prerequisites need to be fulfilled. These include developing human relevant AOPs for chemical-induced liver cancer, increasing the number of AOPs integrating quantitative toxicodynamic and toxicokinetic data, and developing a liver cancer AOP network. As AOPs and other areas in the field continue to evolve, liver cancer AOPs will progress into a reliable and robust tool serving future risk assessment and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julen Sanz-Serrano
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ellen Callewaert
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sybren De Boever
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Annika Drees
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anouk Verhoeven
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Vinken
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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Zilliacus J, Draskau MK, Johansson HKL, Svingen T, Beronius A. Building an adverse outcome pathway network for estrogen-, androgen- and steroidogenesis-mediated reproductive toxicity. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2024; 6:1357717. [PMID: 38601197 PMCID: PMC11005472 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2024.1357717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) can support both testing and assessment of endocrine disruptors (EDs). There is, however, a need for further development of the AOP framework to improve its applicability in a regulatory context. Here we have inventoried the AOP-wiki to identify all existing AOPs related to mammalian reproductive toxicity arising from disruption to the estrogen, androgen, and steroidogenesis modalities. Core key events (KEs) shared between relevant AOPs were also identified to aid in further AOP network (AOPN) development. Methods: A systematic approach using two different methods was applied to screen and search the entire AOP-wiki library. An AOPN was visualized using Cytoscape. Manual refinement was performed to remove AOPS devoid of any KEs and/or KERs. Results: Fifty-eight AOPs relevant for mammalian reproductive toxicity were originally identified, with 42 AOPs included in the final AOPN. Several of the KEs and KE relationships (KERs) described similar events and were thus merged to optimize AOPN construction. Sixteen sub-networks related to effects on hormone levels or hormone activity, cancer outcomes, male and female reproductive systems, and overall effects on fertility and reproduction were identified within the AOPN. Twenty-six KEs and 11 KERs were identified as core blocks of knowledge in the AOPN, of which 19 core KEs are already included as parameters in current OECD and US EPA test guidelines. Discussion: The AOPN highlights knowledge gaps that can be targeted for further development of a more complete AOPN that can support the identification and assessment of EDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Zilliacus
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Monica K. Draskau
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Terje Svingen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anna Beronius
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Antonsen E, Reynolds RJ, Charvat J, Connell E, Monti A, Petersen D, Nartey N, Anton W, Abukmail A, Marotta K, Van Baalen M, Buckland DM. Causal diagramming for assessing human system risk in spaceflight. NPJ Microgravity 2024; 10:32. [PMID: 38503732 PMCID: PMC10951288 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-024-00375-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
For over a decade, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has tracked and configuration-managed approximately 30 risks that affect astronaut health and performance before, during and after spaceflight. The Human System Risk Board (HSRB) at NASA Johnson Space Center is responsible for setting the official risk posture for each of the human system risks and determining-based on evaluation of the available evidence-when that risk posture changes. The ultimate purpose of tracking and researching these risks is to find ways to reduce spaceflight-induced risk to astronauts. The adverse effects of spaceflight begin at launch and continue throughout the duration of the mission, and in some cases, across the lifetime of the astronaut. Historically, research has been conducted in individual risk "silos" to characterize risk, however, astronauts are exposed to all risks simultaneously. In January of 2020, the HSRB at NASA began assessing the potential value of causal diagramming as a tool to facilitate understanding of the complex causes and effects that contribute to spaceflight-induced human system risk. Causal diagrams in the form of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) are used to provide HSRB stakeholders with a shared mental model of the causal flow of risk. While primarily improving communication among those stakeholders, DAGs also allow a composite risk network to be created that can be tracked and configuration managed. This paper outlines the HSRB's pilot process for this effort, the lessons learned, and future goals for data-driven risk management approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Antonsen
- Center for Space Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Daniel M Buckland
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Jaylet T, Coustillet T, Smith NM, Viviani B, Lindeman B, Vergauwen L, Myhre O, Yarar N, Gostner JM, Monfort-Lanzas P, Jornod F, Holbech H, Coumoul X, Sarigiannis DA, Antczak P, Bal-Price A, Fritsche E, Kuchovska E, Stratidakis AK, Barouki R, Kim MJ, Taboureau O, Wojewodzic MW, Knapen D, Audouze K. Comprehensive mapping of the AOP-Wiki database: identifying biological and disease gaps. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2024; 6:1285768. [PMID: 38523647 PMCID: PMC10958381 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2024.1285768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) concept facilitates rapid hazard assessment for human health risks. AOPs are constantly evolving, their number is growing, and they are referenced in the AOP-Wiki database, which is supported by the OECD. Here, we present a study that aims at identifying well-defined biological areas, as well as gaps within the AOP-Wiki for future research needs. It does not intend to provide a systematic and comprehensive summary of the available literature on AOPs but summarizes and maps biological knowledge and diseases represented by the already developed AOPs (with OECD endorsed status or under validation). Methods: Knowledge from the AOP-Wiki database were extracted and prepared for analysis using a multi-step procedure. An automatic mapping of the existing information on AOPs (i.e., genes/proteins and diseases) was performed using bioinformatics tools (i.e., overrepresentation analysis using Gene Ontology and DisGeNET), allowing both the classification of AOPs and the development of AOP networks (AOPN). Results: AOPs related to diseases of the genitourinary system, neoplasms and developmental anomalies are the most frequently investigated on the AOP-Wiki. An evaluation of the three priority cases (i.e., immunotoxicity and non-genotoxic carcinogenesis, endocrine and metabolic disruption, and developmental and adult neurotoxicity) of the EU-funded PARC project (Partnership for the Risk Assessment of Chemicals) are presented. These were used to highlight under- and over-represented adverse outcomes and to identify and prioritize gaps for further research. Discussion: These results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the adverse effects associated with the molecular events in AOPs, and aid in refining risk assessment for stressors and mitigation strategies. Moreover, the FAIRness (i.e., data which meets principles of findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability (FAIR)) of the AOPs appears to be an important consideration for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Jaylet
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm UMR-S 1124 T3S, Paris, France
| | | | - Nicola M. Smith
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environment, Oslo, Norway
| | - Barbara Viviani
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Birgitte Lindeman
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environment, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lucia Vergauwen
- Zebrafishlab, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Oddvar Myhre
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environment, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nurettin Yarar
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environment, Oslo, Norway
| | - Johanna M. Gostner
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Pablo Monfort-Lanzas
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Henrik Holbech
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Xavier Coumoul
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm UMR-S 1124 T3S, Paris, France
| | - Dimosthenis A. Sarigiannis
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
- National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
- Science, Technology and Society Department, Environmental Health Engineering, University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS), Pavia, Italy
| | - Philipp Antczak
- Department II of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Cologne, Germany
| | - Anna Bal-Price
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
| | - Ellen Fritsche
- IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Duesseldorf, Germany
- Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology, Basel, Switzerland
- DNTOX GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Eliska Kuchovska
- IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Antonios K. Stratidakis
- Science, Technology and Society Department, Environmental Health Engineering, University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS), Pavia, Italy
| | - Robert Barouki
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm UMR-S 1124 T3S, Paris, France
| | - Min Ji Kim
- Inserm UMR-S 1124, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Bobigny, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Taboureau
- Université Paris Cité, BFA, Team CMPLI, Inserm U1133, CNRS UMR 8251, Paris, France
| | - Marcin W. Wojewodzic
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environment, Oslo, Norway
- Cancer Registry of Norway, NIPH, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dries Knapen
- Zebrafishlab, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Karine Audouze
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm UMR-S 1124 T3S, Paris, France
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Barnes DA, Firman JW, Belfield SJ, Cronin MTD, Vinken M, Janssen MJ, Masereeuw R. Development of an adverse outcome pathway network for nephrotoxicity. Arch Toxicol 2024; 98:929-942. [PMID: 38197913 PMCID: PMC10861692 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03637-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) were introduced in modern toxicology to provide evidence-based representations of the events and processes involved in the progression of toxicological effects across varying levels of the biological organisation to better facilitate the safety assessment of chemicals. AOPs offer an opportunity to address knowledge gaps and help to identify novel therapeutic targets. They also aid in the selection and development of existing and new in vitro and in silico test methods for hazard identification and risk assessment of chemical compounds. However, many toxicological processes are too intricate to be captured in a single, linear AOP. As a result, AOP networks have been developed to aid in the comprehension and placement of associated events underlying the emergence of related forms of toxicity-where complex exposure scenarios and interactions may influence the ultimate adverse outcome. This study utilised established criteria to develop an AOP network that connects thirteen individual AOPs associated with nephrotoxicity (as sourced from the AOP-Wiki) to identify several key events (KEs) linked to various adverse outcomes, including kidney failure and chronic kidney disease. Analysis of the modelled AOP network and its topological features determined mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and tubular necrosis to be the most connected and central KEs. These KEs can provide a logical foundation for guiding the selection and creation of in vitro assays and in silico tools to substitute for animal-based in vivo experiments in the prediction and assessment of chemical-induced nephrotoxicity in human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Barnes
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - J W Firman
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - S J Belfield
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - M T D Cronin
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - M Vinken
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - M J Janssen
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - R Masereeuw
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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14
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Mentzel S, Nathan R, Noyes P, Brix KV, Moe SJ, Rohr JR, Verheyen J, Van den Brink PJ, Stauber J. Evaluating the effects of climate change and chemical, physical, and biological stressors on nearshore coral reefs: A case study in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2024; 20:401-418. [PMID: 38018499 PMCID: PMC11046313 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
