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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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Lis-Cieplak A, Trześniowska K, Stolarczyk K, Stolarczyk EU. Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids as Hazardous Toxins in Natural Products: Current Analytical Methods and Latest Legal Regulations. Molecules 2024; 29:3269. [PMID: 39064851 PMCID: PMC11279032 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29143269] [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: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are toxic compounds that occur naturally in certain plants, however, there are many secondary pathways causing PA contamination of other plants, including medicinal herbs and plant-based food products, which pose a risk of human intoxication. It is proven that chronic exposure to PAs causes serious adverse health consequences resulting from their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. This review briefly presents PA occurrence, structures, chemistry, and toxicity, as well as a set of analytical methods. Recently developed sensitive electrochemical and chromatographic methods for the determination of PAs in honey, teas, herbs, and spices were summarized. The main strategies for improving the analytical efficiency of PA determination are related to the use of mass spectrometric (MS) detection; therefore, this review focuses on advances in MS-based methods. Raising awareness of the potential health risks associated with the presence of PAs in food and herbal medicines requires ongoing research in this area, including the development of sensitive methods for PA determination and rigorous legal regulations of PA intake from herbal products. The maximum levels of PAs in certain products are regulated by the European Commission; however, the precise knowledge about which products contain trace but significant amounts of these alkaloids is still insufficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Lis-Cieplak
- Spectrometric Methods Department, National Medicines Institute, Chełmska 30/34, 00-725 Warsaw, Poland; (A.L.-C.); (K.T.)
| | - Katarzyna Trześniowska
- Spectrometric Methods Department, National Medicines Institute, Chełmska 30/34, 00-725 Warsaw, Poland; (A.L.-C.); (K.T.)
| | | | - Elżbieta U. Stolarczyk
- Spectrometric Methods Department, National Medicines Institute, Chełmska 30/34, 00-725 Warsaw, Poland; (A.L.-C.); (K.T.)
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Shan Q, Yu W, Xu Q, Liu R, Ying S, Dong J, Bao Y, Lyu Q, Shi C, Xia J, Tang J, Kuang H, Wang K, Tian G, Cao G. Detoxification and underlying mechanisms towards toxic alkaloids by Traditional Chinese Medicine processing: A comprehensive review. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 129:155623. [PMID: 38703661 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155623] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alkaloids have attracted enduring interest worldwide due to their remarkable therapeutic effects, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties, thus offering a rich source for lead compound design and new drug discovery. However, some of these alkaloids possess intrinsic toxicity. Processing (Paozhi) is a pre-treatment step before the application of herbal medicines in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinics, which has been employed for centuries to mitigate the toxicity of alkaloid-rich TCMs. PURPOSE To explore the toxicity phenotypes, chemical basis, mode of action, detoxification processing methods, and underlying mechanisms, we can gain crucial insights into the safe and rational use of these toxic alkaloid-rich herbs. Such insights have the great potential to offer new strategies for drug discovery and development, ultimately improving the quality of life for millions of people. METHODS Literatures published or early accessed until December 31, 2023, were retrieved from databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI. The following keywords, such as "toxicity", "alkaloid", "detoxification", "processing", "traditional Chinese medicine", "medicinal plant", and "plant", were used in combination or separately for screening. RESULTS Toxicity of alkaloids in TCM includes hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and other forms of toxicity, primarily induced by pyrrolizidines, quinolizidines, isoquinolines, indoles, pyridines, terpenoids, and amines. Factors such as whether the toxic-alkaloid enriched part is limited or heat-sensitive, and whether toxic alkaloids are also therapeutic components, are critical for choosing appropriate detoxification processing methods. Mechanisms of alkaloid detoxification includes physical removal, chemical decomposition or transformation, as well as biological modifications. CONCLUSION Through this exploration, we review toxic alkaloids and the mechanisms underlying their toxicity, discuss methods to reduce toxicity, and unravel the intricate mechanisms behind detoxification. These offers insights into the quality control of herbs containing toxic alkaloids, safe and rational use of alkaloid-rich TCMs in clinics, new strategies for drug discovery and development, and ultimately helping improve the quality of life for millions of people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyuan Shan
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China.
| | - Wei Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China; Clinical Research Unit, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Qiongfang Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Ruina Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Shuye Ying
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Jie Dong
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Yini Bao
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Qiang Lyu
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Changcheng Shi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junjie Xia
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Jing Tang
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Haodan Kuang
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Kuilong Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China.
| | - Gang Tian
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China.
| | - Gang Cao
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China.
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Chen Y, Li L, Xu J, Liu Y, Xie Y, Xiong A, Wang Z, Yang L. Mass spectrometric analysis strategies for pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Food Chem 2024; 445:138748. [PMID: 38422865 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.138748] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in food and natural preparations have received widespread attention due to their hepatotoxicity, genotoxicity, and embryotoxicity. Mass spectrometry (MS), as a high resolution, high sensitive, and high throughput detection tool, has been the most commonly used technique for the determination of PAs. The continuous advancement of new technologies, methods, and strategies in the field of MS has contributed to the improvement of the analytical efficiency and methodological enhancement of PAs. This paper provides an overview of the structure, toxicity properties and commonly employed analytical methods, focusing on the concepts, advances, and novel techniques and applications of MS-based methods for the analysis of PAs. Additionally, the remaining challenges, future perspectives, and trends for PA detection are discussed. This review provides a reference for toxicological studies of PAs, content monitoring, and the establishment of quality control and safety standards for herbal and food products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Chen
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, The Shanghai Key Laboratory for Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Linnan Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, The Shanghai Key Laboratory for Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Jie Xu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, The Shanghai Key Laboratory for Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yamin Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, The Shanghai Key Laboratory for Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yanqiao Xie
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, The Shanghai Key Laboratory for Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Aizhen Xiong
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, The Shanghai Key Laboratory for Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zhengtao Wang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, The Shanghai Key Laboratory for Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Li Yang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, The Shanghai Key Laboratory for Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
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Dushna O, Dubenska L, Gawor A, Karasińki J, Barabash O, Ostapiuk Y, Blazheyevskiy M, Bulska E. Structural Characterization and Electrochemical Studies of Selected Alkaloid N-Oxides. Molecules 2024; 29:2721. [PMID: 38930787 PMCID: PMC11205554 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122721] [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: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In this work, we synthesized and confirmed the structure of several alkaloid N-oxides using mass spectrometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. We also investigated their reduction mechanisms using voltammetry. For the first time, we obtained alkaloid N-oxides using an oxidation reaction with potassium peroxymonosulfate as an oxidant. The structure was established based on the obtained fragmentation mass spectra recorded by LC-Q-ToF-MS. In the FT-IR spectra of the alkaloid N-oxides, characteristic signals of N-O group vibrations were recorded (bands in the range of 928 cm⁻1 to 971 cm⁻1), confirming the presence of this functional group. Electrochemical reduction studies demonstrated the reduction of alkaloid N-oxides at mercury-based electrodes back to the original form of the alkaloid. For the first time, the products of the electrochemical reduction of alkaloid N-oxides were detected by mass spectrometry. The findings provide insights into the structural characteristics and reduction behaviors of alkaloid N-oxides, offering implications for pharmacological and biochemical applications. This research contributes to a better understanding of alkaloid metabolism and degradation processes, with potential implications for drug development and environmental science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olha Dushna
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (O.D.); (A.G.); (J.K.)
