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Rao SW, Liu CJ, Liang D, Duan YY, Chen ZH, Li JJ, Pang HQ, Zhang FX, Shi W. Multi-omics and chemical profiling approaches to understand the material foundation and pharmacological mechanism of sophorae tonkinensis radix et rhizome-induced liver injury in mice. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 330:118224. [PMID: 38642623 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118224] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Sophorae tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma (STR) is an extensively applied traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in southwest China. However, its clinical application is relatively limited due to its hepatotoxicity effects. AIM OF THE STUDY To understand the material foundation and liver injury mechanism of STR. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chemical compositions in STR and its prototypes in mice were profiled by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF MS). STR-induced liver injury (SILI) was comprehensively evaluated by STR-treated mice mode. The histopathologic and biochemical analyses were performed to evaluate liver injury levels. Subsequently, network pharmacology and multi-omics were used to analyze the potential mechanism of SILI in vivo. And the target genes were further verified by Western blot. RESULTS A total of 152 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized in STR, including 29 alkaloids, 21 organic acids, 75 flavonoids, 1 quinone, and 26 other types. Among them, 19 components were presented in STR-medicated serum. The histopathologic and biochemical analysis revealed that hepatic injury occurred after 4 weeks of intragastric administration of STR. Network pharmacology analysis revealed that IL6, TNF, STAT3, etc. were the main core targets, and the bile secretion might play a key role in SILI. The metabolic pathways such as taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, purine metabolism, and vitamin B6 metabolism were identified in the STR exposed groups. Among them, taurine, hypotaurine, hypoxanthine, pyridoxal, and 4-pyridoxate were selected based on their high impact value and potential biological function in the process of liver injury post STR treatment. CONCLUSIONS The mechanism and material foundation of SILI were revealed and profiled by a multi-omics strategy combined with network pharmacology and chemical profiling. Meanwhile, new insights were taken into understand the pathological mechanism of SILI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Wei Rao
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, PR China; College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Cheng-Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, PR China
| | - Dong Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, PR China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Duan
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, PR China
| | - Zi-Hao Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, PR China
| | - Jin-Jin Li
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, PR China
| | - Han-Qing Pang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR China
| | - Feng-Xiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, PR China.
| | - Wei Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, PR China.
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Dubreil E, Darney K, Delignette-Muller ML, Barranger A, Huet S, Hogeveen K, Léger T, Fessard V, Hégarat LL. Modeling HepaRG metabolome responses to pyrrolizidine alkaloid exposure for insight into points of departure and modes of action. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 474:134721. [PMID: 38843629 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134721] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
The new challenges in toxicology demand novel and innovative in vitro approaches for deriving points of departure (PODs) and determining the mode of action (MOA) of chemicals. Therefore, the aim of this original study was to couple in vitro studies with untargeted metabolomics to model the concentration-response of extra- and intracellular metabolome data on human HepaRG cells treated for 48 h with three pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs): heliotrine, retrorsine and lasiocarpine. Modeling revealed that the three PAs induced various monotonic and, importantly, biphasic curves of metabolite content. Based on unannotated metabolites, the endometabolome was more sensitive than the exometabolome in terms of metabolomic effects, and benchmark concentrations (BMCs) confirmed that lasiocarpine was the most hepatotoxic PA. Regarding its MOA, impairment of lipid metabolism was highlighted at a very low BMC (first quartile, 0.003 µM). Moreover, results confirmed that lasiocarpine targets bile acids, as well as amino acid and steroid metabolisms. Analysis of the endometabolome, based on coupling concentration-response and PODs, gave encouraging results for ranking toxins according to their hepatotoxic effects. Therefore, this novel approach is a promising tool for next-generation risk assessment, readily applicable to a broad range of compounds and toxic endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Dubreil
- ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Fougères Laboratory, Toxicology of Contaminants Unit, 10 B rue Claude Bourgelat, 35306 Fougères, France.