An understanding of the combined effects of climate change (CC) and other anthropogenic stressors, such as chemical exposures, is essential for improving ecological risk assessments of vulnerable ecosystems. In the Great Barrier Reef, coral reefs are under increasingly severe duress from increasing ocean temperatures, acidification, and cyclone intensities associated with CC. In addition to these stressors, inshore reef systems, such as the Mackay-Whitsunday coastal zone, are being impacted by other anthropogenic stressors, including chemical, nutrient, and sediment exposures related to more intense rainfall events that increase the catchment runoff of contaminated waters. To illustrate an approach for incorporating CC into ecological risk assessment frameworks, we developed an adverse outcome pathway network to conceptually delineate the effects of climate variables and photosystem II herbicide (diuron) exposures on scleractinian corals. This informed the development of a Bayesian network (BN) to quantitatively compare the effects of historical (1975-2005) and future projected climate on inshore hard coral bleaching, mortality, and cover. This BN demonstrated how risk may be predicted for multiple physical and biological stressors, including temperature, ocean acidification, cyclones, sediments, macroalgae competition, and crown of thorns starfish predation, as well as chemical stressors such as nitrogen and herbicides. Climate scenarios included an ensemble of 16 downscaled models encompassing current and future conditions based on multiple emission scenarios for two 30-year periods. It was found that both climate-related and catchment-related stressors pose a risk to these inshore reef systems, with projected increases in coral bleaching and coral mortality under all future climate scenarios. This modeling exercise can support the identification of risk drivers for the prioritization of management interventions to build future resilient reefs. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:401-418. © 2023 Norwegian Institute for Water Research and The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Mentzel
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway
| | - Rory Nathan
- Department of Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pamela Noyes
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Integrated Climate Sciences Division, Office of Research and Development, USEPA, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Kevin V Brix
- EcoTox, Miami, Florida, USA
- RSMAES, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - S Jannicke Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway
| | - Jason R Rohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Julie Verheyen
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Stauber
- CSIRO Environment, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria, Australia
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15
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Crivellente F, Hernández‐Jerez AF, Lanzoni A, Metruccio F, Mohimont L, Nikolopoulou D, Castoldi AF. Specific effects on the thyroid relevant for performing a dietary cumulative risk assessment of pesticide residues: 2024 update. EFSA J 2024; 22:e8672. [PMID: 38500786 PMCID: PMC10945593 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
EFSA updated its previous work on the establishment of specific effects that are considered relevant for grouping pesticide residues targeting the thyroid and for performing the retrospective assessment of dietary cumulative risk (CRA). The two specific effects already selected in 2019 leading to the two cumulative assessment groups (CAGs) 'hypothyroidism' and 'C-cell hypertrophy, hyperplasia and neoplasia' were reconfirmed. Compared to 2019, the list of indicators that can be used to identify these specific effects was refined to only include histopathological changes. In a second phase of the work, data will be extracted on indicators of the specific effects from the dossiers on active substances (a.s.) used as plant protection products. The criteria for including a.s. into CAGs were also updated, together with the hazard characterisation methodology and the lines of evidence for assessing CAG-membership probabilities. The tasks related to the data extraction and the establishment of the CAGs on hypothyroidism and on C-cell hypertrophy, hyperplasia and neoplasia are beyond the scope of this report. This part of the CRA process has been outsourced and will be the subject of a separate report.
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16
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Yang L, Zeng J, Gao N, Zhu L, Feng J. Predicting the Metal Mixture Toxicity with a Toxicokinetic-Toxicodynamic Model Considering the Time-Dependent Adverse Outcome Pathways. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:3714-3725. [PMID: 38350648 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Chemicals mainly exist in ecosystems as mixtures, and understanding and predicting their effects are major challenges in ecotoxicology. While the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) and toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TK-TD) models show promise as mechanistic approaches in chemical risk assessment, there is still a lack of methodology to incorporate the AOP into a TK-TD model. Here, we describe a novel approach that integrates the AOP and TK-TD models to predict mixture toxicity using metal mixtures (specifically Cd-Cu) as a case study. We preliminarily constructed an AOP of the metal mixture through temporal transcriptome analysis together with confirmatory bioassays. The AOP revealed that prolonged exposure time activated more key events and adverse outcomes, indicating different modes of action over time. We selected a potential key event as a proxy for damage and used it as a measurable parameter to replace the theoretical parameter (scaled damage) in the TK-TD model. This refined model, which connects molecular responses to organism outcomes, effectively predicts Cd-Cu mixture toxicity over time and can be extended to other metal mixtures and even multicomponent mixtures. Overall, our results contribute to a better understanding of metal mixture toxicity and provide insights for integrating the AOP and TK-TD models to improve risk assessment for chemical mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanpeng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
- School of Energy and Environment and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jing Zeng
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Ning Gao
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
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Rafa N, Ahmed B, Zohora F, Bakya J, Ahmed S, Ahmed SF, Mofijur M, Chowdhury AA, Almomani F. Microplastics as carriers of toxic pollutants: Source, transport, and toxicological effects. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 343:123190. [PMID: 38142809 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic pollution has emerged as a new environmental concern due to our reliance on plastic. Recent years have seen an upward trend in scholarly interest in the topic of microplastics carrying contaminants; however, the available review studies have largely focused on specific aspects of this issue, such as sorption, transport, and toxicological effects. Consequently, this review synthesizes the state-of-the-art knowledge on these topics by presenting key findings to guide better policy action toward microplastic management. Microplastics have been reported to absorb pollutants such as persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and antibiotics, leading to their bioaccumulation in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Hydrophobic interactions are found to be the predominant sorption mechanism, especially for organic pollutants, although electrostatic forces, van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, and pi-pi interactions are also noteworthy. This review reveals that physicochemical properties of microplastics, such as size, structure, and functional groups, and environmental compartment properties, such as pH, temperature, and salinity, influence the sorption of pollutants by microplastic. It has been found that microplastics influence the growth and metabolism of organisms. Inadequate methods for collection and analysis of environmental samples, lack of replication of real-world settings in laboratories, and a lack of understanding of the sorption mechanism and toxicity of microplastics impede current microplastic research. Therefore, future research should focus on filling in these knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazifa Rafa
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, United Kingdom
| | - Bushra Ahmed
- Science and Math Program, Asian University for Women, Chattogram 4000, Bangladesh
| | - Fatema Zohora
- Science and Math Program, Asian University for Women, Chattogram 4000, Bangladesh
| | - Jannatul Bakya
- Science and Math Program, Asian University for Women, Chattogram 4000, Bangladesh
| | - Samiya Ahmed
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department, College of Health and Life sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shams Forruque Ahmed
- Science and Math Program, Asian University for Women, Chattogram 4000, Bangladesh
| | - M Mofijur
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Ashfaque Ahmed Chowdhury
- School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia; Centre for Intelligent Systems, Clean Energy Academy, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
| | - Fares Almomani
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
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18
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Balcells C, Xu Y, Gil-Solsona R, Maitre L, Gago-Ferrero P, Keun HC. Blurred lines: Crossing the boundaries between the chemical exposome and the metabolome. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 78:102407. [PMID: 38086287 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The aetiology of every human disease lies in a combination of genetic and environmental factors, each contributing in varying proportions. While genomics investigates the former, a comparable holistic paradigm was proposed for environmental exposures in 2005, marking the onset of exposome research. Since then, the exposome definition has broadened to include a wide array of physical, chemical, and psychosocial factors that interact with the human body and potentially alter the epigenome, the transcriptome, the proteome, and the metabolome. The chemical exposome, deeply intertwined with the metabolome, includes all small molecules originating from diet as well as pharmaceuticals, personal care and consumer products, or pollutants in air and water. The set of techniques to interrogate these exposures, primarily mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, are also extensively used in metabolomics. Recent advances in untargeted metabolomics using high resolution mass spectrometry have paved the way for the development of methods able to provide in depth characterisation of both the internal chemical exposome and the endogenous metabolome simultaneously. Herein we review the available tools, databases, and workflows currently available for such work, and discuss how these can bridge the gap between the study of the metabolome and the exposome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Balcells
- Institute of Developmental and Reproductive Biology (IRDB), Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Yitao Xu
- Institute of Developmental and Reproductive Biology (IRDB), Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Rubén Gil-Solsona
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Léa Maitre
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Gago-Ferrero
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hector C Keun
- Institute of Developmental and Reproductive Biology (IRDB), Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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19
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Grison S, Braga-Tanaka II, Baatout S, Klokov D. In utero exposure to ionizing radiation and metabolic regulation: perspectives for future multi- and trans-generation effects studies. Int J Radiat Biol 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38180060 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2023.2295293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The radiation protection community has been particularly attentive to the risks of delayed effects on offspring from low dose or low dose-rate exposures to ionizing radiation. Despite this, the current epidemiologic studies and scientific data are still insufficient to provide the necessary evidence for improving risk assessment guidelines. This literature review aims to inform future studies on multigenerational and transgenerational effects. It primarily focuses on animal studies involving in utero exposure and discusses crucial elements for interpreting the results. These elements include in utero exposure scenarios relative to the developmental stages of the embryo/fetus, and the primary biological mechanisms responsible for transmitting heritable or hereditary effects to future generations. The review addresses several issues within the contexts of both multigenerational and transgenerational effects, with a focus on hereditary perspectives. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge consolidation in the field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) has led us to propose a new study strategy. This strategy aims to address the transgenerational effects of in utero exposure to low dose and low dose-rate radiation. Within this concept, there is a possibility that disruption of epigenetic programming in embryonic and fetal cells may occur. This disruption could lead to metabolic dysfunction, which in turn may cause abnormal responses to future environmental challenges, consequently increasing disease risk. Lastly, we discuss methodological limitations in our studies. These limitations are related to cohort size, follow-up time, model radiosensitivity, and analytical techniques. We propose scientific and analytical strategies for future research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Grison
- PSE-SANTE, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Ignacia Iii Braga-Tanaka