- Faculty of Chemistry, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Kyryla i Mefodiya 6, 79-005 Lviv, Ukraine; (L.D.); (O.B.); (Y.O.)
| | - Liliya Dubenska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Kyryla i Mefodiya 6, 79-005 Lviv, Ukraine; (L.D.); (O.B.); (Y.O.)
| | - Andrzej Gawor
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (O.D.); (A.G.); (J.K.)
| | - Jakub Karasińki
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (O.D.); (A.G.); (J.K.)
| | - Oksana Barabash
- Faculty of Chemistry, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Kyryla i Mefodiya 6, 79-005 Lviv, Ukraine; (L.D.); (O.B.); (Y.O.)
| | - Yurii Ostapiuk
- Faculty of Chemistry, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Kyryla i Mefodiya 6, 79-005 Lviv, Ukraine; (L.D.); (O.B.); (Y.O.)
| | - Mykola Blazheyevskiy
- Department of General Chemistry, National University of Pharmacy, Valentynivska 4, 61-168 Kharkiv, Ukraine;
| | - Ewa Bulska
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (O.D.); (A.G.); (J.K.)
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Yi Y, Lu Y, Liu H, Wang Z, Li S, Huang X, Chai Y, Zhang X, Li Z, Chen H. Insight into pyrrolizidine alkaloids degradation and the chemical structures of their degradation products using ultra high performance liquid chromatography and Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 471:134260. [PMID: 38678722 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134260] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), released into the environment by donor plants, are absorbed by crops or transported by animals, posing a global food safety concern. Photolysis is an effective way to eliminate harmful substances in the environment or food. Photolysis happens as PAs move among plants, environment and crops. In this study, we first investigated the photolysis and hydrolysis of 15 PAs and identified their degradation products via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry. PAs were degraded under UV radiation but minimally affected by visible light from a xenon lamp, and solvent pH had little impact on their photolysis. PAs were stable in neutral and acidic solutions but degraded by 50% within 24 h in alkaline conditions. The degradation products of PAs were mainly PAs/PANOs isomers and some minor byproducts. Cytotoxicity and computational analysis revealed isomers had similar toxicity, with minor products being less toxic. This study is a precursor for revealing the potential PAs degradation dynamics in the environment and food products, providing a reference for systematic evaluations of potential health and ecological risks of their degradation products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexing Yi
- College of Chemical and Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310008, China; Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Yuting Lu
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hongxia Liu
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ziqi Wang
- College of Chemical and Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310008, China; Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Shiqi Li
- College of Chemical and Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310008, China; Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Xuchen Huang
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yunfeng Chai
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China
| | - Xiangchun Zhang
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China
| | - Zuguang Li
- College of Chemical and Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310008, China.
| | - Hongping Chen
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China.
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Schrenk D, Allemang A, Fahrer J, Harms H, Li X, Lin G, Mahony C, Mulder P, Peijnenburg A, Pfuhler S, Punt A, Sievers H, Troutman J, Widjaja F. Toxins in Botanical Drugs and Plant-derived Food and Feed - from Science to Regulation: A Workshop Review. PLANTA MEDICA 2024; 90:219-242. [PMID: 38198805 DOI: 10.1055/a-2218-5667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
In September 2022, the 3rd International Workshop on pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and related phytotoxins was held on-line, entitled 'Toxins in botanical drugs and plant-derived food and feed - from science to regulation'. The workshop focused on new findings about the occurrence, exposure, toxicity, and risk assessment of PAs. In addition, new scientific results related to the risk assessment of alkenylbenzenes, a distinct class of herbal constituents, were presented. The presence of PAs and alkenylbenzenes in plant-derived food, feed, and herbal medicines has raised health concerns with respect to their acute and chronic toxicity but mainly related to the genotoxic and carcinogenic properties of several congeners. The compounds are natural constituents of a variety of plant families and species widely used in medicinal, food, and feed products. Their individual occurrence, levels, and toxic properties, together with the broad range of congeners present in nature, represent a striking challenge to modern toxicology. This review tries to provide an overview of the current knowledge on these compounds and indicates needs and perspectives for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Schrenk
- Food Chemistry and Toxicology, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Ashley Allemang
- Central Product Safety, The Procter & Gamble Company, Mason, USA
| | - Jörg Fahrer
- Food Chemistry and Toxicology, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Henrik Harms
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Xilin Li
- Division of Genetic and Molecular Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, USA
| | - Ge Lin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Catherine Mahony
- Central Product Safety, Procter & Gamble Technical Centre, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Mulder
- Wageningen Food Safety Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ad Peijnenburg
- Wageningen Food Safety Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Pfuhler
- Central Product Safety, The Procter & Gamble Company, Mason, USA
| | - Ans Punt
- Wageningen Food Safety Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - John Troutman
- Central Product Safety, The Procter & Gamble Company, Mason, USA
| | - Frances Widjaja
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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To YC, Pan Y, Yan X, He Y, Lin G. The toxicokinetic and metabolism of structurally diverse pyrrolizidine alkaloids in rats. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 321:117390. [PMID: 37956911 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.117390] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a group of phytotoxins present in about 3% of flowering plants worldwide. Ingestion of PA-containing herbal products may lead to hepatotoxicity. Notably, the toxicokinetic (TK) behaviors, especially pyrrole-protein adducts (PPAs) having the same structure but generated from metabolic activation of different PAs, significantly affect the toxicity of structurally diverse PAs, therefore studying them in their pure form is preferable to extracts to stratify toxic potency of different PAs co-existing in herbal extracts. However, previous studies mainly focus on the establishment of TK profiles of the intact PAs, revealing less or no kinetic information on the main PA metabolites (PA N-oxides) and PPAs which mediate PA-induced hepatotoxicity. In this study, PPA was measured as the biomarker of PA exposure and PA-induced toxicity. AIM OF STUDY This study aims to investigate the TK difference between structurally diverse PAs of retronecine-type PAs: retrorsine (RTS) and monocrotaline (MCT), and otonecine-type PA: clivorine (CLI), and their toxicity-related metabolite PPAs and PA N-oxides, the main metabolite of retronecine-type PAs, for the establishment of a more accurate risk assessment of PAs exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS The TK studies were conducted using rats through intravenous (i.v.) or oral (p.o.) administration of PAs at 20 mg/kg. The main TK parameters of PAs and PA N-oxides were determined from plasma concentration-time profiles, and the kinetic profiles of PPAs were assessed from both plasma and erythrocyte concentration-time profiles. RESULTS MCT demonstrated the slowest but the highest extent of absorption among the three PAs, while RTS demonstrated a similar absorption rate with a lower extent than CLI. For elimination, MCT demonstrated a similar elimination rate as RTS but the lowest extent of elimination among the three PAs, and CLI exhibited significantly faster elimination than MCT and RTS. Moreover, the formation of PA N-oxide, which only occurs in retronecine-type PAs, was remarkably less in MCT-treated rats compared to RTS-treated ones. Of note, the retronecine-type RTS and MCT induced more PPAs via p.o. than i.v. administration route, whereas the otonecine-type CLI showed the opposite trend. CONCLUSION Dramatic TK differences, including not only PAs but also PA N-oxides and the derived protein adduct PPAs, were found among structurally diverse PAs in rats, laying the basis for varied hepatotoxic potencies induced by different PA-containing herbal products. Notably, our findings for the first time uncovered that oral administration of retronecine-type PAs might cause severer toxicity compared with the intravenous route, which warrants further in-depth exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuen Ching To
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Yueyang Pan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Xiaoyu Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Yisheng He
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Ge Lin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Huang Z, Wu Z, Gu X, Ji L. Diagnosis, toxicological mechanism, and detoxification for hepatotoxicity induced by pyrrolizidine alkaloids from herbal medicines or other plants. Crit Rev Toxicol 2024; 54:123-133. [PMID: 38411492 DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2024.2310597] [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: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are one type of phytotoxins distributed in various plants, including many medicinal herbs. Many organs might suffer injuries from the intake of PAs, and the liver is the most susceptible one. The diagnosis, toxicological mechanism, and detoxification of PAs-induced hepatotoxicity have been studied for several decades, which is of great significance for its prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. When the liver was exposed to PAs, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) loss, hemorrhage, liver parenchymal cells death, nodular regeneration, Kupffer cells activation, and fibrogenesis occurred. These pathological changes classified the PAs-induced liver injury as acute, sub-acute, and chronic type. PAs metabolic activation, mitochondria injury, glutathione (GSH) depletion, inflammation, and LSECs damage-induced activation of the coagulation system were well recognized to play critical roles in the pathological process of PAs-induced hepatotoxicity. A lot of natural compounds like glycyrrhizic acid, (-)-epicatechin, quercetin, baicalein, chlorogenic acid, and so on were demonstrated to be effective in alleviating PAs-induced liver injury, which rendered them huge potential to be developed into therapeutic drugs for PAs poisoning in clinics. This review presents updated information about the diagnosis, toxicological mechanism, and detoxification studies on PAs-induced hepatotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenlin Huang