| | - Keyvin Darney
- ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Risk Assessment Department, 14 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Marie-Laure Delignette-Muller
- University of Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Audrey Barranger
- ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Fougères Laboratory, Toxicology of Contaminants Unit, 10 B rue Claude Bourgelat, 35306 Fougères, France
| | - Sylvie Huet
- ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Fougères Laboratory, Toxicology of Contaminants Unit, 10 B rue Claude Bourgelat, 35306 Fougères, France
| | - Kevin Hogeveen
- ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Fougères Laboratory, Toxicology of Contaminants Unit, 10 B rue Claude Bourgelat, 35306 Fougères, France
| | - Thibaut Léger
- ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Fougères Laboratory, Toxicology of Contaminants Unit, 10 B rue Claude Bourgelat, 35306 Fougères, France
| | - Valérie Fessard
- ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Fougères Laboratory, Toxicology of Contaminants Unit, 10 B rue Claude Bourgelat, 35306 Fougères, France
| | - Ludovic Le Hégarat
- ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Fougères Laboratory, Toxicology of Contaminants Unit, 10 B rue Claude Bourgelat, 35306 Fougères, France
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Wu L, Ying M, Ye Y, Wang D, Chen C, Liu C. Correlation of meniscus tear type with synovial inflammation and the therapeutic potential of docosapentaenoic acid. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2024; 25:375. [PMID: 38734632 PMCID: PMC11088038 DOI: 10.1186/s12891-024-07491-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synovitis, characterized by inflammation of the synovial membrane, is commonly induced by meniscus tears. However, significant differences in inflammatory responses and the key inflammatory mediators of synovium induced by different types of meniscal tears remain unclear. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was employed to identify the type of meniscus tear, and the quantification of synovial inflammation was assessed through H&E staining assay. Transcription and expression levels of IL-1β and IL-6 were evaluated using bioinformatics, ELISA, RT-qPCR, and IHC of CD68 staining assays. The therapeutic potential of Docosapentaenoic Acid (DPA) was determined through network pharmacology, ELISA, and RT-qPCR assays. The safety of DPA was assessed using colony formation and EdU staining assays. RESULTS The results indicate that both IL-1β and IL-6 play pivotal roles in synovitis pathogenesis, with distinct expression levels across various subtypes. Among tested meniscus tears, oblique tear and bucket handle tear induced the most severe inflammation, followed by radial tear and longitudinal tear, while horizontal tear resulted in the least inflammation. Furthermore, in synovial inflammation induced by specific meniscus tears, the anterior medial tissues exhibited significantly higher local inflammation than the anterior lateral and suprapatellar regions, highlighting the clinical relevance and practical guidance of anterior medial tissues' inflammatory levels. Additionally, we identified the essential omega-3 fatty acid DPA as a potential therapeutic agent for synovitis, demonstrating efficacy in blocking the transcription and expression of IL-1β and IL-6 with minimal side effects. CONCLUSION These findings provide valuable insights into the nuanced nature of synovial inflammation induced by various meniscal tear classifications and contribute to the development of new adjunctive therapeutic agents in the management of synovitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lichuang Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 1210 University Town, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Ming Ying
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, 1210 University Town, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Yiheng Ye
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 1210 University Town, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Dongdong Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 1210 University Town, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Chengwei Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 1210 University Town, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Cailong Liu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 1210 University Town, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China.
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Siricilla S, Hansen CJ, Rogers JH, De D, Simpson CL, Waterson AG, Sulikowski GA, Crockett SL, Boatwright N, Reese J, Paria BC, Newton J, Herington JL. Arrest of mouse preterm labor until term delivery by combination therapy with atosiban and mundulone, a natural product with tocolytic efficacy. Pharmacol Res 2023; 195:106876. [PMID: 37536638 PMCID: PMC10712649 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
There is a lack of FDA-approved tocolytics for the management of preterm labor (PL). In prior drug discovery efforts, we identified mundulone and mundulone acetate (MA) as inhibitors of in vitro intracellular Ca2+-regulated myometrial contractility. In this study, we probed the tocolytic potential of these compounds using human myometrial samples and a mouse model of preterm birth. In a phenotypic assay, mundulone displayed greater efficacy, while MA showed greater potency and uterine-selectivity in the inhibition of intracellular-Ca2+ mobilization. Cell viability assays revealed that MA was significantly less cytotoxic. Organ bath and vessel myography studies showed that only mundulone exerted inhibition of myometrial contractions and that neither compounds affected vasoreactivity of ductus arteriosus. A high-throughput combination screen identified that mundulone exhibits synergism with two clinical-tocolytics (atosiban and nifedipine), and MA displayed synergistic efficacy with nifedipine. Of these combinations, mundulone+atosiban demonstrated a significant improvement in the in vitro therapeutic index compared to mundulone alone. The ex vivo and in vivo synergism of mundulone+atosiban was substantiated, yielding greater tocolytic efficacy and potency on myometrial tissue and reduced preterm birth rates in a mouse model of PL compared to each single agent. Treatment with mundulone after mifepristone administration dose-dependently delayed the timing of delivery. Importantly, mundulone+atosiban permitted long-term management of PL, allowing 71% dams to deliver viable pups at term (>day 19, 4-5 days post-mifepristone exposure) without visible maternal and fetal consequences. Collectively, these studies provide a strong foundation for the development of mundulone as a single or combination tocolytic for management of PL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shajila Siricilla
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Christopher J Hansen
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jackson H Rogers
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Debasmita De
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Carolyn L Simpson
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alex G Waterson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gary A Sulikowski
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Stacey L Crockett
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Naoko Boatwright
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jeff Reese
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bibhash C Paria
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - J Newton
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jennifer L Herington