- Department of Radiobiology, Institute for Environmental Sciences (IES), Rokkasho Kamikita, Aomori, Japan
| | - Sarah Baatout
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK CEN, Institute of Nuclear Medical Applications, Mol, Belgium
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology (BW25) and Department of Human Structure and Repair (GE38), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dmitry Klokov
- PSE-SANTE, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Department of Microbiology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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20
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Zhang J, Tao H, Shi J, Ge H, Li B, Wang Y, Zhang M, Li X. Deriving aquatic PNECs of endocrine disruption effects for PFOS and PFOA by combining species sensitivity weighted distributions and adverse outcome pathway networks. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 346:140583. [PMID: 37918539 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), as emerging endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pose adverse effects on aquatic organisms. Conventional ecological risk assessment (ERA) not fully considering the mode of toxicity action of PFOS and PFOA, may result in an underestimation of risks and confuse decision-makers. In the study, we developed species sensitivity weighted distribution (SSWD) models based on adverse outcome pathway (AOP) networks for deriving predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs). Three kinds of weighting criteria (intraspecies variation, trophic level abundance, and data quality) and weighted log-normal distribution methods were adopted. The developed models considered the inter/intraspecies variation and integrated nontraditional endpoints of endocrine-disrupting effects. The PNECs of endocrine disruption effects were derived as 2.52 μg/L (95% confidence intervals 0.667-9.85 μg/L) for PFOS and 18.7 μg/L (5.40-71.0 μg/L) for PFOA, which were more conservative than those derived from the SSD method and were comparable with the values in the literature based on the chronic toxicity data. For PFOS, the effect of growth and development was the most sensitive; however, for PFOA, the effect of reproduction was the most sensitive in the effects of growth and development, reproduction, biochemistry and genetics, and survival. The endocrine-disrupting effects of PFOS and PFOA are significant and need to be fully recognized in the ERA. This study provided an ERA framework that can improve the ecological relevance and reduce the uncertainty of PNECs of EDCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China; Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Huanyu Tao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China; Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jianghong Shi
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Hui Ge
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Bin Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yunhe Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Mengtao Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China; Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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21
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von Coburg E, Dunst S. The adverse outcome pathway for breast cancer: a knowledge management framework bridging biomedicine and toxicology. Discov Oncol 2023; 14:223. [PMID: 38051394 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-023-00840-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases diagnosed every year. Effective measures for cancer prevention and cancer therapy require a detailed understanding of the individual key disease mechanisms involved and their interactions at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and organism level. In that regard, the rapid progress of biomedical and toxicological research in recent years now allows the pursuit of new approaches based on non-animal methods that provide greater mechanistic insight than traditional animal models and therefore facilitate the development of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) for human diseases. We performed a systematic review of the current state of published knowledge with regard to breast cancer to identify relevant key mechanisms for inclusion into breast cancer AOPs, i.e. decreased cell stiffness and decreased cell adhesion, and to concurrently map non-animal methods addressing these key events. We conclude that the broader sharing of expertise and methods between biomedical research and toxicology enabled by the AOP knowledge management framework can help to coordinate global research efforts and accelerate the transition to advanced non-animal methods, which, when combined into powerful method batteries, closely mimic human physiology and disease states without the need for animal testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena von Coburg
- German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Department Experimental Toxicology and ZEBET, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Nutritional Science, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Sebastian Dunst
- German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Department Experimental Toxicology and ZEBET, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany.
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22
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Jia X, Wang T, Zhu H. Advancing Computational Toxicology by Interpretable Machine Learning. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:17690-17706. [PMID: 37224004 PMCID: PMC10666545 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Chemical toxicity evaluations for drugs, consumer products, and environmental chemicals have a critical impact on human health. Traditional animal models to evaluate chemical toxicity are expensive, time-consuming, and often fail to detect toxicants in humans. Computational toxicology is a promising alternative approach that utilizes machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) techniques to predict the toxicity potentials of chemicals. Although the applications of ML- and DL-based computational models in chemical toxicity predictions are attractive, many toxicity models are "black boxes" in nature and difficult to interpret by toxicologists, which hampers the chemical risk assessments using these models. The recent progress of interpretable ML (IML) in the computer science field meets this urgent need to unveil the underlying toxicity mechanisms and elucidate the domain knowledge of toxicity models. In this review, we focused on the applications of IML in computational toxicology, including toxicity feature data, model interpretation methods, use of knowledge base frameworks in IML development, and recent applications. The challenges and future directions of IML modeling in toxicology are also discussed. We hope this review can encourage efforts in developing interpretable models with new IML algorithms that can assist new chemical assessments by illustrating toxicity mechanisms in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuelian Jia
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
| | - Tong Wang
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
| | - Hao Zhu
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
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23
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Yang D, Yang H, Shi M, Jia X, Sui H, Liu Z, Wu Y. Advancing food safety risk assessment in China: development of new approach methodologies (NAMs). FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2023; 5:1292373. [PMID: 38046399 PMCID: PMC10690935 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2023.1292373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel techniques and methodologies are being developed to advance food safety risk assessment into the next-generation. Considering the shortcomings of traditional animal testing, new approach methodologies (NAMs) will be the main tools for the next-generation risk assessment (NGRA), using non-animal methodologies such as in vitro and in silico approaches. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the European Food Safety Authority have established work plans to encourage the development and application of NAMs in NGRA. Currently, NAMs are more commonly used in research than in regulatory risk assessment. China is also developing NAMs for NGRA but without a comprehensive review of the current work. This review summarizes major NAM-related research articles from China and highlights the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) as the primary institution leading the implementation of NAMs in NGRA in China. The projects of CFSA on NAMs such as the Food Toxicology Program and the strategies for implementing NAMs in NGRA are outlined. Key issues and recommendations, such as discipline development and team building, are also presented to promote NAMs development in China and worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Haixia Sui
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaoping Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
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24
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Shankar P, Villeneuve DL. AOP Report: Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation Leads to Early-Life Stage Mortality via Sox9 Repression-Induced Craniofacial and Cardiac Malformations. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:2063-2077. [PMID: 37341548 PMCID: PMC10772968 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptors (Ahrs) are evolutionarily conserved ligand-dependent transcription factors that are activated by structurally diverse endogenous compounds as well as environmental chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons. Activation of the Ahr leads to several transcriptional changes that can cause developmental toxicity resulting in mortality. Evidence was assembled and evaluated for two novel adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) which describe how Ahr activation (molecular initiating event) can lead to early-life stage mortality (adverse outcome), via either SOX9-mediated craniofacial malformations (AOP 455) or cardiovascular toxicity (AOP 456). Using a key event relationship (KER)-by-KER approach, we collected evidence using both a narrative search and a systematic review based on detailed search terms. Weight of evidence for each KER was assessed to inform overall confidence of the AOPs. The AOPs link to previous descriptions of Ahr activation and connect them to two novel key events (KEs), increase in slincR expression, a newly characterized long noncoding RNA with regulatory functions, and suppression of SOX9, a critical transcription factor implicated in chondrogenesis and cardiac development. In general, confidence levels for KERs ranged between medium and strong, with few inconsistencies, as well as several opportunities for future research identified. While the majority of KEs have only been demonstrated in zebrafish with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin as an Ahr activator, evidence suggests that the two AOPs likely apply to most vertebrates and many Ahr-activating chemicals. Addition of the AOPs into the AOP-Wiki (https://aopwiki.org/) helps expand the growing Ahr-related AOP network to 19 individual AOPs, of which six are endorsed or in progress and the remaining 13 relatively underdeveloped. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2063-2077. © 2023 SETAC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prarthana Shankar
- Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- University of Wisconsin Madison Sea Grant Fellow at Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Daniel L. Villeneuve
- Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
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25
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Stevenson LM, Muller EB, Nacci D, Clark BW, Whitehead A, Nisbet RM. Connecting Suborganismal Data to Bioenergetic Processes: Killifish Embryos Exposed to a Dioxin-Like Compound. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:2040-2053. [PMID: 37232404 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A core challenge for ecological risk assessment is to integrate molecular responses into a chain of causality to organismal or population-level outcomes. Bioenergetic theory may be a useful approach for integrating suborganismal responses to predict organismal responses that influence population dynamics. We describe a novel application of dynamic energy budget (DEB) theory in the context of a toxicity framework (adverse outcome pathways [AOPs]) to make quantitative predictions of chemical exposures to individuals, starting from suborganismal data. We use early-life stage exposure of Fundulus heteroclitus to dioxin-like chemicals (DLCs) and connect AOP key events to DEB processes through "damage" that is produced at a rate proportional to the internal toxicant concentration. We use transcriptomic data of fish embryos exposed to DLCs to translate molecular indicators of damage into changes in DEB parameters (damage increases somatic maintenance costs) and DEB models to predict sublethal and lethal effects on young fish. By changing a small subset of model parameters, we predict the evolved tolerance to DLCs in some wild F. heteroclitus populations, a data set not used in model parameterization. The differences in model parameters point to reduced sensitivity and altered damage repair dynamics as contributing to this evolved resistance. Our methodology has potential extrapolation to untested chemicals of ecological concern. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2040-2053. © 2023 Oak Ridge National Laboratory and The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise M Stevenson
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA
| | - Erik B Muller