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines and The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zeqi Wu
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines and The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinnan Gu
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines and The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lili Ji
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines and The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Letsyo E, Madilo FK, Effah-Manu L. Pyrrolizidine alkaloid contamination of food in Africa: A review of current trends and implications. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24055. [PMID: 38230234 PMCID: PMC10789634 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24055] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) contamination of foodstuffs has become a topical issue in recent years on account of its potential hepatotoxicity to consumers. This review therefore highlights human exposure to PAs across Africa, focusing on their occurrence, current trends of food contamination, and their associated health implications. A comprehensive search of peer-scientific literature and relevant databases, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Web of Science and Scopus, was conducted from 2001 to 2023 focusing mainly on foodstuffs, including grains, herbs, teas, honey, and livestock products. The findings revealed that PA contamination is a prevalent issue in several African countries, with the primary sources of contamination attributed to the consumption of honey and the use of PA plants as herbs in food preparations. Additionally, poor farming practices have been found to influence the presence and levels of PAs in foodstuffs. To mitigate PA contamination in food and safeguarding public health across the continent, several strategies are proposed, including the implementation of stringent regulatory and quality control measures, adoption of Good Agricultural Practices, and public awareness campaigns to educate producers, consumers and beekeepers about the risks associated with PA-contaminated food products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Letsyo
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Ho Technical University, P.O Box HP 217, Ho, Ghana
| | - Felix Kwashie Madilo
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Ho Technical University, P.O Box HP 217, Ho, Ghana
| | - Liticia Effah-Manu
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Ho Technical University, P.O Box HP 217, Ho, Ghana
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11
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Melnyk N, Popowski D, Strawa JW, Przygodzińska K, Tomczyk M, Piwowarski JP, Granica S. Skin microbiota metabolism of natural products from comfrey root (Symphytum officinale L.). JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 318:116968. [PMID: 37506778 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116968] [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: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Comfrey root (Symphytum officinale L., Boraginaceae) has been used in folk medicine for a long time to treat different diseases. It is recommended for swellings, phlebitis, contusions, gastro-duodenal ulcers, respiratory diseases, and metrorrhagia. Currently, preparations from S. officinale are only topically used due to its wound-healing effects, and for reducing inflammation and the treatment of broken bones, tendon damage, painful joints and muscles. Although it is a widespread plant material, little is known about the interaction of externally applied preparations of comfrey with the human skin microbiome. AIM OF THE STUDY The study aims to determine the interaction between human skin microbiota and the comfrey root extracts, by monitoring the biotransformation of the constituents present in the extract and evaluating changes in the population of the skin microbiota in an ex vivo setting. MATERIAL AND METHODS The comfrey root extract was incubated with the human skin microbiota from ten healthy donors. The UHPLC-DAD-MSn analysis determined the composition of the raw extract and the microbial metabolites. Bacterial genomic DNA was extracted and examined by amplification sequencing of the 16S rDNA to determine changes in the bacterial composition. RESULTS The hydroethanolic extract of comfrey root primarily consists of phenolic acids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and their derivatives, and lignans. The natural products present in the extract underwent biodegradation by the skin microbiota, leading to the formation of smaller molecules. It was observed that the skin microbial metabolism primarily focused on modifying the derivatives of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. It resulted in the production of deacetylated and deesterificated compounds. However, it did not lead to the conversion of these compounds into free alkaloids. CONCLUSIONS The microbiota-triggered biotransformation of the comfrey root extract was observed. A few N-oxides were metabolized to deacetylated and deesterificated forms in ex vivo conditions. It suggests that the intermittent external applications of comfrey preparations perchance are unlikely to pose a substantial risk. While it even may serve as a potential factor influencing the extract activity in treating skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Melnyk
- Microbiota Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 1, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Dominik Popowski
- Microbiota Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 1, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Food Safety and Chemical Analysis, Waclaw Dabrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology-State Research Institute, ul. Rakowiecka 36, 02-532, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Jakub W Strawa
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Mickiewicza 2a, 15-230, Białystok, Poland.
| | - Klaudia Przygodzińska
- Microbiota Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 1, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Michał Tomczyk
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Mickiewicza 2a, 15-230, Białystok, Poland.
| | - Jakub P Piwowarski
- Microbiota Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 1, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Sebastian Granica
- Microbiota Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 1, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland.
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Zhang Y, Liu X, Li F, Yin J, Yang H, Li X, Liu X, Chai X, Niu T, Zeng S, Jia Q, Zhu F. INTEDE 2.0: the metabolic roadmap of drugs. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D1355-D1364. [PMID: 37930837 PMCID: PMC10767827 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The metabolic roadmap of drugs (MRD) is a comprehensive atlas for understanding the stepwise and sequential metabolism of certain drug in living organisms. It plays a vital role in lead optimization, personalized medication, and ADMET research. The MRD consists of three main components: (i) the sequential catalyses of drug and its metabolites by different drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs), (ii) a comprehensive collection of metabolic reactions along the entire MRD and (iii) a systematic description on efficacy & toxicity for all metabolites of a studied drug. However, there is no database available for describing the comprehensive metabolic roadmaps of drugs. Therefore, in this study, a major update of INTEDE was conducted, which provided the stepwise & sequential metabolic roadmaps for a total of 4701 drugs, and a total of 22 165 metabolic reactions containing 1088 DMEs and 18 882 drug metabolites. Additionally, the INTEDE 2.0 labeled the pharmacological properties (pharmacological activity or toxicity) of metabolites and provided their structural information. Furthermore, 3717 drug metabolism relationships were supplemented (from 7338 to 11 055). All in all, INTEDE 2.0 is highly expected to attract broad interests from related research community and serve as an essential supplement to existing pharmaceutical/biological/chemical databases. INTEDE 2.0 can now be accessible freely without any login requirement at: http://idrblab.org/intede/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Xingang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Fengcheng Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Jiayi Yin
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Hao Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Xuedong Li
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Xinyu Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Xu Chai
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Tianle Niu
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Su Zeng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qingzhong Jia
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou 330110, China
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Haas M, Ackermann G, Küpper JH, Glatt H, Schrenk D, Fahrer J. OCT1-dependent uptake of structurally diverse pyrrolizidine alkaloids in human liver cells is crucial for their genotoxic and cytotoxic effects. Arch Toxicol 2023; 97:3259-3271. [PMID: 37676300 PMCID: PMC10567918 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03591-4] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are important plant hepatotoxins, which occur as contaminants in plant-based foods, feeds and phytomedicines. Numerous studies demonstrated that the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of PAs depend on their chemical structure, allowing for potency ranking and grouping. Organic cation transporter-1 (OCT1) was previously shown to be involved in the cellular uptake of the cyclic PA diesters monocrotaline, retrorsine and senescionine. However, little is known about the structure-dependent transport of PAs. Therefore, we investigated the impact of OCT1 on the uptake and toxicity of three structurally diverse PAs (heliotrine, lasiocarpine and riddelliine) differing in their degree and type of esterification in metabolically competent human liver cell models and hamster fibroblasts. Human HepG2-CYP3A4 liver cells were exposed to the respective PA in the presence or absence of the OCT1-inhibitors D-THP and quinidine, revealing a strongly attenuated cytotoxicity upon OCT1 inhibition. The same experiments were repeated in V79-CYP3A4 hamster fibroblasts, confirming that OCT1 inhibition prevents the cytotoxic effects of all tested PAs. Interestingly, OCT1 protein levels were much lower in V79-CYP3A4 than in HepG2-CYP3A4 cells, which correlated with their lower susceptibility to PA-induced cytotoxicity. The cytoprotective effect of OCT1 inhibiton was also demonstrated in primary human hepatocytes following PA exposure. Our experiments further showed that the genotoxic effects triggered by the three PAs are blocked by OCT1 inhibition as evidenced by strongly reduced γH2AX and p53 levels. Consistently, inhibition of OCT1-mediated uptake suppressed the activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) as revealed by decreased phosphorylation of checkpoint kinases upon PA treatment. In conclusion, we demonstrated that PAs, independent of their degree of esterification, are substrates for OCT1-mediated uptake into human liver cells. We further provided evidence that OCT1 inhibition prevents PA-triggered genotoxicity, DDR activation and subsequent cytotoxicity. These findings highlight the crucial role of OCT1 together with CYP3A4-dependent metabolic activation for PA toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Haas