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Rao M, Nassiri V, Alhambra C, Snoeys J, Van Goethem F, Irrechukwu O, Aleo MD, Geys H, Mitra K, Will Y. AI/ML Models to Predict the Severity of Drug-Induced Liver Injury for Small Molecules. Chem Res Toxicol 2023. [PMID: 37294641 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI), believed to be a multifactorial toxicity, has been a leading cause of attrition of small molecules during discovery, clinical development, and postmarketing. Identification of DILI risk early reduces the costs and cycle times associated with drug development. In recent years, several groups have reported predictive models that use physicochemical properties or in vitro and in vivo assay endpoints; however, these approaches have not accounted for liver-expressed proteins and drug molecules. To address this gap, we have developed an integrated artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) model to predict DILI severity for small molecules using a combination of physicochemical properties and off-target interactions predicted in silico. We compiled a data set of 603 diverse compounds from public databases. Among them, 164 were categorized as Most DILI (M-DILI), 245 as Less DILI (L-DILI), and 194 as No DILI (N-DILI) by the FDA. Six machine learning methods were used to create a consensus model for predicting the DILI potential. These methods include k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), Naïve Bayes (NB), artificial neural network (ANN), logistic regression (LR), weighted average ensemble learning (WA) and penalized logistic regression (PLR). Among the analyzed ML methods, SVM, RF, LR, WA, and PLR identified M-DILI and N-DILI compounds, achieving a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.88, sensitivity of 0.73, and specificity of 0.9. Approximately 43 off-targets, along with physicochemical properties (fsp3, log S, basicity, reactive functional groups, and predicted metabolites), were identified as significant factors in distinguishing between M-DILI and N-DILI compounds. The key off-targets that we identified include: PTGS1, PTGS2, SLC22A12, PPARγ, RXRA, CYP2C9, AKR1C3, MGLL, RET, AR, and ABCC4. The present AI/ML computational approach therefore demonstrates that the integration of physicochemical properties and predicted on- and off-target biological interactions can significantly improve DILI predictivity compared to chemical properties alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan Rao
- Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS), Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety (PSTS), Predictive Investigative and Translational Toxicology (PITT), Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Vahid Nassiri
- Open Analytics, Jupiterstraat 20, 2600 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Cristóbal Alhambra
- Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS), Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety (PSTS), Predictive Investigative and Translational Toxicology (PITT), Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Jan Snoeys
- Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS), Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety (PSTS), Predictive Investigative and Translational Toxicology (PITT), Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Freddy Van Goethem
- Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS), Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety (PSTS), Predictive Investigative and Translational Toxicology (PITT), Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Onyi Irrechukwu
- Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS), Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety (PSTS), Predictive Investigative and Translational Toxicology (PITT), Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Michael D Aleo
- TOXinsights LLC, Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania 17007, United States
| | - Helena Geys
- Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS), Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety (PSTS), Predictive Investigative and Translational Toxicology (PITT), Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Kaushik Mitra
- Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS), Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety (PSTS), Predictive Investigative and Translational Toxicology (PITT), Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Yvonne Will
- Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS), Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety (PSTS), Predictive Investigative and Translational Toxicology (PITT), Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
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Siricilla S, Hansen CJ, Rogers JH, De D, Simpson CL, Waterson AG, Sulikowski GA, Crockett SL, Boatwright N, Reese J, Paria BC, Newton J, Herington JL. Arrest of mouse preterm labor until term delivery by combination therapy with atosiban and mundulone, a natural product with tocolytic efficacy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.06.543921. [PMID: 37333338 PMCID: PMC10274706 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.06.543921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Currently, there is a lack of FDA-approved tocolytics for the management of preterm labor (PL). In prior drug discovery efforts, we identified mundulone and its analog mundulone acetate (MA) as inhibitors of in vitro intracellular Ca 2+ -regulated myometrial contractility. In this study, we probed the tocolytic and therapeutic potential of these small molecules using myometrial cells and tissues obtained from patients receiving cesarean deliveries, as well as a mouse model of PL resulting in preterm birth. In a phenotypic assay, mundulone displayed greater efficacy in the inhibition of intracellular-Ca 2+ from myometrial cells; however, MA showed greater potency and uterine-selectivity, based IC 50 and E max values between myometrial cells compared to aorta vascular smooth muscle cells, a major maternal off-target site of current tocolytics. Cell viability assays revealed that MA was significantly less cytotoxic. Organ bath and vessel myography studies showed that only mundulone exerted concentration-dependent inhibition of ex vivo myometrial contractions and that neither mundulone or MA affected vasoreactivity of ductus arteriosus, a major fetal off-target of current tocolytics. A high-throughput combination screen of in vitro intracellular Ca 2+ -mobilization identified that mundulone exhibits synergism with two clinical-tocolytics (atosiban and nifedipine), and MA displayed synergistic efficacy with nifedipine. Of these synergistic combinations, mundulone + atosiban demonstrated a favorable in vitro therapeutic index (TI)=10, a substantial improvement compared to TI=0.8 for mundulone alone. The ex vivo and in vivo synergism of mundulone and atosiban was substantiated, yielding greater tocolytic efficacy and potency on isolated mouse and human myometrial tissue and reduced preterm birth rates in a mouse model of PL compared to each single agent. Treatment with mundulone 5hrs after mifepristone administration (and PL induction) dose-dependently delayed the timing of delivery. Importantly, mundulone in combination with atosiban (FR 3.7:1, 6.5mg/kg + 1.75mg/kg) permitted long-term management of PL after induction with 30 μg mifepristone, allowing 71% dams to deliver viable pups at term (> day 19, 4-5 days post-mifepristone exposure) without any visible maternal and fetal consequences. Collectively, these studies provide a strong foundation for the future development of mundulone as a stand-alone single- and/or combination-tocolytic therapy for management of PL.