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Institut für Biologische Analytik und Consulting IBACON, Rossdorf, Germany
| | - Diane Nacci
- Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island
| | - Bryan W Clark
- Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island
| | - Andrew Whitehead
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Roger M Nisbet
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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26
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Maloney EM, Villeneuve DL, Blackwell BR, Vitense K, Corsi SR, Pronschinske MA, Jensen KM, Ankley GT. A framework for prioritizing contaminants in retrospective ecological assessments: Application in the Milwaukee Estuary (Milwaukee, WI). INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 19:1276-1296. [PMID: 36524447 PMCID: PMC10601791 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Watersheds are subjected to diverse anthropogenic inputs, exposing aquatic biota to a wide range of chemicals. Detection of multiple, different chemicals can challenge natural resource managers who often have to determine where to allocate potentially limited resources. Here, we describe a weight-of-evidence framework for retrospectively prioritizing aquatic contaminants. To demonstrate framework utility, we used data from 96-h caged fish studies to prioritize chemicals detected in the Milwaukee Estuary (WI, USA; 2017-2018). Across study years, 77/178 targeted chemicals were detected. Chemicals were assigned prioritization scores based on spatial and temporal detection frequency, environmental distribution, environmental fate, ecotoxicological potential, and effect prediction. Chemicals were sorted into priority bins based on the intersection of prioritization score and data availability. Data-limited chemicals represented those that did not have sufficient data to adequately evaluate ecotoxicological potential or environmental fate. Seven compounds (fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, pyrene, atrazine, metolachlor, phenanthrene, and DEET) were identified as high or medium priority and data sufficient and flagged as candidates for further effects-based monitoring studies. Twenty-one compounds were identified as high or medium priority and data limited and flagged as candidates for further ecotoxicological research. Fifteen chemicals were flagged as the lowest priority in the watershed. One of these chemicals (2-methylnaphthalene) displayed no data limitations and was flagged as a definitively low-priority chemical. The remaining chemicals displayed some data limitations and were considered lower-priority compounds (contingent on further ecotoxicological and environmental fate assessments). The remaining 34 compounds were flagged as low or medium priority. Altogether, this prioritization provided a screening-level (non-definitive) assessment that could be used to focus further resource management and risk assessment activities in the Milwaukee Estuary. Furthermore, by providing detailed methodology and a practical example with real experimental data, we demonstrated that the proposed framework represents a transparent and adaptable approach for prioritizing contaminants in freshwater environments. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:1276-1296. © 2022 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Maloney
- Department of Biology, Swenson College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Daniel L Villeneuve
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Brett R Blackwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kelsey Vitense
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Steven R Corsi
- US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Middleton, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Kathleen M Jensen
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Gerald T Ankley
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
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27
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van Ertvelde J, Verhoeven A, Maerten A, Cooreman A, Santos Rodrigues BD, Sanz-Serrano J, Mihajlovic M, Tripodi I, Teunis M, Jover R, Luechtefeld T, Vanhaecke T, Jiang J, Vinken M. Optimization of an adverse outcome pathway network on chemical-induced cholestasis using an artificial intelligence-assisted data collection and confidence level quantification approach. J Biomed Inform 2023; 145:104465. [PMID: 37541407 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2023.104465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse outcome pathway (AOP) networks are versatile tools in toxicology and risk assessment that capture and visualize mechanisms driving toxicity originating from various data sources. They share a common structure consisting of a set of molecular initiating events and key events, connected by key event relationships, leading to the actual adverse outcome. AOP networks are to be considered living documents that should be frequently updated by feeding in new data. Such iterative optimization exercises are typically done manually, which not only is a time-consuming effort, but also bears the risk of overlooking critical data. The present study introduces a novel approach for AOP network optimization of a previously published AOP network on chemical-induced cholestasis using artificial intelligence to facilitate automated data collection followed by subsequent quantitative confidence assessment of molecular initiating events, key events, and key event relationships. METHODS Artificial intelligence-assisted data collection was performed by means of the free web platform Sysrev. Confidence levels of the tailored Bradford-Hill criteria were quantified for the purpose of weight-of-evidence assessment of the optimized AOP network. Scores were calculated for biological plausibility, empirical evidence, and essentiality, and were integrated into a total key event relationship confidence value. The optimized AOP network was visualized using Cytoscape with the node size representing the incidence of the key event and the edge size indicating the total confidence in the key event relationship. RESULTS This resulted in the identification of 38 and 135 unique key events and key event relationships, respectively. Transporter changes was the key event with the highest incidence, and formed the most confident key event relationship with the adverse outcome, cholestasis. Other important key events present in the AOP network include: nuclear receptor changes, intracellular bile acid accumulation, bile acid synthesis changes, oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS This process led to the creation of an extensively informative AOP network focused on chemical-induced cholestasis. This optimized AOP network may serve as a mechanistic compass for the development of a battery of in vitro assays to reliably predict chemical-induced cholestatic injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas van Ertvelde
- Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anouk Verhoeven
- Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Amy Maerten
- Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Axelle Cooreman
- Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bruna Dos Santos Rodrigues
- Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julen Sanz-Serrano
- Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Milos Mihajlovic
- Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Marc Teunis
- Innovative Testing in Life Sciences and Chemistry, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ramiro Jover
- Joint Research Unit in Experimental Hepatology, University of Valencia, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe & CIBER of Hepatic and Digestive Diseases, Spain
| | | | - Tamara Vanhaecke
- Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jian Jiang
- Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Vinken
- Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
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28
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Haigis AC, Vergauwen L, LaLone CA, Villeneuve DL, O'Brien JM, Knapen D. Cross-species applicability of an adverse outcome pathway network for thyroid hormone system disruption. Toxicol Sci 2023; 195:1-27. [PMID: 37405877 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Thyroid hormone system disrupting compounds are considered potential threats for human and environmental health. Multiple adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) for thyroid hormone system disruption (THSD) are being developed in different taxa. Combining these AOPs results in a cross-species AOP network for THSD which may provide an evidence-based foundation for extrapolating THSD data across vertebrate species and bridging the gap between human and environmental health. This review aimed to advance the description of the taxonomic domain of applicability (tDOA) in the network to improve its utility for cross-species extrapolation. We focused on the molecular initiating events (MIEs) and adverse outcomes (AOs) and evaluated both their plausible domain of applicability (taxa they are likely applicable to) and empirical domain of applicability (where evidence for applicability to various taxa exists) in a THSD context. The evaluation showed that all MIEs in the AOP network are applicable to mammals. With some exceptions, there was evidence of structural conservation across vertebrate taxa and especially for fish and amphibians, and to a lesser extent for birds, empirical evidence was found. Current evidence supports the applicability of impaired neurodevelopment, neurosensory development (eg, vision) and reproduction across vertebrate taxa. The results of this tDOA evaluation are summarized in a conceptual AOP network that helps prioritize (parts of) AOPs for a more detailed evaluation. In conclusion, this review advances the tDOA description of an existing THSD AOP network and serves as a catalog summarizing plausible and empirical evidence on which future cross-species AOP development and tDOA assessment could build.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Cathrin Haigis
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Lucia Vergauwen
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Carlie A LaLone
- Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota 55804, USA
| | - Daniel L Villeneuve
- Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota 55804, USA
| | - Jason M O'Brien
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Dries Knapen
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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Saarimäki LA, del Giudice G, Greco D. Expanding adverse outcome pathways towards one health models for nanosafety. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2023; 5:1176745. [PMID: 37692900 PMCID: PMC10485555 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2023.1176745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ever-growing production of nano-enabled products has generated the need for dedicated risk assessment strategies that ensure safety for humans and the environment. Transdisciplinary approaches are needed to support the development of new technologies while respecting environmental limits, as also highlighted by the EU Green Deal Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and its safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) framework. The One Health concept offers a holistic multiscale approach for the assessment of nanosafety. However, toxicology is not yet capable of explaining the interaction between chemicals and biological systems at the multiscale level and in the context of the One Health framework. Furthermore, there is a disconnect between chemical safety assessment, epidemiology, and other fields of biology that, if unified, would enable the adoption of the One Health model. The development of mechanistic toxicology and the generation of omics data has provided important biological knowledge of the response of individual biological systems to nanomaterials (NMs). On the other hand, epigenetic data have the potential to inform on interspecies mechanisms of adaptation. These data types, however, need to be linked to concepts that support their intuitive interpretation. Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) represent an evolving framework to anchor existing knowledge to chemical risk assessment. In this perspective, we discuss the possibility of integrating multi-level toxicogenomics data, including toxicoepigenetic insights, into the AOP framework. We anticipate that this new direction of toxicogenomics can support the development of One Health models applicable to groups of chemicals and to multiple species in the tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Aliisa Saarimäki
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giusy del Giudice
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Dario Greco