- Division of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Chemistry, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Erwin-Schroedinger-Str. 52, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Gabriel Ackermann
- Division of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Chemistry, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Erwin-Schroedinger-Str. 52, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Jan-Heiner Küpper
- Division of Molecular Cell Biology, Department of Environment and Nature Science, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, 01968, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Hansruedi Glatt
- Department Food Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Strasse 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Nutritional Toxicology, German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE), Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Dieter Schrenk
- Division of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Chemistry, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Erwin-Schroedinger-Str. 52, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Jörg Fahrer
- Division of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Chemistry, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Erwin-Schroedinger-Str. 52, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
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Jayawickreme K, Świstak D, Ozimek E, Reszczyńska E, Rysiak A, Makuch-Kocka A, Hanaka A. Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids-Pros and Cons for Pharmaceutical and Medical Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16972. [PMID: 38069294 PMCID: PMC10706944 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterocyclic organic compounds named pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) belong to a group of alkaloids and are synthesized by either plants or microorganisms. Therefore, they are naturally occurring secondary metabolites. They are found in species applied in the pharmaceutical and food industries, thus a thorough knowledge of their pharmacological properties and toxicology to humans is of great importance for their further safe employment. This review is original because it synthesizes knowledge of plant and microbial PAs, which is unusual in the scientific literature. We have focused on the Boraginaceae family, which is unique due to the exceptional richness and diversity of its PAs in plant species. We have also presented the microbial sources of PAs, both from fungi and bacteria. The structure and metabolism of PAs have been discussed. Our main aim was to summarize the effects of PAs on humans, including both negative, toxic ones, mainly concerning hepatotoxicity and carcinogenicity, as well as potentially positive ones for pharmacological and medical applications. We have collected the results of studies on the anticancer activity of PAs from plant and microbial sources (mainly Streptomyces strains) and on the antimicrobial activity of PAs on different strains of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi). Finally, we have suggested potential applications and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavindi Jayawickreme
- Student Scientific Club of Phytochemists, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka St. 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Dawid Świstak
- Student Scientific Club of Phytochemists, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka St. 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Ewa Ozimek
- Department of Industrial and Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka St. 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Emilia Reszczyńska
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki St. 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka St. 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Rysiak
- Department of Botany, Mycology, and Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka St. 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Makuch-Kocka
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska St. 11, 20-080 Lublin, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Hanaka
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka St. 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
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15
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Pan Y, Ma J, Zhao H, Fu PP, Lin G. Hepatotoxicity screening and ranking of structurally different pyrrolizidine alkaloids in zebrafish. Food Chem Toxicol 2023:113903. [PMID: 37390955 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2023.113903] [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: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are phytotoxins distributed in ∼6000 plant species. PA-contaminated/containing foodstuffs/herbs/supplements pose a potential threat to human health. Various regulatory authorities established different PA margins of exposure assuming an equal hepatotoxic potency of structurally diverse PAs, although they exhibit different toxic potencies. Therefore, understanding hepatotoxic potencies of different PAs would facilitate a more appropriate risk assessment of PA exposure. In this study, a zebrafish model, which mimics physiological processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, was selected to evaluate acute hepatotoxic potency of different PAs (7 PAs and 2 PA N-oxides) and explore possible physiological pathways involved in PA-induced hepatotoxicity. After 6 h oral administration, PAs caused distinct structure-dependent hepatotoxicity with a series of biochemical and histological changes in zebrafish. Based on the measured toxicological endpoints, the relative toxic potency order of different PAs was derived as lasiocarpine ∼ retrorsine > monocrotaline > riddelliine > clivorine > heliotrine > retrorsine N-oxide ∼ riddelliine N-oxide≫>platyphyline. Further, compared to control group, different upregulation/downregulation of mRNA expression in PA-treated groups indicated that inflammation, apoptosis, and steatosis were involved in PA-induced hepatotoxicity in zebrafish. These findings demonstrate that zebrafish model is useful for screening and ranking hepatotoxicity of PAs with diverse structures, which would facilitate the more accurate risk assessment of PA exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyang Pan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Jiang Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Peter P Fu
- National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Ge Lin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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16
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Tan Y, Zheng S. Clinicopathological characteristics and diagnosis of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome caused by Tusanqi - Case report and literature review. Open Med (Wars) 2023; 18:20230737. [PMID: 37333448 PMCID: PMC10276616 DOI: 10.1515/med-2023-0737] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Tusanqi-induced hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) is caused by exposure to pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and manifests as abdominal distension, liver pain, ascites, jaundice, and hepatomegaly. Pathologically, hepatic congestion and sinusoidal occlusion are observed in HSOS. We summarized the clinical characteristics of 124 patients with HSOS caused by Tusanqi in China between 1980 and 2019, along with those of 831 patients from seven English case series. The main clinical manifestations of PA-HSOS included abdominal pain, ascites, and jaundice. Common imaging features included characteristic heterogeneous density, slender hepatic veins, and other nonspecific changes. The acute stage is primarily manifested as hepatic sinus congestion and necrosis. Meanwhile, the persistence of hepatic sinus congestion and the onset of perisinusoidal fibrosis were observed during the repair stage. Finally, the persistence of hepatic sinusoidal fibrosis and resultant central hepatic vein occlusion were observed in the chronic stage. The new Nanjing standard for PA-HSOS incorporates the history of PA consumption and imaging features and eliminates weight gain and the serum total bilirubin value. Preliminary clinical validation of the Nanjing standard for PA-HSOS diagnosis revealed a sensitivity and specificity of 95.35 and 100%, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youwen Tan
- Department of Hepatology, Third Hospital of the Zhenjiang Affiliated Jiangsu University, No. 300, Daijiamen, Runzhou Distinct, Zhenjiang212003, China
| | - Sainan Zheng
- Department of Hepatology, Third Hospital of the Zhenjiang Affiliated Jiangsu University, No. 300, Daijiamen, Runzhou Distinct, Zhenjiang212003, China
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17
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Pan J, Wu C, Tan R, Liao Y, Zhao G, Li W, Peng Y, Li W, Zheng J. Difference in hepatotoxicity of furan-containing components in cortex dictamni correlates the efficiency of their metabolic activation. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 114:154778. [PMID: 36996529 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154778] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cortex Dictamni (CD) has been associated with an increased risk of liver injury, which may be attributable to the metabolic activation of its furan-containing components (FCC). However, the hepatotoxic potencies of these FCCs and the mechanisms behind the differences in their toxicity intensity remain unknown. METHODS The constituents of CD extract were determined by LC-MS/MS. Potentially toxic FCCs were screened by a previously published method. Hepatotoxicity of potentially toxic FCCs was evaluated in cultured mouse primary hepatocytes and mice. The ability to deplete hepatic glutathione (GSH), along with the formation of the corresponding GSH conjugates, resulting from the metabolic activation was determined ex vivo in mice. Intrinsic clearance rates (CLint,Vmax/Km) were assessed by a microsome-bases assay. RESULTS A total of 18 FCCs were detected in CD extract. Among them, four FCCs, including rutaevin (RUT), limonin (LIM), obacunone (OBA) and fraxinellone (FRA) were found to be bioactivated in microsomal incubations. Only FRA displayed significant hepatotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Similarly, FRA caused GSH depletion and GSH conjugation the most in vivo. The order of CLint for the four FCCs was FRA>>OBA>LIM>RUT. CONCLUSION FRA is the major toxic FCC component of hepatotoxic CD extract. The hepatotoxicity of FCCs is closely related to the efficiency of their metabolic activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China; School of Basic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China; School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China; Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM, Ministry of Education, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China
| | - Chutian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China; School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China
| | - Rong Tan
- School of Basic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China
| | - Yufen Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China; School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China
| | - Guode Zhao
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, PR China
| | - Wei Li
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, PR China
| | - Ying Peng
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, PR China.
| | - Weiwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China; School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China; Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM, Ministry of Education, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China.
| | - Jiang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China; School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China; Engineering Research Center for the Development and Application of Ethnic Medicine and TCM, Ministry of Education, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, PR China; Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, PR China.
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Lehmann A, Geburek I, These A, Hessel-Pras S, Hengstler JG, Albrecht W, Mielke H, Müller-Graf C, Yang X, Kloft C, Hethey C. PBTK modeling of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid retrorsine to predict liver toxicity in mouse and rat. Arch Toxicol 2023; 97:1319-1333. [PMID: 36906727 PMCID: PMC10110657 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03453-z] [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: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Retrorsine is a hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) found in herbal supplements and medicines, food and livestock feed. Dose-response studies enabling the derivation of a point of departure including a benchmark dose for risk assessment of retrorsine in humans and animals are not available. Addressing this need, a physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) model of retrorsine was developed for mouse and rat. Comprehensive characterization of retrorsine toxicokinetics revealed: both the fraction absorbed from the intestine (78%) and the fraction unbound in plasma (60%) are high, hepatic membrane permeation is dominated by active uptake and not by passive diffusion, liver metabolic clearance is 4-fold higher in rat compared to mouse and renal excretion contributes to 20% of the total clearance. The PBTK model was calibrated with kinetic data from available mouse and rat studies using maximum likelihood estimation. PBTK model evaluation showed convincing goodness-of-fit for hepatic retrorsine and retrorsine-derived DNA adducts. Furthermore, the developed model allowed to translate in vitro liver toxicity data of retrorsine to in vivo dose-response data. Resulting benchmark dose confidence intervals (mg/kg bodyweight) are 24.1-88.5 in mice and 79.9-104 in rats for acute liver toxicity after oral retrorsine intake. As the PBTK model was built to enable extrapolation to different species and other PA congeners, this integrative framework constitutes a flexible tool to address gaps in the risk assessment of PA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Lehmann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 12169, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ina Geburek
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja These
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Hessel-Pras
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan G Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technical University of Dortmund, 44139, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Wiebke Albrecht
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technical University of Dortmund, 44139, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Hans Mielke
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Christine Müller-Graf
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Xiaojing Yang
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Charlotte Kloft
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 12169, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Hethey
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
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Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in borage (Borago officinalis): Comprehensive profiling and development of a validated LC-MS/MS method for quantification. Talanta 2023; 258:124425. [PMID: 36924638 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124425] [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: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) from borage (Borago officinalis) consumed as herb and tea, may pose a food safety risk. Therefore, the European Union (EU) set maximum levels of PA in borage, among other foodstuffs, which are applicable since July 1st, 2022. Here, a comprehensive LC-MS/MS based profiling of PA and their N-oxides (PANO) in B. officinalis leaves is presented. Based on these results a targeted, quantitative LC-MS/MS method for the determination of individual PA/PANO present in borage was developed. Chromatographic separation was achieved for all PA/PANO detected in B. officinalis. An easy and fast extraction procedure was developed using a design of experiments approach (DOE). The most efficient extraction was achieved using 0.2% formic acid in 10% methanol at a temperature of 47.5 °C for 60 min. The final method was validated and showed good overall accuracy (recoveries 85-121%) and precision (RDS ≤11%). The method was applied to B. officinalis leave material, demonstrating its suitability for the intended purpose. In these borage samples, the acetylated forms, which are not regulated by EU, were among the quantitatively most relevant PA.
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Widjaja F, Alhejji Y, Yangchen J, Wesseling S, Rietjens IMCM. Physiologically-Based Kinetic Modeling Predicts Similar In Vivo Relative Potency of Senecionine N-Oxide for Rat and Human at Realistic Low Exposure Levels. Mol Nutr Food Res 2023; 67:e2200293. [PMID: 36478522 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202200293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
SCOPE This study aims to determine if previously developed physiologically-based kinetic (PBK) model in rat can be modified for senecionine (SEN) and its N-oxide (SENO), and be used to investigate potential species differences between rat and human in relative potency (REP) of the N-oxide relative to the parent pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA). METHODS AND RESULTS In vitro derived kinetic parameters including the apparent maximum velocities (Vmax ) and Michaelis-Menten constants (Km ) for SENO reduction and SEN clearance are used to define the PBK models. The rat model is validated with published animal data, and the toxicokinetic profiles of SEN from either orally-administered SENO or SEN are simulated. REP values of SENO relative to SEN amount to 0.84 and 0.89 in rat and human, respectively. CONCLUSION The REP value can be dose- and species-dependent, with the values for rat and human being comparable at low realistic exposure scenarios. In summary, PBK modeling serves as a valuable New Approach Methodology (NAM) tool for predicting REP values of PA-N-oxides and may actually result in more accurate REP values for human risk assessment than what would be defined using in vivo animal experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Widjaja
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8000, Wageningen, 6700 EA, The Netherlands
| | - Yasser Alhejji
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8000, Wageningen, 6700 EA, The Netherlands.,Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jamyang Yangchen
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8000, Wageningen, 6700 EA, The Netherlands.,Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Thimphu, 11002, Bhutan
| | - Sebastiaan Wesseling
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8000, Wageningen, 6700 EA, The Netherlands
| | - Ivonne M C M Rietjens
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8000, Wageningen, 6700 EA, The Netherlands
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21
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Jaber FL, Sharma Y, Gupta S. Hepatocyte Transplantation Rebalances Cytokines for Hepatic Regeneration in Rats with Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Pathway-Related Acute Liver Failure. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2023; 193:27-38. [PMID: 36309105 PMCID: PMC9768683 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Inadequate DNA damage response related to ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene restricts hepatic regeneration in acute liver failure. Resolving mechanistic gaps in liver damage and repair requires additional animal models that are unconstrained by ultrarapid and unpredictable mortalities or substantial divergences from human pathology. This study used Fischer 344 rats primed with the antitubercular drug, rifampicin, plus phenobarbitone, and monocrotaline, a DNA adduct-forming alkaloid. Rifampicin and monocrotaline can cause liver failure in people. This regimen resulted in hepatic oxidative stress, necrosis, DNA double-strand breaks, liver test abnormalities, altered serum cytokine expression, and mortality. Healthy donor hepatocytes were transplanted ectopically in the peritoneal cavity to study whether they could supply metabolic support and rebalance inflammatory or protective cytokines affecting liver regeneration events. Hepatocyte transplantation increased candidate cytokine levels (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon-γ, IL-10, and IL-12), leading to Atm, Stat3, and Akt signaling in hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells, lowering of inflammation, and improvements in intermediary metabolism, DNA repair, and hepatocyte proliferation. Such control of DNA damage and inflammation, along with stimulation of hepatic growth, offers paradigms for cell signaling to restore hepatic homeostasis and regeneration in acute liver failure. Further studies of molecular pathways of high pathobiological impact will advance the knowledge of liver regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadi-Luc Jaber
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Yogeshwar Sharma
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Sanjeev Gupta
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Diabetes Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Irwin S. and Sylvia Chanin Institute for Cancer Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
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Genotoxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in metabolically inactive human cervical cancer HeLa cells co-cultured with human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Arch Toxicol 2023; 97:295-306. [PMID: 36273350 PMCID: PMC9816206 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-022-03394-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are secondary plant metabolites, which can be found as contaminant in various foods and herbal products. Several PAs can cause hepatotoxicity and liver cancer via damaging hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HSECs) after hepatic metabolization. HSECs themselves do not express the required metabolic enzymes for activation of PAs. Here we applied a co-culture model to mimic the in vivo hepatic environment and to study PA-induced effects on not metabolically active neighbour cells. In this co-culture model, bioactivation of PA was enabled by metabolically capable human hepatoma cells HepG2, which excrete the toxic and mutagenic pyrrole metabolites. The human cervical epithelial HeLa cells tagged with H2B-GFP were utilized as non-metabolically active neighbours because they can be identified easily based on their green fluorescence in the co-culture. The PAs europine, riddelliine and lasiocarpine induced micronuclei in HepG2 cells, and in HeLa H2B-GFP cells co-cultured with HepG2 cells, but not in HeLa H2B-GFP cells cultured alone. Metabolic inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes with ketoconazole abrogated micronucleus formation. The efflux transporter inhibitors verapamil and benzbromarone reduced micronucleus formation in the co-culture model. Furthermore, mitotic disturbances as an additional genotoxic mechanism of action were observed in HepG2 cells and in HeLa H2B-GFP cells co-cultured with HepG2 cells, but not in HeLa H2B-GFP cells cultured alone. Overall, we were able to show that PAs were activated by HepG2 cells and the metabolites induced genomic damage in co-cultured HeLa cells.