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Pognan F, Beilmann M, Boonen HCM, Czich A, Dear G, Hewitt P, Mow T, Oinonen T, Roth A, Steger-Hartmann T, Valentin JP, Van Goethem F, Weaver RJ, Newham P. The evolving role of investigative toxicology in the pharmaceutical industry. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:317-335. [PMID: 36781957 PMCID: PMC9924869 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00633-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
For decades, preclinical toxicology was essentially a descriptive discipline in which treatment-related effects were carefully reported and used as a basis to calculate safety margins for drug candidates. In recent years, however, technological advances have increasingly enabled researchers to gain insights into toxicity mechanisms, supporting greater understanding of species relevance and translatability to humans, prediction of safety events, mitigation of side effects and development of safety biomarkers. Consequently, investigative (or mechanistic) toxicology has been gaining momentum and is now a key capability in the pharmaceutical industry. Here, we provide an overview of the current status of the field using case studies and discuss the potential impact of ongoing technological developments, based on a survey of investigative toxicologists from 14 European-based medium-sized to large pharmaceutical companies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Pognan
- Discovery and Investigative Safety, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Mario Beilmann
- Nonclinical Drug Safety Germany, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Harrie C M Boonen
- Drug Safety, Dept of Exploratory Toxicology, Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark
| | | | - Gordon Dear
- In Vitro In Vivo Translation, GlaxoSmithKline David Jack Centre for Research, Ware, UK
| | - Philip Hewitt
- Chemical and Preclinical Safety, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tomas Mow
- Safety Pharmacology and Early Toxicology, Novo Nordisk A/S, Maaloev, Denmark
| | - Teija Oinonen
- Preclinical Safety, Orion Corporation, Espoo, Finland
| | - Adrian Roth
- Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Freddy Van Goethem
- Predictive, Investigative & Translational Toxicology, Nonclinical Safety, Janssen Research & Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Richard J Weaver
- Innovation Life Cycle Management, Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, Suresnes, France
| | - Peter Newham
- Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK.
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8
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Rao SW, Duan YY, Zhao DS, Liu CJ, Xu SH, Liang D, Zhang FX, Shi W. Integrative Analysis of Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Data for Identification of Pathways Related to Matrine-Induced Hepatotoxicity. Chem Res Toxicol 2022; 35:2271-2284. [PMID: 36440846 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Matrine (MT) is a major bioactive compound extracted from Sophorae tonkinensis. However, the clinical application of MT is relatively restricted due to its potentially toxic effects, especially hepatotoxicity. Although MT-induced liver injury has been reported, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this study, transcriptomics and metabolomics were applied to investigate the hepatotoxicity of MT in mice. The results indicated that liver injury occurred when the administration of MT (30 or 60 mg/kg, i.g) lasted for 2 weeks, including dramatically increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), etc. The metabolomic results revealed that steroid biosynthesis, purine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and pyruvate metabolism were involved in the occurrence and development of MT-induced hepatotoxicity. Further, the transcriptomic data indicated that the downregulation of NSDHL with CYP51, FDFT1, and DHCR7, involved in steroid biosynthesis, resulted in a lower level of cholic acid. Besides, Gstps and Nat8f1 were related to the disorder of glutathione metabolism, and HMGCS1 could be treated as the marker gene of the development of MT-induced hepatotoxicity. In addition, other metabolites, such as taurine, flavin mononucleotide (FMN), and inosine monophosphate (IMP), also made a contribution to the boosting of MT-induced hepatotoxicity. In this work, our results provide clues for the mechanism investigation of MT-induced hepatotoxicity, and several biomarkers (metabolites and genes) closely related to the liver injury caused by MT are also provided. Meanwhile, new insights into the understanding of the development of MT-induced hepatotoxicity or other monomer-induced hepatotoxicity were also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Wei Rao
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Duan
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Dong-Sheng Zhao
- College of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, P. R. China
| | - Cheng-Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Shao-Hua Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Dong Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Feng-Xiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Wei Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Center for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
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9