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Melching-Kollmuss S, Bothe K, Charlton A, Gangadharan B, Ghaffari R, Jacobi S, Marty S, Marxfeld HA, McInnes EF, Sauer UG, Sheets LP, Strupp C, Tinwell H, Wiemann C, Botham PA, van Ravenzwaay B. Towards a science-based testing strategy to identify maternal thyroid hormone imbalance and neurodevelopmental effects in the progeny - Part IV: the ECETOC and CLE Proposal for a Thyroid Function-Related Neurodevelopmental Toxicity Testing and Assessment Scheme (Thyroid-NDT-TAS). Crit Rev Toxicol 2023; 53:339-371. [PMID: 37554099 DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2023.2231033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Following the European Commission Endocrine Disruptor Criteria, substances shall be considered as having endocrine disrupting properties if they (a) elicit adverse effects, (b) have endocrine activity, and (c) the two are linked by an endocrine mode-of-action (MoA) unless the MoA is not relevant for humans. A comprehensive, structured approach to assess whether substances meet the Endocrine Disruptor Criteria for the thyroid modality (EDC-T) is currently unavailable. Here, the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals Thyroxine Task Force and CropLife Europe propose a Thyroid Function-Related Neurodevelopmental Toxicity Testing and Assessment Scheme (Thyroid-NDT-TAS). In Tier 0, before entering the Thyroid-NDT-TAS, all available in vivo, in vitro and in silico data are submitted to weight-of-evidence (WoE) evaluations to determine whether the substance of interest poses a concern for thyroid disruption. If so, Tier 1 of the Thyroid-NDT-TAS includes an initial MoA and human relevance assessment (structured by the key events of possibly relevant adverse outcome pathways) and the generation of supportive in vitro/in silico data, if relevant. Only if Tier 1 is inconclusive, Tier 2 involves higher-tier testing to generate further thyroid- and/or neurodevelopment-related data. Tier 3 includes the final MoA and human relevance assessment and an overarching WoE evaluation to draw a conclusion on whether, or not, the substance meets the EDC-T. The Thyroid-NDT-TAS is based on the state-of-the-science, and it has been developed to minimise animal testing. To make human safety assessments more accurate, it is recommended to apply the Thyroid-NDT-TAS during future regulatory assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ursula G Sauer
- Scientific Consultancy - Animal Welfare, Neubiberg, Germany
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Saarimäki LA, Fratello M, Pavel A, Korpilähde S, Leppänen J, Serra A, Greco D. A curated gene and biological system annotation of adverse outcome pathways related to human health. Sci Data 2023; 10:409. [PMID: 37355733 PMCID: PMC10290716 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02321-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) are emerging as a central framework in modern toxicology and other fields in biomedicine. They serve as an extension of pathway-based concepts by depicting biological mechanisms as causally linked sequences of key events (KEs) from a molecular initiating event (MIE) to an adverse outcome. AOPs guide the use and development of new approach methodologies (NAMs) aimed at reducing animal experimentation. While AOPs model the systemic mechanisms at various levels of biological organisation, toxicogenomics provides the means to study the molecular mechanisms of chemical exposures. Systematic integration of these two concepts would improve the application of AOP-based knowledge while also supporting the interpretation of complex omics data. Hence, we established this link through rigorous curation of molecular annotations for the KEs of human relevant AOPs. We further expanded and consolidated the annotations of the biological context of KEs. These curated annotations pave the way to embed AOPs in molecular data interpretation, facilitating the emergence of new knowledge in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Aliisa Saarimäki
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Michele Fratello
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Alisa Pavel
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Seela Korpilähde
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Jenni Leppänen
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Angela Serra
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute for Advanced Study, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Dario Greco
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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Pannetier P, Poulsen R, Gölz L, Coordes S, Stegeman H, Koegst J, Reger L, Braunbeck T, Hansen M, Baumann L. Reversibility of Thyroid Hormone System-Disrupting Effects on Eye and Thyroid Follicle Development in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:1276-1292. [PMID: 36920003 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Early vertebrate development is partially regulated by thyroid hormones (THs). Environmental pollutants that interact with the TH system (TH system-disrupting chemicals [THSDCs]) can have massively disrupting effects on this essential phase. Eye development of fish is directly regulated by THs and can, therefore, be used as a thyroid-related endpoint in endocrine disruptor testing. To evaluate the effects of THSDC-induced eye malformations during early development, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed for 5 days postfertilization (dpf) to either propylthiouracil, a TH synthesis inhibitor, or tetrabromobisphenol A, which interacts with TH receptors. Subsequently, one half of the embryos were exposed further to the THSDCs until 8 dpf, while the other half of the embryos were raised in clean water for 3 days to check for reversibility of effects. Continued THSDC exposure altered eye size and pigmentation and induced changes in the cellular structure of the retina. This correlated with morphological alterations of thyroid follicles as revealed by use of a transgenic zebrafish line. Interestingly, effects were partly reversible after a recovery period as short as 3 days. Results are consistent with changes in TH levels measured in different tissues of the embryos, for example, in the eyes. The results show that eye development in zebrafish embryos is very sensitive to THSDC treatment but able to recover quickly from early exposure by effective repair mechanisms. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1276-1292. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Pannetier
- Aquatic Ecology & Toxicology, Center for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rikke Poulsen
- Environmental Metabolomics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lisa Gölz
- Aquatic Ecology & Toxicology, Center for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sara Coordes
- Aquatic Ecology & Toxicology, Center for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hanna Stegeman
- Aquatic Ecology & Toxicology, Center for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Koegst
- Aquatic Ecology & Toxicology, Center for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Luisa Reger
- Aquatic Ecology & Toxicology, Center for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Braunbeck
- Aquatic Ecology & Toxicology, Center for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Hansen
- Environmental Metabolomics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lisa Baumann
- Aquatic Ecology & Toxicology, Center for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Section on Environmental Health & Toxicology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Ramhøj L, Axelstad M, Baert Y, Cañas-Portilla AI, Chalmel F, Dahmen L, De La Vieja A, Evrard B, Haigis AC, Hamers T, Heikamp K, Holbech H, Iglesias-Hernandez P, Knapen D, Marchandise L, Morthorst JE, Nikolov NG, Nissen ACVE, Oelgeschlaeger M, Renko K, Rogiers V, Schüürmann G, Stinckens E, Stub MH, Torres-Ruiz M, Van Duursen M, Vanhaecke T, Vergauwen L, Wedebye EB, Svingen T. New approach methods to improve human health risk assessment of thyroid hormone system disruption-a PARC project. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2023; 5:1189303. [PMID: 37265663 PMCID: PMC10229837 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2023.1189303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Current test strategies to identify thyroid hormone (TH) system disruptors are inadequate for conducting robust chemical risk assessment required for regulation. The tests rely heavily on histopathological changes in rodent thyroid glands or measuring changes in systemic TH levels, but they lack specific new approach methodologies (NAMs) that can adequately detect TH-mediated effects. Such alternative test methods are needed to infer a causal relationship between molecular initiating events and adverse outcomes such as perturbed brain development. Although some NAMs that are relevant for TH system disruption are available-and are currently in the process of regulatory validation-there is still a need to develop more extensive alternative test batteries to cover the range of potential key events along the causal pathway between initial chemical disruption and adverse outcomes in humans. This project, funded under the Partnership for the Assessment of Risk from Chemicals (PARC) initiative, aims to facilitate the development of NAMs that are specific for TH system disruption by characterizing in vivo mechanisms of action that can be targeted by in embryo/in vitro/in silico/in chemico testing strategies. We will develop and improve human-relevant in vitro test systems to capture effects on important areas of the TH system. Furthermore, we will elaborate on important species differences in TH system disruption by incorporating non-mammalian vertebrate test species alongside classical laboratory rat species and human-derived in vitro assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Ramhøj
- Research Group for Molecular and Reproductive Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marta Axelstad
- Research Group for Molecular and Reproductive Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yoni Baert
- Department In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-cosmetology (IVTD), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Jette, Belgium
| | - Ana I. Cañas-Portilla
- Environmental Toxicology Unit from National Center for Environmental Health (CNSA), Endocrine Tumor Unit from UFIEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Frédéric Chalmel
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Rennes, France
| | - Lars Dahmen
- Department Experimental Toxicology and ZEBET, German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Antonio De La Vieja
- Environmental Toxicology Unit from National Center for Environmental Health (CNSA), Endocrine Tumor Unit from UFIEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Bertrand Evrard
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Rennes, France
| | - Ann-Cathrin Haigis
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Timo Hamers
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Kim Heikamp
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Centre for Health Protection (GZB), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Henrik Holbech
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Patricia Iglesias-Hernandez
- Environmental Toxicology Unit from National Center for Environmental Health (CNSA), Endocrine Tumor Unit from UFIEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Dries Knapen
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Lorna Marchandise
- Department In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-cosmetology (IVTD), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Jette, Belgium
| | - Jane E. Morthorst
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Nikolai Georgiev Nikolov
- Group for Chemical Risk Assessment and GMO, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ana C. V. E. Nissen
- Group for Chemical Risk Assessment and GMO, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Michael Oelgeschlaeger
- Department Experimental Toxicology and ZEBET, German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Kostja Renko
- Department Experimental Toxicology and ZEBET, German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Vera Rogiers
- Department In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-cosmetology (IVTD), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Jette, Belgium
| | - Gerrit Schüürmann
- UFZ Department of Ecological Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Evelyn Stinckens
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Mette H. Stub
- Research Group for Molecular and Reproductive Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Monica Torres-Ruiz
- Environmental Toxicology Unit from National Center for Environmental Health (CNSA), Endocrine Tumor Unit from UFIEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Majorie Van Duursen
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tamara Vanhaecke
- Department In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-cosmetology (IVTD), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Jette, Belgium
| | - Lucia Vergauwen
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Eva Bay Wedebye
- Group for Chemical Risk Assessment and GMO, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Terje Svingen
- Research Group for Molecular and Reproductive Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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Wiklund L, Caccia S, Pípal M, Nymark P, Beronius A. Development of a data-driven approach to Adverse Outcome Pathway network generation: a case study on the EATS-modalities. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2023; 5:1183824. [PMID: 37229356 PMCID: PMC10203404 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2023.1183824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) summarize mechanistic understanding of toxicological effects and have, for example, been highlighted as a promising tool to integrate data from novel in vitro and in silico methods into chemical risk assessments. Networks based on AOPs are considered the functional implementation of AOPs, as they are more representative of complex biology. At the same time, there are currently no harmonized approaches to generate AOP networks (AOPNs). Systematic strategies to identify relevant AOPs, and methods to extract and visualize data from the AOP-Wiki, are needed. The aim of this work was to develop a structured search strategy to identify relevant AOPs in the AOP-Wiki, and an automated data-driven workflow to generate AOPNs. The approach was applied on a case study to generate an AOPN focused on the Estrogen, Androgen, Thyroid, and Steroidogenesis (EATS) modalities. A search strategy was developed a priori with search terms based on effect parameters in the ECHA/EFSA Guidance Document on Identification of Endocrine Disruptors. Furthermore, manual curation of the data was performed by screening the contents of each pathway in the AOP-Wiki, excluding irrelevant AOPs. Data were downloaded from the Wiki, and a computational workflow was utilized to automatically process, filter, and format the data for visualization. This study presents an approach to structured searches of AOPs in the AOP-Wiki coupled to an automated data-driven workflow for generating AOPNs. In addition, the case study presented here provides a map of the contents of the AOP-Wiki related to the EATS-modalities, and a basis for further research, for example, on integrating mechanistic data from novel methods and exploring mechanism-based approaches to identify endocrine disruptors (EDs). The computational approach is freely available as an R-script, and currently allows for the (re)-generation and filtering of new AOP networks based on data from the AOP-Wiki and a list of relevant AOPs used for filtering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linus Wiklund