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Widjaja F, Zheng L, Wesseling S, Rietjens IMCM. Physiologically based kinetic modeling of senecionine N-oxide in rats as a new approach methodology to define the effects of dose and endpoint used on relative potency values of pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxides. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1125146. [PMID: 36937884 PMCID: PMC10017778 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1125146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Over 1,000 pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and their N-oxides (PA-N-oxides) occur in 3% of all flowering plants. PA-N-oxides are toxic when reduced to their parent PAs, which are bioactivated into pyrrole intermediates that generate protein- and DNA-adducts resulting in liver toxicity and carcinogenicity. Literature data for senecionine N-oxide in rats indicate that the relative potency (REP) value of this PA-N-oxide compared to its parent PA senecionine varies with the endpoint used. The first endpoint was the ratio between the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) for senecionine upon dosing senecionine N-oxide or an equimolar dose of senecionine, while the second endpoint was the ratio between the amount for pyrrole-protein adducts formed under these conditions. This study aimed to investigate the mode of action underlying this endpoint dependent REP value for senecionine N-oxide with physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modeling. Results obtained reveal that limitation of 7-GS-DHP adduct formation due to GSH depletion, resulting in increased pyrrole-protein adduct formation, occurs more likely upon high dose oral PA administration than upon an equimolar dose of PA-N-oxide. At high dose levels, this results in a lower REP value when based on pyrrole-protein adduct levels than when based on PA concentrations. At low dose levels, the difference no longer exists. Altogether, the results of the study show how the REP value for senecionine N-oxide depends on dose and endpoint used, and that PBK modeling provides a way to characterize REP values for PA-N-oxides at realistic low dietary exposure levels, thus reducing the need for animal experiments.
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Ren Z, Chen S, Qin X, Li F, Guo L. Study of the roles of cytochrome P450 (CYPs) in the metabolism and cytotoxicity of perhexiline. Arch Toxicol 2022; 96:3219-3231. [PMID: 36083301 PMCID: PMC10395006 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-022-03369-0] [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] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Perhexiline is a prophylactic antianginal agent developed in the 1970s. Although, therapeutically, it remained a success, the concerns of its severe adverse effects including hepatotoxicity caused the restricted use of the drug, and eventually its withdrawal from the market in multiple countries. In the clinical setting, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 is considered as a possible risk factor for the adverse effects of perhexiline. However, the role of CYP-mediated metabolism in the toxicity of perhexiline, particularly in the intact cells, remains unclear. Using our previously established HepG2 cell lines that individually express 14 CYPs (1A1, 1A2, 1B1, 2A6, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C18, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, 3A4, 3A5, and 3A7) and human liver microsomes, we identified that CYP2D6 plays a major role in the hydroxylation of perhexiline. We also determined that CYP1A2, 2C19, and 3A4 contribute to the metabolism of perhexiline. The toxic effect of perhexiline was reduced significantly in CYP2D6-overexpressing HepG2 cells, in comparison to the control cells. In contrast, overexpression of CYP1A2, 2C19, and 3A4 did not show a significant protective effect against the toxicity of perhexiline. Pre-incubation with quinidine, a well-recognized CYP2D6 inhibitor, significantly attenuated the protective effect in CYP2D6-overexpressing HepG2 cells. Furthermore, perhexiline-induced mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, and ER stress were also attenuated in CYP2D6-overexpressing HepG2 cells. These findings suggest that CYP2D6-mediated metabolism protects the cells from perhexiline-induced cytotoxicity and support the clinical observation that CYP2D6 poor metabolizers may have higher risk for perhexiline-induced hepatotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Ren
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, HFT-110, National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 3900 NCTR Road, Jefferson, AR, 72079, USA
| | - Si Chen
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, HFT-110, National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 3900 NCTR Road, Jefferson, AR, 72079, USA
| | - Xuan Qin
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030, USA
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030, USA
| | - Lei Guo
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, HFT-110, National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 3900 NCTR Road, Jefferson, AR, 72079, USA.