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Oku Y, Madia F, Lau P, Paparella M, McGovern T, Luijten M, Jacobs MN. Analyses of Transcriptomics Cell Signalling for Pre-Screening Applications in the Integrated Approach for Testing and Assessment of Non-Genotoxic Carcinogens. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232112718. [PMID: 36361516 PMCID: PMC9659232 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
With recent rapid advancement of methodological tools, mechanistic understanding of biological processes leading to carcinogenesis is expanding. New approach methodologies such as transcriptomics can inform on non-genotoxic mechanisms of chemical carcinogens and can be developed for regulatory applications. The Organisation for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) expert group developing an Integrated Approach to the Testing and Assessment (IATA) of Non-Genotoxic Carcinogens (NGTxC) is reviewing the possible assays to be integrated therein. In this context, we review the application of transcriptomics approaches suitable for pre-screening gene expression changes associated with phenotypic alterations that underlie the carcinogenic processes for subsequent prioritisation of downstream test methods appropriate to specific key events of non-genotoxic carcinogenesis. Using case studies, we evaluate the potential of gene expression analyses especially in relation to breast cancer, to identify the most relevant approaches that could be utilised as (pre-) screening tools, for example Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). We also consider how to address the challenges to integrate gene panels and transcriptomic assays into the IATA, highlighting the pivotal omics markers identified for assay measurement in the IATA key events of inflammation, immune response, mitogenic signalling and cell injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Oku
- The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 2 Rue Andre Pascal, 75016 Paris, France
- Correspondence: (Y.O.); (M.N.J.)
| | - Federica Madia
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Via Enrico Fermi, 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy
| | - Pierre Lau
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Martin Paparella
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80, 6020 Innbruck, Austria
| | - Timothy McGovern
- US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901, USA
| | - Mirjam Luijten
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, Bilthoven, 3721 MA Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Miriam N. Jacobs
- Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazard (CRCE), Public Health England (PHE), Chilton OX11 0RQ, Oxfordshire, UK
- Correspondence: (Y.O.); (M.N.J.)
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10
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Yan L, Messner CJ, Tian M, Gou X, Suter-Dick L, Zhang X. Evaluation of dioxin induced transcriptomic responses in a 3D human liver microtissue model. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 210:112906. [PMID: 35181307 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112906] [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: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional human liver microtissue model provides a promising method for predicting the human hepatotoxicity of environmental chemicals. However, the dynamics of transcriptional responses of 3D human liver microtissue model to dioxins exposure remain unclear. Herein, time-series transcriptomic analysis was used to characterize modulation of gene expression over 14 days in 3D human liver microtissues exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetra-chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, 31 nM, 10 ng/ml). Changes in gene expression and modulation of biological pathways were evaluated at several time points. The results showed that microtissues stably expressed genes related to toxicological pathways (e.g. highly of genes involved in external stimuli and maintenance of cell homeostasis pathways) during the 14-day culture period. Furthermore, a weekly phenomenon pattern was observed for the number of the differentially expressed genes in microtissues exposed to TCDD at each time point. TCDD led to an induction of genes involved in cell cycle regulation at day three. Metabolic pathways were the main significantly induced pathways during the subsequent days, with the immune/inflammatory response enriched on the fifth day, and the cellular response to DNA damage was identified at the end of the exposure. Finally, relevant transcription patterns identified in microtissues were compared with published data on rodent and human cell-line studies to elucidate potential species-specific responses to TCDD over time. Cell development and cytochrome P450 pathway were mainly affected after a 3-day exposure, with the DNA damage response identified at the end of exposure in the human microtissue system but not in mouse/rat primary hepatocytes models. Overall, the 3D human liver microtissue model is a valuable tool to predict the toxic effects of environmental chemicals with a relatively long exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Catherine Jane Messner
- University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Muttenz, Switzerland; Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), Switzerland
| | - Mingming Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Xiao Gou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Laura Suter-Dick
- University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Muttenz, Switzerland; Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), Switzerland
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China.