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Caccia
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Marek Pípal
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Penny Nymark
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Beronius
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Jeong J, Kim J, Choi J. Identification of molecular initiating events (MIE) using chemical database analysis and nuclear receptor activity assays for screening potential inhalation toxicants. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2023; 141:105391. [PMID: 37068727 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2023.105391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
An adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework can facilitate the use of alternative assays in chemical regulations by providing scientific evidence. Previously, an AOP, peroxisome proliferative-activating receptor gamma (PPARγ) antagonism that leads to pulmonary fibrosis, was developed. Based on a literature search, PPARγ inactivation has been proposed as a molecular initiating event (MIE). In addition, a list of candidate chemicals that could be used in the experimental validation was proposed using toxicity database and deep learning models. In this study, the screening of environmental chemicals for MIE was conducted using in silico and in vitro tests to maximize the applicability of this AOP for screening inhalation toxicants. Initially, potential inhalation exposure chemicals that are active in three or more key events were selected, and in silico molecular docking was performed. Among the chemicals with low binding energy to PPARγ, nine chemicals were selected for validation of the AOP using in vitro PPARγ activity assay. As a result, rotenone, triorthocresyl phosphate, and castor oil were proposed as PPARγ antagonists and stressor chemicals of the AOP. Overall, the proposed tiered approach of the database-in silico-in vitro can help identify the regulatory applicability and assist in the development and experimental validation of AOP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeseong Jeong
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwan Kim
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinhee Choi
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Li K, Cui K, Wang Q. Adverse outcome pathway network approach to identify endocrine disruptor-induced reproductive toxicity. CURRENT OPINION IN TOXICOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cotox.2023.100391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
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Hernandez‐Jerez AF, Adriaanse P, Aldrich A, Berny P, Coja T, Duquesne S, Focks A, Millet M, Pelkonen O, Pieper S, Tiktak A, Topping CJ, Widenfalk A, Wilks M, Wolterink G, Angeli K, Recordati C, Van Durseen M, Aiassa E, Lanzoni A, Lostia A, Martino L, Guajardo IPM, Panzarea M, Terron A, Marinovich M. Development of adverse outcome pathways relevant for the identification of substances having endocrine disruption properties Uterine adenocarcinoma as adverse outcome. EFSA J 2023; 21:e07744. [PMID: 36818642 PMCID: PMC9926893 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2023.7744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Development of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) for uterine adenocarcinoma can provide a practical tool to implement the EFSA-ECHA Guidance (2018) for the identification of endocrine disruptors in the context of Regulations (EU) No 528/2012 and (EC) No 1107/2009. AOPs can give indications about the strength of the relationship between an adverse outcome (intended as a human health outcome) and chemicals (pesticides but not only) affecting the pathways. In this scientific opinion, the PPR Panel explored the development of AOPs for uterine adenocarcinoma. An evidence-based approach methodology was applied, and literature reviews were produced using a structured framework assuring transparency, objectivity, and comprehensiveness. Several AOPs were developed; these converged to a common critical node, that is increased estradiol availability in the uterus followed by estrogen receptor activation in the endometrium; therefore, a putative AOP network was considered. An uncertainty analysis and a probabilistic quantification of the weight of evidence have been carried out via expert knowledge elicitation for each set of MIEs/KEs/KERs included in individual AOPs. The collected data on the AOP network were evaluated qualitatively, whereas a quantitative uncertainty analysis for weight of the AOP network certainty has not been performed. Recommendations are provided, including exploring further the uncertainties identified in the AOPs and putative AOP network; further methodological developments for quantifying the certainty of the KERs and of the overall AOPs and AOP network; and investigating of NAMs applications in the context of some of the MIEs/KEs currently part of the putative AOP network developed.
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Scott-Fordsmand JJ, Amorim MJB. Using Machine Learning to make nanomaterials sustainable. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 859:160303. [PMID: 36410486 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable development is a key challenge for contemporary human societies; failure to achieve sustainability could threaten human survival. In this review article, we illustrate how Machine Learning (ML) could support more sustainable development, covering the basics of data gathering through each step of the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA). The literature provides several examples showing how ML can be employed in most steps of a typical ERA.A key observation is that there are currently no clear guidance for using such autonomous technologies in ERAs or which standards/checks are required. Steering thus seems to be the most important task for supporting the use of ML in the ERA of nano- and smart-materials. Resources should be devoted to developing a strategy for implementing ML in ERA with a strong emphasis on data foundations, methodologies, and the related sensitivities/uncertainties. We should recognise historical errors and biases (e.g., in data) to avoid embedding them during ML programming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mónica J B Amorim
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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Bajard L, Adamovsky O, Audouze K, Baken K, Barouki R, Beltman JB, Beronius A, Bonefeld-Jørgensen EC, Cano-Sancho G, de Baat ML, Di Tillio F, Fernández MF, FitzGerald RE, Gundacker C, Hernández AF, Hilscherova K, Karakitsios S, Kuchovska E, Long M, Luijten M, Majid S, Marx-Stoelting P, Mustieles V, Negi CK, Sarigiannis D, Scholz S, Sovadinova I, Stierum R, Tanabe S, Tollefsen KE, van den Brand AD, Vogs C, Wielsøe M, Wittwehr C, Blaha L. Application of AOPs to assist regulatory assessment of chemical risks - Case studies, needs and recommendations. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 217:114650. [PMID: 36309218 PMCID: PMC9850416 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
While human regulatory risk assessment (RA) still largely relies on animal studies, new approach methodologies (NAMs) based on in vitro, in silico or non-mammalian alternative models are increasingly used to evaluate chemical hazards. Moreover, human epidemiological studies with biomarkers of effect (BoE) also play an invaluable role in identifying health effects associated with chemical exposures. To move towards the next generation risk assessment (NGRA), it is therefore crucial to establish bridges between NAMs and standard approaches, and to establish processes for increasing mechanistically-based biological plausibility in human studies. The Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework constitutes an important tool to address these needs but, despite a significant increase in knowledge and awareness, the use of AOPs in chemical RA remains limited. The objective of this paper is to address issues related to using AOPs in a regulatory context from various perspectives as it was discussed in a workshop organized within the European Union partnerships HBM4EU and PARC in spring 2022. The paper presents examples where the AOP framework has been proven useful for the human RA process, particularly in hazard prioritization and characterization, in integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATA), and in the identification and validation of BoE in epidemiological studies. Nevertheless, several limitations were identified that hinder the optimal usability and acceptance of AOPs by the regulatory community including the lack of quantitative information on response-response relationships and of efficient ways to map chemical data (exposure and toxicity) onto AOPs. The paper summarizes suggestions, ongoing initiatives and third-party tools that may help to overcome these obstacles and thus assure better implementation of AOPs in the NGRA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lola Bajard
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Adamovsky
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karine Audouze
- Université Paris Cité, T3S, Inserm UMR S-1124, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Kirsten Baken
- Unit Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO NV), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Robert Barouki
- Université Paris Cité, T3S, Inserm UMR S-1124, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Joost B Beltman
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Anna Beronius
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 13, Solna, Sweden
| | - Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen
- Centre for Arctic Health & Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; Greenland Centre for Health Research, University of Greenland, Manutooq 1, 3905 Nuussuaq, Greenland
| | | | - Milo L de Baat
- KWR Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, the Netherlands
| | - Filippo Di Tillio
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Mariana F Fernández
- Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM) & School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), 18012, Granada, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rex E FitzGerald
- Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology SCAHT, University of Basel, Missionsstrasse 64, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Gundacker
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Center for Pathobiochemistry and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Antonio F Hernández
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), 18012, Granada, Spain; Department of Legal Medicine and Toxicology, University of Granada School of Medicine, Avda. de la Investigación, 11, 18016, Granada, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health, CIBERESP, Madrid, Spain
| | - Klara Hilscherova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Spyros Karakitsios
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; HERACLES Research Centre on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Eliska Kuchovska
- IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Auf'm Hennekamp 50, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Manhai Long
- Centre for Arctic Health & Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mirjam Luijten
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Centre for Health Protection, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Sanah Majid
- KWR Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, the Netherlands
| | - Philip Marx-Stoelting
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Dept. Pesticides Safety, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vicente Mustieles
- Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM) & School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), 18012, Granada, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Chander K Negi
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dimosthenis Sarigiannis
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; HERACLES Research Centre on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Stefan Scholz
- UFZ Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Dept Bioanalyt Ecotoxicol, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Iva Sovadinova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rob Stierum
- Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Risk Analysis for Products in Development, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Shihori Tanabe
- Division of Risk Assessment, Center for Biological Safety and Research, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Section of Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment, Gaustadalléen, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), Norway
| | - Annick D van den Brand
- Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Carolina Vogs
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 13, Solna, Sweden; Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria Wielsøe
- Centre for Arctic Health & Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Ludek Blaha
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic.