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25
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Chizzola R, Eller A. Seasonal Variability in Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Jacobaea alpina from the Trentino-Alto Adige Region (Northern Italy). Chem Biodivers 2022; 19:e202200603. [PMID: 36202629 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202200603] [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: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, increased attention has been given to plants containing toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Jacobaea alpina (syn. Senecio cordatus) is a tall forb growing on mountain pastures and meadows containing such alkaloids and therefore, the plant is considered as a noxious weed in these environments. The repartition of toxic macrocyclic PAs in the plant and their evolution during the vegetation period has been studied in two populations. Eight PAs were found where senciphylline and senecionine accounted in most samples for more than 85 % of total alkaloids. Leaves in April and stems in May started with high PA concentrations (19-22 mg/g dry matter), then alkaloid levels declined. This decrease was more rapid in stems than in leaves. Depending on the population, fully developed inflorescences in June and July PA contents were higher or lower than in the respective leaves. Later, also in the inflorescences PA concentration decreased. Combined with growth data total alkaloid content in the whole plant as mg/plant was highest in midsummer and declined afterwards. Finally, new emerging leaves in September had high PA levels, which declined markedly towards the end of the season in November. In sum, over a large period PA concentration appeared to be high enough to present a health risk for grazing animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remigius Chizzola
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andy Eller
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
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Claesson A, Parkes K. Non-innocuous Consequences of Metabolic Oxidation of Alkyls on Arenes. J Med Chem 2022; 65:11433-11453. [PMID: 36001003 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Reactive metabolite (RM) formation is widely accepted as playing a pivotal role in causing adverse idiosyncratic drug reactions, with most attention paid to drug-induced liver injury. Mechanisms of RM formation are determined by the drug's properties in relation to human enzymes transforming the drug. This Perspective focuses on enzymatic oxidation of alkyl groups on aromatics leading to quinone methides and benzylic alcohol sulfates as RMs, a topic that has not received very much attention. Unlike previous overviews, we will include in our Perspective several fulvene-like methides such as 3-methyleneindole. We also speculate that a few older drugs may form non-reported methides of this class. In addition, we report a few guiding DFT calculations of changes in free energy on going from a benzylic alcohol to the corresponding methide. Particularly facile reactions of 2-aminothiazole-5-methanol and 4-aminobenzyl alcohol are noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alf Claesson
- Awametox AB, Lilldalsvägen 17 A, SE-14461 Rönninge, Sweden
| | - Kevin Parkes
- Consultant, 39 Cashio Lane, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 1AY, U.K
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Wang Z, Ma J, He Y, Miu KK, Yao S, Tang C, Ye Y, Lin G. Nrf2-mediated liver protection by 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid against pyrrolizidine alkaloid-induced toxicity through PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 102:154162. [PMID: 35598524 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Misusage of pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA)-containing plants or unaware intake of PA-contaminated foodstuffs causes thousands of PA poisoning cases in humans. PA intoxication is accompanied by oxidative stress and subsequent extensive hepatocellular damage. Our previous study has demonstrated that 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), a bioactive constituent of liquorice, prevented PA-induced hepatotoxicity in rats, however the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the mechanisms underlying the hepato-protective effect of GA in combating retrorsine (RTS, a representative toxic PA)-induced liver injury. METHODS Histological and biochemical assessments were employed to evaluate the protective effect of GA on RTS-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Sulforhodamine B assay, real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunostaining were used to explore the underlying mechanisms in human hepatocytes and rats. RESULTS Our findings demonstrated that GA alleviated RTS-induced elevation of serum ALT and bilirubin levels, as well as hepatocytes necrosis and sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) damage in rats. GA also enhanced the activities and expressions of several antioxidant enzymes through upregulating nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor2 (Nrf2). Moreover, inhibition of Nrf2 blocked the hepatoprotective effect of GA against RTS intoxication. Mechanistically, GA increased the phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) and enhanced glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) inhibitory phosphorylation at serine 9, thus promoting the nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 and activating its downstream targets. CONCLUSION This study for the first time demonstrated that GA exerted protective effects against RTS-induced liver injury by potentiating the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant system through PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway. The findings indicated that GA may serve as a potential candidate drug for the treatment of PA intoxication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangting Wang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 505A, Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sciences Building, Area 39, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jiang Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 505A, Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sciences Building, Area 39, Hong Kong SAR, China; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yisheng He
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 505A, Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sciences Building, Area 39, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kai-Kei Miu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 505A, Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sciences Building, Area 39, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sheng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Natural Products Chemistry Department, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chunping Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Natural Products Chemistry Department, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yang Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Natural Products Chemistry Department, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ge Lin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 505A, Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sciences Building, Area 39, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Long Q, Feng L, Li Y, Zuo T, Chang L, Zhang Z, Xu P. Time-resolved quantitative phosphoproteomics reveals cellular responses induced by caffeine and coumarin. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2022; 449:116115. [PMID: 35691368 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2022.116115] [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] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation is a critical way that cells respond to external signals and environmental stresses. However, the patterns of cellular response to chemicals at different times were largely unknown. Here, we used quantitative phosphoproteomics to analyze the cellular response of kinases and signaling pathways, as well as pattern change of phosphorylated substrates in HepG2 cells that were exposed to caffeine and coumarin for 10 min and 24 h. Comparing the 10 min and 24 h groups, 33 kinases were co-responded and 32 signaling pathways were co-enriched in caffeine treated samples, while 48 kinases and 34 signaling pathways were co-identified in coumarin treated samples. Instead, the percentage of co-identified phosphorylated substrates only accounted for 4.31% and 9.57% between 10 min and 24 h in caffeine and coumarin treated samples, respectively. The results showed that specific chemical exposure led to a bunch of the same kinases and signaling pathways changed in HepG2 cells, while the phosphorylated substrates were different. In addition, it was found that insulin signaling pathway was significantly enriched by both the caffeine and coumarin treatment. The pattern changes in phosphorylation of protein substrates, kinases and signaling pathways with varied chemicals and different time course shed light on the potential mechanism of cellular responses to endless chemical stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Long
- School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Lijie Feng
- School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China; School of Medicine, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Tao Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Lei Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Zhenpeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Ping Xu
- School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China; School of Medicine, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China; Hebei Province Key Lab of Research and Application on Microbial Diversity, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
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Zhu L, Xue J, He Y, Xia Q, Fu PP, Lin G. Correlation Investigation between Pyrrole-DNA and Pyrrole-Protein Adducts in Male ICR Mice Exposed to Retrorsine, a Hepatotoxic Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14060377. [PMID: 35737038 PMCID: PMC9231038 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14060377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) have been found in over 6000 plants worldwide and represent the most common hepatotoxic phytotoxins. Catalyzed by hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes, PAs are metabolized into reactive pyrrolic metabolites, which can alkylate cellular proteins and DNA to form pyrrole-protein adducts and pyrrole-DNA adducts, leading to cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and tumorigenicity. To date, the correlation between these PA-derived pyrrole-protein and pyrrole-DNA adducts has not been well investigated. Retrorsine is a representative hepatotoxic and carcinogenic PA. In the present study, the correlations among the PA-derived liver DNA adducts, liver protein adducts, and serum protein adducts in retrorsine-treated mice under different dosage regimens were studied. The results showed positive correlations among these adducts, in which serum pyrrole-protein adducts were more accessible and present in higher abundance, and thus could be used as a suitable surrogate biomarker for pyrrole-DNA adducts to indicate the genetic or carcinogenic risk posed by retrorsine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.H.)
| | - Junyi Xue
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yisheng He
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.H.)
| | - Qingsu Xia
- National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA;
| | - Peter P. Fu
- National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA;
- Correspondence: (P.P.F.); (G.L.)
| | - Ge Lin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.H.)
- Correspondence: (P.P.F.); (G.L.)