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11
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Alexander-White C, Bury D, Cronin M, Dent M, Hack E, Hewitt NJ, Kenna G, Naciff J, Ouedraogo G, Schepky A, Mahony C, Europe C. A 10-step framework for use of read-across (RAX) in next generation risk assessment (NGRA) for cosmetics safety assessment. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2022; 129:105094. [PMID: 34990780 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.105094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a 10-step read-across (RAX) framework for use in cases where a threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) approach to cosmetics safety assessment is not possible. RAX builds on established approaches that have existed for more than two decades using chemical properties and in silico toxicology predictions, by further substantiating hypotheses on toxicological similarity of substances, and integrating new approach methodologies (NAM) in the biological and kinetic domains. NAM include new types of data on biological observations from, for example, in vitro assays, toxicogenomics, metabolomics, receptor binding screens and uses physiologically-based kinetic (PBK) modelling to inform about systemic exposure. NAM data can help to substantiate a mode/mechanism of action (MoA), and if similar chemicals can be shown to work by a similar MoA, a next generation risk assessment (NGRA) may be performed with acceptable confidence for a data-poor target substance with no or inadequate safety data, based on RAX approaches using data-rich analogue(s), and taking account of potency or kinetic/dynamic differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Alexander-White
- MKTox & Co Ltd, 36 Fairford Crescent, Downhead Park, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK15 9AQ, UK.
| | - Dagmar Bury
- L'Oreal Research & Innovation, 9 Rue Pierre Dreyfus, 92110, Clichy, France
| | - Mark Cronin
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 AF, UK
| | - Matthew Dent
- Unilever, Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Colworth House, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, MK44 1ET, UK
| | - Eric Hack
- ScitoVation, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nicola J Hewitt
- Cosmetics Europe, 40 Avenue Hermann-Debroux, 1160, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gerry Kenna
- Cosmetics Europe, 40 Avenue Hermann-Debroux, 1160, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jorge Naciff
- The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH, 45040, USA
| | - Gladys Ouedraogo
- L'Oreal Research & Innovation, 1 Avenue Eugène Schueller, Aulnay sous bois, France
| | | | | | - Cosmetics Europe
- Cosmetics Europe, 40 Avenue Hermann-Debroux, 1160, Brussels, Belgium.
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12
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Kulsharova G, Kurmangaliyeva A. Liver microphysiological platforms for drug metabolism applications. Cell Prolif 2021; 54:e13099. [PMID: 34291515 PMCID: PMC8450120 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug development is a costly and lengthy process with low success rates. To improve the efficiency of drug development, there has been an increasing need in developing alternative methods able to eliminate toxic compounds early in the drug development pipeline. Drug metabolism plays a key role in determining the efficacy of a drug and its potential side effects. Since drug metabolism occurs mainly in the liver, liver cell‐based alternative engineering platforms have been growing in the last decade. Microphysiological liver cell‐based systems called liver‐on‐a‐chip platforms can better recapitulate the environment for human liver cells in laboratory settings and have the potential to reduce the number of animal models used in drug development by predicting the response of the liver to a drug in vitro. In this review, we discuss the liver microphysiological platforms from the perspective of drug metabolism studies. We highlight the stand‐alone liver‐on‐a‐chip platforms and multi‐organ systems integrating liver‐on‐a‐chip devices used for drug metabolism mimicry in vitro and review the state‐of‐the‐art platforms reported in the last few years. With the development of more robust and reproducible liver cell‐based microphysiological platforms, the drug development field has the potential of reducing the costs and lengths associated with currently existing drug testing methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulsim Kulsharova
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
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13
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Xie Q, Liu L, Chen X, Cheng Y, Li J, Zhang X, Xu N, Han Y, Liu H, Wei L, Peng J, Shen A. Identification of Cysteine Protease Inhibitor CST2 as a Potential Biomarker for Colorectal Cancer. J Cancer 2021; 12:5144-5152. [PMID: 34335931 PMCID: PMC8317524 DOI: 10.7150/jca.53983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Additional biomarkers for the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) remain to be identified. Hence, the current study aimed to identify potential diagnostic markers for CRC. Analyses of cysteine protease inhibitor [cystatins (CSTs)] expression in CRC samples and its correlation with cancer stage or survival in patients with CRC demonstrated that CRC tissues had greater CST1 and CST2 mRNA expression compared to noncancerous adjacent tissues, while higher CST2 mRNA expression in CRC tissues was correlated with advanced stages and disease-free survival in patients with CRC, encouraging further exploration on the role of CST2 in CRC. Through an online database search and tissue microarray (TMA), we confirmed that CRC samples had higher CST2 expression compared to noncancerous adjacent tissue or normal colorectal tissues at both the mRNA and protein levels. TMA also revealed that colorectal adenoma, CRC, and metastatic CRC tissues exhibited a significantly increased CST2 protein expression. Accordingly, survival analysis demonstrated that the increase in CST2 protein expression was correlated with shorter overall survival of patients with CRC. Moreover, our results found a significant upregulation of CST2 in multiple cancer tissues. Taken together, these findings suggest the potential role of CST2 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiurong Xie
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Liya Liu
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Ying Cheng
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Jiapeng Li
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Department of Physical Education, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Xiuli Zhang
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Nanhui Xu
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Yuying Han
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Huixin Liu
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Lihui Wei
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Jun Peng
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Aling Shen
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Qiuyang Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
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14