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Maffini MV, Rayasam SDG, Axelrad DA, Birnbaum LS, Cooper C, Franjevic S, MacRoy PM, Nachman KE, Patisaul HB, Rodgers KM, Rossi MS, Schettler T, Solomon GM, Woodruff TJ. Advancing the science on chemical classes. Environ Health 2023; 21:120. [PMID: 36635752 PMCID: PMC9835214 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00919-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hazard identification, risk assessment, regulatory, and policy activity are usually conducted on a chemical-by-chemical basis. Grouping chemicals into categories or classes is an underutilized approach that could make risk assessment and management of chemicals more efficient for regulators. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS While there are some available methods and regulatory frameworks that include the grouping of chemicals (e.g.,same molecular mechanism or similar chemical structure) there has not been a comprehensive evaluation of these different approaches nor a recommended course of action to better consider chemical classes in decision-making. This manuscript: 1) reviews current national and international approaches to grouping; 2) describes how groups could be defined based on the decision context (e.g., hazard/risk assessment, restrictions, prioritization, product development) and scientific considerations (e.g., intrinsic physical-chemical properties); 3) discusses advantages of developing a decision tree approach for grouping; 4) uses ortho-phthalates as a case study to identify and organize frameworks that could be used across agencies; and 5) discusses opportunities to advance the class concept within various regulatory decision-making scenarios. RESULTS Structural similarity was the most common grouping approach for risk assessment among regulatory agencies (national and state level) and non-regulatory organizations, albeit with some variations in its definition. Toxicity to the same target organ or to the same biological function was also used in a few cases. The phthalates case study showed that a decision tree approach for grouping should include questions about uses regulated by other agencies to encourage more efficient, coherent, and protective chemical risk management. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Our evaluation of how classes of chemicals are defined and used identified commonalities and differences based on regulatory frameworks, risk assessments, and business strategies. We also identified that using a class-based approach could result in a more efficient process to reduce exposures to multiple hazardous chemicals and, ultimately, reduce health risks. We concluded that, in the absence of a prescribed method, a decision tree approach could facilitate the selection of chemicals belonging to a pre-defined class (e.g., chemicals with endocrine-disrupting activity; organohalogen flame retardants [OFR]) based on the decision-making context (e.g., regulatory risk management).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Swati D G Rayasam
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, Box 0132, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | | | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Scientist Emeritus and Former Director, National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
- Scholar in Residence, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Courtney Cooper
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, Box 0132, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | | | | | - Keeve E Nachman
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Risk Sciences and Public Policy Institute Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Ted Schettler
- Science and Environmental Health Network, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Gina M Solomon
- University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Tracey J Woodruff
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, Box 0132, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
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41
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Using chemical and biological data to predict drug toxicity. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2023; 28:53-64. [PMID: 36639032 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Various sources of information can be used to better understand and predict compound activity and safety-related endpoints, including biological data such as gene expression and cell morphology. In this review, we first introduce types of chemical, in vitro and in vivo information that can be used to describe compounds and adverse effects. We then explore how compound descriptors based on chemical structure or biological perturbation response can be used to predict safety-related endpoints, and how especially biological data can help us to better understand adverse effects mechanistically. Overall, the described applications demonstrate how large-scale biological information presents new opportunities to anticipate and understand the biological effects of compounds, and how this can support predictive toxicology and drug discovery projects.
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42
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Fowkes A, Foster R, Kane S, Thresher A, Werner AL, de Oliveira AAF. Enhancing global and local decision making for chemical safety assessments through increasing the availability of data. Toxicol Mech Methods 2023:1-12. [PMID: 36600456 DOI: 10.1080/15376516.2022.2156007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Toxicity safety assessments are a fundamental part of the lifecycle of products and aim to protect human health and the environment from harmful exposures to chemical substances. To make decisions regarding the suitability of testing strategies, the applicability of individual tests or concluding an assessment for an individual chemical requires data. This review outlines how different forms of data sharing, from enhancing publicly-available data to extracting knowledge from commercially-sensitive data, leads to increased quantity and quality of evidence being available for safety assessors to review. This can result in more confident decisions for different use cases in the context of chemical safety assessments. Although a number of challenges remain with progressing the evolution of toxicity safety assessments, data sharing should be considered as a key approach to accelerating the development and uptake of new best practices.
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Villeneuve DL, Blackwell BR, Blanksma CA, Cavallin JE, Cheng WY, Conolly RB, Conrow K, Feifarek DJ, Heinis LJ, Jensen KM, Kahl MD, Milsk RY, Poole ST, Randolph EC, Saari TW, Watanabe KH, Ankley GT. Case Study in 21st-Century Ecotoxicology: Using In Vitro Aromatase Inhibition Data to Predict Reproductive Outcomes in Fish In Vivo. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:100-116. [PMID: 36282016 PMCID: PMC10782516 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
To reduce the use of intact animals for chemical safety testing, while ensuring protection of ecosystems and human health, there is a demand for new approach methodologies (NAMs) that provide relevant scientific information at a quality equivalent to or better than traditional approaches. The present case study examined whether bioactivity and associated potency measured in an in vitro screening assay for aromatase inhibition could be used together with an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) and mechanistically based computational models to predict previously uncharacterized in vivo effects. Model simulations were used to inform designs of 60-h and 10-21-day in vivo exposures of adult fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to three or four test concentrations of the in vitro aromatase inhibitor imazalil ranging from 0.12 to 260 µg/L water. Consistent with an AOP linking aromatase inhibition to reproductive impairment in fish, exposure to the fungicide resulted in significant reductions in ex vivo production of 17β-estradiol (E2) by ovary tissue (≥165 µg imazalil/L), plasma E2 concentrations (≥74 µg imazalil/L), vitellogenin (Vtg) messenger RNA expression (≥165 µg imazalil/L), Vtg plasma concentrations (≥74 µg imazalil/L), uptake of Vtg into oocytes (≥260 µg imazalil/L), and overall reproductive output in terms of cumulative fecundity, number of spawning events, and eggs per spawning event (≥24 µg imazalil/L). Despite many potential sources of uncertainty in potency and efficacy estimates based on model simulations, observed magnitudes of apical effects were quite consistent with model predictions, and in vivo potency was within an order of magnitude of that predicted based on in vitro relative potency. Overall, our study suggests that NAMs and AOP-based approaches can support meaningful reduction and refinement of animal testing. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:100-116. © 2022 SETAC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L. Villeneuve
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Brett R. Blackwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | | | - Jenna E. Cavallin
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Wan-Yun Cheng
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Integrated Systems Toxicology Division, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Rory B. Conolly
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Integrated Systems Toxicology Division, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Kendra Conrow
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale, AZ 85306-4908
| | - David J. Feifarek
- Student Services Contractor, US EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Larry J. Heinis
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Kathleen M. Jensen
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Michael D. Kahl
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Rebecca Y. Milsk
- ORISE Participant, US EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Shane T. Poole
- Student Services Contractor, US EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Eric C. Randolph
- ORISE Participant, US EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Travis W. Saari
- Student Services Contractor, US EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Karen H. Watanabe
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale, AZ 85306-4908
| | - Gerald T. Ankley
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
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Saarimäki LA, Morikka J, Pavel A, Korpilähde S, del Giudice G, Federico A, Fratello M, Serra A, Greco D. Toxicogenomics Data for Chemical Safety Assessment and Development of New Approach Methodologies: An Adverse Outcome Pathway-Based Approach. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2203984. [PMID: 36479815 PMCID: PMC9839874 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202203984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Mechanistic toxicology provides a powerful approach to inform on the safety of chemicals and the development of safe-by-design compounds. Although toxicogenomics supports mechanistic evaluation of chemical exposures, its implementation into the regulatory framework is hindered by uncertainties in the analysis and interpretation of such data. The use of mechanistic evidence through the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) concept is promoted for the development of new approach methodologies (NAMs) that can reduce animal experimentation. However, to unleash the full potential of AOPs and build confidence into toxicogenomics, robust associations between AOPs and patterns of molecular alteration need to be established. Systematic curation of molecular events to AOPs will create the much-needed link between toxicogenomics and systemic mechanisms depicted by the AOPs. This, in turn, will introduce novel ways of benefitting from the AOPs, including predictive models and targeted assays, while also reducing the need for multiple testing strategies. Hence, a multi-step strategy to annotate AOPs is developed, and the resulting associations are applied to successfully highlight relevant adverse outcomes for chemical exposures with strong in vitro and in vivo convergence, supporting chemical grouping and other data-driven approaches. Finally, a panel of AOP-derived in vitro biomarkers for pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is identified and experimentally validated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Aliisa Saarimäki
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE)Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Jack Morikka
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE)Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Alisa Pavel
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE)Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Seela Korpilähde
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE)Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Giusy del Giudice
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE)Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Antonio Federico
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE)Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Michele Fratello
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE)Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Angela Serra
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE)Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
- Tampere Institute for Advanced StudyTampere UniversityKalevantie 4Tampere33100Finland
| | - Dario Greco
- Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE)Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
- Institute of BiotechnologyUniversity of HelsinkiP.O.Box 56HelsinkiUusimaa00014Finland
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Lambert JC. Adverse Outcome Pathway 'Footprinting': A Novel Approach to the Integration of 21st Century Toxicology Information into Chemical Mixtures Risk Assessment. TOXICS 2022; 11:37. [PMID: 36668763 PMCID: PMC9860797 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