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Tabernilla A, dos Santos Rodrigues B, Pieters A, Caufriez A, Leroy K, Van Campenhout R, Cooreman A, Gomes AR, Arnesdotter E, Gijbels E, Vinken M. In Vitro Liver Toxicity Testing of Chemicals: A Pragmatic Approach. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5038. [PMID: 34068678 PMCID: PMC8126138 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22095038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The liver is among the most frequently targeted organs by noxious chemicals of diverse nature. Liver toxicity testing using laboratory animals not only raises serious ethical questions, but is also rather poorly predictive of human safety towards chemicals. Increasing attention is, therefore, being paid to the development of non-animal and human-based testing schemes, which rely to a great extent on in vitro methodology. The present paper proposes a rationalized tiered in vitro testing strategy to detect liver toxicity triggered by chemicals, in which the first tier is focused on assessing general cytotoxicity, while the second tier is aimed at identifying liver-specific toxicity as such. A state-of-the-art overview is provided of the most commonly used in vitro assays that can be used in both tiers. Advantages and disadvantages of each assay as well as overall practical considerations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mathieu Vinken
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.T.); (B.d.S.R.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (K.L.); (R.V.C.); (A.C.); (A.R.G.); (E.A.); (E.G.)
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15
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Ingelman-Sundberg M, Lauschke VM. 3D human liver spheroids for translational pharmacology and toxicology. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2021; 130 Suppl 1:5-15. [PMID: 33872466 DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.13587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Drug development is a failure-prone endeavour, and more than 85% of drugs fail during clinical development, showcasing that current preclinical systems for compound selection are clearly inadequate. Liver toxicity remains a major reason for safety failures. Furthermore, all efforts to develop pharmacological therapies for a variety of chronic liver diseases, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis, remain unsuccessful. Considering the time and expense of clinical trials, as well as the substantial burden on patients, new strategies are thus of paramount importance to increase clinical success rates. To this end, human liver spheroids are becoming increasingly utilized as they allow to preserve patient-specific phenotypes and functions for multiple weeks in culture. We here review the recent application of such systems for i) predictive and mechanistic analyses of drug hepatotoxicity, ii) the evaluation of hepatic disposition and metabolite formation of low clearance drugs and iii) the development of drugs for metabolic and infectious liver diseases, including NASH, fibrosis, malaria and viral hepatitis. We envision that with increasing dissemination, liver spheroids might become the new gold standard for such applications in translational pharmacology and toxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Volker M Lauschke
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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16
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Serras AS, Rodrigues JS, Cipriano M, Rodrigues AV, Oliveira NG, Miranda JP. A Critical Perspective on 3D Liver Models for Drug Metabolism and Toxicology Studies. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:626805. [PMID: 33732695 PMCID: PMC7957963 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.626805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor predictability of human liver toxicity is still causing high attrition rates of drug candidates in the pharmaceutical industry at the non-clinical, clinical, and post-marketing authorization stages. This is in part caused by animal models that fail to predict various human adverse drug reactions (ADRs), resulting in undetected hepatotoxicity at the non-clinical phase of drug development. In an effort to increase the prediction of human hepatotoxicity, different approaches to enhance the physiological relevance of hepatic in vitro systems are being pursued. Three-dimensional (3D) or microfluidic technologies allow to better recapitulate hepatocyte organization and cell-matrix contacts, to include additional cell types, to incorporate fluid flow and to create gradients of oxygen and nutrients, which have led to improved differentiated cell phenotype and functionality. This comprehensive review addresses the drug-induced hepatotoxicity mechanisms and the currently available 3D liver in vitro models, their characteristics, as well as their advantages and limitations for human hepatotoxicity assessment. In addition, since toxic responses are greatly dependent on the culture model, a comparative analysis of the toxicity studies performed using two-dimensional (2D) and 3D in vitro strategies with recognized hepatotoxic compounds, such as paracetamol, diclofenac, and troglitazone is performed, further highlighting the need for harmonization of the respective characterization methods. Finally, taking a step forward, we propose a roadmap for the assessment of drugs hepatotoxicity based on fully characterized fit-for-purpose in vitro models, taking advantage of the best of each model, which will ultimately contribute to more informed decision-making in the drug development and risk assessment fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana S. Serras
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana S. Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Madalena Cipriano
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Armanda V. Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nuno G. Oliveira
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana P. Miranda
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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17
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Donato MT, Tolosa L. High-Content Screening for the Detection of Drug-Induced Oxidative Stress in Liver Cells. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10010106. [PMID: 33451093 PMCID: PMC7828515 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10010106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) remains a major cause of drug development failure, post-marketing warnings and restriction of use. An improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying DILI is required for better drug design and development. Enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels may cause a wide spectrum of oxidative damage, which has been described as a major mechanism implicated in DILI. Several cell-based assays have been developed as in vitro tools for early safety risk assessments. Among them, high-content screening technology has been used for the identification of modes of action, the determination of the level of injury and the discovery of predictive biomarkers for the safety assessment of compounds. In this paper, we review the value of in vitro high-content screening studies and evaluate how to assess oxidative stress induced by drugs in hepatic cells, demonstrating the detection of pre-lethal mechanisms of DILI as a powerful tool in human toxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Donato
- Unidad de Hepatología Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.T.D.); (L.T.); Tel.: +34-961-246-649 (M.D.); +34-961-246-619 (L.T.)
| | - Laia Tolosa
- Unidad de Hepatología Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.T.D.); (L.T.); Tel.: +34-961-246-649 (M.D.); +34-961-246-619 (L.T.)
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18
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Rasheed A, Azizi L, Turkki P, Janka M, Hytönen VP, Tuukkanen S. Extrusion-Based Bioprinting of Multilayered Nanocellulose Constructs for Cell Cultivation Using In Situ Freezing and Preprint CaCl 2 Cross-Linking. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:569-578. [PMID: 33458509 PMCID: PMC7807796 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c05036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Extrusion-based bioprinting with a preprint cross-linking agent and an in situ cooling stage provides a versatile method for the fabrication of 3D structures for cell culture. We added varying amounts of calcium chloride as a precross-linker into native nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) hydrogel prior to 3D bioprinting to fabricate structurally stable multilayered constructs without the need for a separate cross-linking bath. To further enhance their stability, we bioprinted the multilayered structures onto an in situ temperature-controlled printing stage at 25, 0, and -10 °C. The extruded and subsequently freeze-dried volumetric constructs maintained their structures after being immersed into a cell culture medium. The ability to maintain the shape after immersion in cell media is an essential feature for the fabrication of stem cell-based artificial organs. We studied the viability and distribution of mouse embryonic fibroblast cells into the hydrogels using luminescence technique and confocal microscopy. Adding CaCl2 increased the stability of the multilayered nanocellulose structures, making them suitable for culturing cells inside the 3D hydrogel environment. Lower stage temperature considerably improved the structural stability of the 3D printed structures, however, had no effect on cell viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anum Rasheed
- Faculty
of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere
University, Korkeakoulunkatu 7 Kampusareena, 33720 Tampere, Finland
| | - Latifeh Azizi
- Faculty
of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere
University, Arvo Ylpön
Katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Paula Turkki
- Faculty
of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere
University, Arvo Ylpön
Katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Marika Janka
- Faculty
of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere
University, Korkeakoulunkatu 7 Kampusareena, 33720 Tampere, Finland
| | - Vesa P. Hytönen
- Faculty
of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere
University, Arvo Ylpön
Katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
- Fimlab
Laboratories, Biokatu
4, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Sampo Tuukkanen
- Faculty
of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere
University, Korkeakoulunkatu 7 Kampusareena, 33720 Tampere, Finland
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Insights into Aflatoxin B1 Toxicity in Cattle: An In Vitro Whole-Transcriptomic Approach. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12070429. [PMID: 32610656 PMCID: PMC7404968 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12070429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aflatoxins, and particularly aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), are toxic mycotoxins to humans and farm animal species, resulting in acute and chronic toxicities. At present, AFB1 is still considered a global concern with negative impacts on health, the economy, and social life. In farm animals, exposure to AFB1-contaminated feed may cause several untoward effects, liver damage being one of the most devastating ones. In the present study, we assessed in vitro the transcriptional changes caused by AFB1 in a bovine fetal hepatocyte-derived cell line (BFH12). To boost the cellular response to AFB1, cells were pre-treated with the co-planar PCB 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126), a known aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist. Three experimental groups were considered: cells exposed to the vehicle only, to PCB126, and to PCB126 and AFB1. A total of nine RNA-seq libraries (three replicates/group) were constructed and sequenced. The differential expression analysis showed that PCB126 induced only small transcriptional changes. On the contrary, AFB1 deeply affected the cell transcriptome, the majority of significant genes being associated with cancer, cellular damage and apoptosis, inflammation, bioactivation, and detoxification pathways. Investigating mRNA perturbations induced by AFB1 in cattle BFH12 cells will help us to better understand AFB1 toxicodynamics in this susceptible and economically important food-producing species.
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