For over a decade, New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) such as structure-activity/read-across, -omics technologies, and Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP), have been considered within regulatory communities as alternative sources of chemical and biological information potentially relevant to human health risk assessment. Integration of NAMs into applications such as chemical mixtures risk assessment has been limited due to the lack of validation of qualitative and quantitative application to adverse health outcomes in vivo, and acceptance by risk assessors. However, leveraging existent hazard and dose-response information, including NAM-based data, for mixture component chemicals across one or more levels of biological organization using novel approaches such as AOP 'footprinting' proposed herein, may significantly advance mixtures risk assessment. AOP footprinting entails the systematic stepwise profiling and comparison of all known or suspected AOPs involved in a toxicological effect at the level of key event (KE). The goal is to identify key event(s) most proximal to an adverse outcome within each AOP suspected of contributing to a given health outcome at which similarity between mixture chemicals can be confidently determined. These key events are identified as the 'footprint' for a given AOP. This work presents the general concept, and a hypothetical example application, of AOP footprinting as a key methodology for the integration of NAM data into mixtures risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C Lambert
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
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46
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Grison S, Souidi M. Use of omics analysis for low-dose radiotoxicology and health risk assessment: the case of uranium. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 8:dvac025. [PMID: 36518874 PMCID: PMC9743459 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvac025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental pollution and the increase in the incidence of multifactorial diseases in the population have become health problems for industrialized countries. In this context, the question of the health impact of exposure to these pollutants is not clearly identified in the low-dose range. This article looks at this problem using the example of preclinical studies of the effects of chronic low-dose exposure to uranium in rats. These studies demonstrate the value of molecular screening analyses (omics) and multimodal integrative approaches, of which the extreme sensitivity and breadth of observation spectrum make it possible to observe all the biological processes affected and the mechanisms of action triggered at the molecular level by exposure to low doses. They also show the value of these analytical approaches for finding diagnostic biomarkers or indicators of prognosis, which can be necessary to evaluate a risk. Finally, the results of these studies raise the question of the health risk caused by epigenomic deregulations occurring during critical developmental phases and their potential contribution to the development of chronic diseases that are metabolic in origin or to the development of certain cancer liable in the long term to affect the exposed adult and possibly its progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Grison
- *Correspondence address. Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, PSE-SANTE, F-92262 Fontenay-aux-Roses Cedex, France. Tel: +331-58-35-91-23; E-mail:
| | - Maâmar Souidi
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, PSE-SANTE, F-92262 Fontenay-aux-Roses Cedex, France
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47
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Pavel A, Saarimäki LA, Möbus L, Federico A, Serra A, Greco D. The potential of a data centred approach & knowledge graph data representation in chemical safety and drug design. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:4837-4849. [PMID: 36147662 PMCID: PMC9464643 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.08.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Big Data pervades nearly all areas of life sciences, yet the analysis of large integrated data sets remains a major challenge. Moreover, the field of life sciences is highly fragmented and, consequently, so is its data, knowledge, and standards. This, in turn, makes integrated data analysis and knowledge gathering across sub-fields a demanding task. At the same time, the integration of various research angles and data types is crucial for modelling the complexity of organisms and biological processes in a holistic manner. This is especially valid in the context of drug development and chemical safety assessment where computational methods can provide solutions for the urgent need of fast, effective, and sustainable approaches. At the same time, such computational methods require the development of methodologies suitable for an integrated and data centred Big Data view. Here we discuss Knowledge Graphs (KG) as a solution to a data centred analysis approach for drug and chemical development and safety assessment. KGs are knowledge bases, data analysis engines, and knowledge discovery systems all in one, allowing them to be used from simple data retrieval, over meta-analysis to complex predictive and knowledge discovery systems. Therefore, KGs have immense potential to advance the data centred approach, the re-usability, and informativity of data. Furthermore, they can improve the power of analysis, and the complexity of modelled processes, all while providing knowledge in a natively human understandable network data model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Pavel
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,BioMediTech Institute, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Tampere, Finland
| | - Laura A Saarimäki
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,BioMediTech Institute, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Tampere, Finland
| | - Lena Möbus
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,BioMediTech Institute, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Tampere, Finland
| | - Antonio Federico
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,BioMediTech Institute, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Tampere, Finland
| | - Angela Serra
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,BioMediTech Institute, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Tampere, Finland
| | - Dario Greco
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,BioMediTech Institute, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches (FHAIVE), Tampere, Finland.,Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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48
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Warner RM, Sweeney LM, Hayhurst BA, Mayo ML. Toxicokinetic Modeling of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Concentrations within Developing Zebrafish ( Danio rerio) Populations. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:13189-13199. [PMID: 36055240 PMCID: PMC9494737 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are pervasive environmental contaminants, and their relative stability and high bioaccumulation potential create a challenging risk assessment problem. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) data, in principle, can be synthesized within a quantitative adverse outcome pathway (qAOP) framework to link molecular activity with individual or population level hazards. However, even as qAOP models are still in their infancy, there is a need to link internal dose and toxicity endpoints in a more rigorous way to further not only qAOP models but adverse outcome pathway frameworks in general. We address this problem by suggesting refinements to the current state of toxicokinetic modeling for the early development zebrafish exposed to PFAS up to 120 h post-fertilization. Our approach describes two key physiological transformation phenomena of the developing zebrafish: dynamic volume of an individual and dynamic hatching of a population. We then explore two different modeling strategies to describe the mass transfer, with one strategy relying on classical kinetic rates and the other incorporating mechanisms of membrane transport and adsorption/binding potential. Moving forward, we discuss the challenges of extending this model in both timeframe and chemical class, in conjunction with providing a conceptual framework for its integration with ongoing qAOP modeling efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross M. Warner
- Oak
Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
- Environmental
Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and
Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, United States
| | - Lisa M. Sweeney
- UES,
Inc., assigned to US Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson
Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio 45432, United
States
| | - Brett A. Hayhurst
- Environmental
Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and
Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, United States
- Department
of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Michael L. Mayo
- Environmental
Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and
Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, United States
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49
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Jin Y, Qi G, Feng M, Yu D. The path via pathway-based approaches towards safety assessment: A concise review. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2022; 452:116195. [PMID: 35977605 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2022.116195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
For decades, chemical safety assessment has been proposed to shift from animal testing to in vitro testing systems in response to the call for the 3R. In Europe, the answer was to combine various information sources in integrated testing strategies (ITS); In the US, it was in 2007 when the landmark report by the National Research Council put forward a vision of in vitro toxicity testing paradigm. Since then, efforts to develop pathway-based assessment framework have been on the track. In 2010, systems biology brought out a conceptual framework called adverse outcome pathway (AOP), which took one step further from toxicity pathway to regulatory toxicology. Computational modeling, high-throughput screening, high-content omics have all been approached to facilitate this progress. This paper briefly reviewed the achievement of pathway-based chemical assessment since 2007, discussed potential pitfalls and challenges that mechanism-driven chemical assessment may undergo, and presented future perspectives of safety assessment that is to be based on computational system biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Jin
- School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Guangshuai Qi
- School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Meiyao Feng
- Department of Environmental Health, Qingdao Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qingdao Institute of Preventive Medicine, Qingdao, China
| | - Dianke Yu
- School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China..
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50
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Chauhan V, Hamada N, Wilkins R, Garnier-Laplace J, Laurier D, Beaton D, Tollefsen KE. A high-level overview of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Adverse Outcome Pathway Programme. Int J Radiat Biol 2022; 98:1704-1713. [PMID: 35938955 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2022.2110311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Background The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), through its Chemical Safety Programme, is delegated to ensure the safety of humans and wildlife from harmful toxicants. To support these needs, initiatives to increase the efficiency of hazard identification and risk management are under way. Amongst these, the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) approach integrates information on biological knowledge and test methodologies (both established and new) to support regulatory decision making. AOPs collate biological knowledge from different sources, assess lines of evidence through considerations of causality and undergo rigorous peer-review before being subsequently endorsed by the OECD. It is envisioned that the OECD AOP Development Programme will transform the toxicity testing paradigm by leveraging the strengths of mechanistic and modelling based approaches and enhance the utility of high throughput screening assays. Since its launch, in 2012, the AOP Development Programme has matured with a greater number of AOPs endorsed since inception, and the attraction of new scientific disciplines (e.g. the radiation field). Recently, a Radiation and Chemical (Rad/Chem) AOP Joint Topical Group has been formed by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency High-Level Group on Low-Dose Research (HLG-LDR) under the auspices of the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH). The topical group will work to evolve the development and use of the AOP framework in radiation research and regulation. As part of these efforts, the group will bring awareness and understanding on the programme, as it has matured from the chemical perspective. In this context, this paper provides the radiation community with a high-level overview of the OECD AOP Development Programme, including examples of application using knowledge gleaned from the field of chemical toxicology, and their work towards regulatory implementation. Conclusion: Although the drivers for developing AOPs in chemical sector differ from that of the radiation field, the principles and transparency of the approach can benefit both scientific disciplines. By providing perspectives and an understanding of the evolution of the OECD AOP Development Programme including case examples and work towards quantitative AOP development, it may motivate the expansion and implementation of AOPs in the radiation field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinita Chauhan
- Environmental Health Science Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nobuyuki Hamada
- Biology and Environmental Chemistry Division, Sustainable System Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), Komae, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ruth Wilkins
- Environmental Health Science Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Dominique Laurier
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Health and Environment Division, Fontenay-aux-Roses, F-92262, France
| | | | - Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway.,Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway.,Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
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