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Wang Z, Ma J, Yao S, He Y, Miu KK, Xia Q, Fu PP, Ye Y, Lin G. Liquorice Extract and 18β-Glycyrrhetinic Acid Protect Against Experimental Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats Through Inhibiting Cytochrome P450-Mediated Metabolic Activation. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:850859. [PMID: 35370657 PMCID: PMC8966664 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.850859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Misuse of pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA)-containing plants or consumption of PA-contaminated foodstuffs causes numerous poisoning cases in humans yearly, while effective therapeutic strategies are still limited. PA-induced liver injury was initiated by cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated metabolic activation and subsequent formation of adducts with cellular proteins. Liquorice, a hepato-protective herbal medicine, is commonly used concurrently with PA-containing herbs in many compound traditional Chinese medicine formulas, and no PA-poisoning cases have been reported with this combination. The present study aimed to investigate hepato-protective effects of liquorice aqueous extract (EX) and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA, the primary bioactive constituent of liquorice) against PA-induced hepatotoxicity and the underlying mechanism. Histopathological and biochemical analysis demonstrated that both single- and multiple-treatment of EX (500 mg/kg) or GA (50 mg/kg) significantly attenuated liver damage caused by retrorsine (RTS, a representative hepatotoxic PA). The formation of pyrrole-protein adducts was significantly reduced by single- (30.3% reduction in liver; 50.8% reduction in plasma) and multiple- (32.5% reduction in liver; 56.5% reduction in plasma) treatment of GA in rats. Single- and multiple-treatment of EX also decreased the formation of pyrrole-protein adducts, with 30.2 and 31.1% reduction in rat liver and 51.8 and 53.1% reduction in rat plasma, respectively. In addition, in vitro metabolism assay with rat liver microsomes demonstrated that GA reduced the formation of metabolic activation-derived pyrrole-glutathione conjugate in a dose-dependent manner with the estimated IC50 value of 5.07 µM. Further mechanism study showed that GA inhibited activities of CYPs, especially CYP3A1, the major CYP isoform responsible for the metabolic activation of RTS in rats. Enzymatic kinetic study revealed a competitive inhibition of rat CYP3A1 by GA. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that both EX and GA exhibited significant hepato-protective effects against RTS-induced hepatotoxicity, mainly through the competitive inhibition of CYP-mediated metabolic activation of RTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangting Wang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jiang Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sheng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Natural Products Chemistry Department, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yisheng He
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kai-Kei Miu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qingsu Xia
- National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR, United States
| | - Peter P Fu
- National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR, United States
| | - Yang Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Natural Products Chemistry Department, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ge Lin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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He Y, Long Y, Zhang C, Ma J, Ke C, Tang C, Ye Y, Lin G. Dietary alcohol exacerbates the hepatotoxicity induced by pyrrolizidine alkaloids: Hazard from food contamination. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 424:127706. [PMID: 34801312 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are the most common plant-derived toxins with emerging evidence to contaminate soil, water, nearby plants and derived food products. Outbreaks of human poisoning cases, due to the ingestion of PA-contaminated food, have been reported in various countries including Ethiopia. This study first investigated the contamination of PAs in retail honey in Ethiopia. A striking 77% of honey samples (27/30) were found to contain PAs with the content ranging over 1.5-323.4 μg/kg. Notably, these PAs were also found as contaminants in mead, an alcoholic beverage made from local honey, indicating the transfer of PAs from the primarily contaminated honey into mead. Further toxicological examinations revealed that long-term PA exposure caused vasculature damage, fibrosis, and steatosis in mouse livers, and co-exposure to dietary alcohol exacerbated the PA-induced chronic hepatotoxicity. Furthermore, the study revealed that moderate alcohol intake did not affect the initiation mechanism (hepatic cytochrome P450-mediated bioactivation) of PA-induced hepatotoxicity but significantly disturbed hepatic glutathione homeostasis, thereby increasing oxidative stress in mouse liver and enhancing PA-induced hepatotoxicity. Our findings exemplify the carry-over of PA contamination through the food chain. Precautionary interventions are warranted on the hazardous effects of dietary exposure to PAs, particularly with concomitant alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisheng He
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yun Long
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chunyuan Zhang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jiang Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Changqiang Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, China Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Chunping Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, China Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Yang Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, China Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Ge Lin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Ma J, Zhang C, He Y, Chen X, Lin G. Fasting augments pyrrolizidine alkaloid-induced hepatotoxicity. Arch Toxicol 2021; 96:639-651. [PMID: 34792613 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-021-03193-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are phytotoxins widely present in various natural products and foodstuffs. The present study aims to investigate the effects of fasting on PA-induced hepatotoxicity and the underlying biochemical mechanisms. The results of hepatotoxic study showed that 15-h overnight fasting significantly exacerbated the hepatotoxicity of retrorsine (RTS, a representative toxic PA) in fasted rats compared to fed rats, as indicated by remarkably elevated plasma ALT and bilirubin levels and obvious liver histological changes. Further toxicokinetic studies revealed that fasting significantly enhanced cytochromes P450 enzymes (CYPs)-mediated metabolic activation of RTS leading to increased formation of pyrrole-protein adducts and thus decreased the in vivo exposure and excretion of both parent RTS and its N-oxide metabolite. Metabolic studies demonstrated that fasting induced enzyme activities of CYP1A2, CYP2B6 and CYP2E1 that participated in catalyzing RTS to its reactive pyrrolic metabolites. Moreover, fasting also dramatically decreased hepatic glutathione (GSH) content, which restricted the detoxification of GSH by neutralizing the reactive pyrrolic metabolite of RTS, further contributing to the enhanced hepatotoxicity. The present findings may have an impact on future PA toxicity tests with different dietary styles and/or risk assessment of metabolite-mediated toxins by considering the profound effects of fasting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chunyuan Zhang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yisheng He
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xinmeng Chen
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ge Lin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Ma J, Li M, Li N, Chan WY, Lin G. Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid-Induced Hepatotoxicity Associated with the Formation of Reactive Metabolite-Derived Pyrrole-Protein Adducts. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:723. [PMID: 34679016 PMCID: PMC8540779 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13100723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) with 1,2-unsaturated necine base are hepatotoxic phytotoxins. Acute PA intoxication is initiated by the formation of adducts between PA-derived reactive pyrrolic metabolites with cellular proteins. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between the formation of hepatic pyrrole-protein adducts and occurrence of PA-induced liver injury (PA-ILI), and to further explore the use of such adducts for rapidly screening the hepatotoxic potency of natural products which contain PAs. Aqueous extracts of Crotalaria sessiliflora (containing one PA: monocrotaline) and Gynura japonica (containing two PAs: senecionine and seneciphylline) were orally administered to rats at different doses for 24 h to investigate PA-ILI. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, hepatic glutathione (GSH) level, and liver histological changes of the treated rats were evaluated to assess the severity of PA-ILI. The levels of pyrrole-protein adducts formed in the rats' livers were determined by a well-established spectrophotometric method. The biological and histological results showed a dose-dependent hepatotoxicity with significantly different toxic severity among groups of rats treated with herbal extracts containing different PAs. Both serum ALT activity and the amount of hepatic pyrrole-protein adducts increased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the elevation of ALT activity correlated well with the formation of hepatic pyrrole-protein adducts, regardless of the structures of different PAs. The findings revealed that the formation of hepatic pyrrole-protein adducts-which directly correlated with the elevation of serum ALT activity-was a common insult leading to PA-ILI, suggesting a potential for using pyrrole-protein adducts to screen hepatotoxicity and rank PA-containing natural products, which generally contain multiple PAs with different structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 4054577, China; (J.M.); (M.L.); (N.L.); (W.Y.C.)
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Mi Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 4054577, China; (J.M.); (M.L.); (N.L.); (W.Y.C.)
| | - Na Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 4054577, China; (J.M.); (M.L.); (N.L.); (W.Y.C.)
| | - Wood Yee Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 4054577, China; (J.M.); (M.L.); (N.L.); (W.Y.C.)
| | - Ge Lin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 4054577, China; (J.M.); (M.L.); (N.L.); (W.Y.C.)
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Metabolic Toxification of 1,2-Unsaturated Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Causes Human Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome: The Update. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910419. [PMID: 34638760 PMCID: PMC8508847 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Saturated and unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are present in more than 6000 plant species growing in countries all over the world. They have a typical heterocyclic structure in common, but differ in their potential toxicity, depending on the presence or absence of a double bond between C1 and C2. Fortunately, most plants contain saturated PAs without this double bond and are therefore not toxic for consumption by humans or animals. In a minority of plants, however, PAs with this double bond between C1 and C2 exhibit strong hepatotoxic, genotoxic, cytotoxic, neurotoxic, and tumorigenic potentials. If consumed in error and in large emouns, plants with 1,2-unsaturated PAs induce metabolic breaking-off of the double bonds of the unsaturated PAs, generating PA radicals that may trigger severe liver injury through a process involving microsomal P450 (CYP), with preference of its isoforms CYP 2A6, CYP 3A4, and CYP 3A5. This toxifying CYP-dependent conversion occurs primarily in the endoplasmic reticulum of the hepatocytes equivalent to the microsomal fraction. Toxified PAs injure the protein membranes of hepatocytes, and after passing their plasma membranes, more so the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), leading to life-threatening hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS). This injury is easily diagnosed by blood pyrrolizidine protein adducts, which are perfect diagnostic biomarkers, supporting causality evaluation using the updated RUCAM (Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method). HSOS is clinically characterized by weight gain due to fluid accumulation (ascites, pleural effusion, and edema), and may lead to acute liver failure, liver transplantation, or death. In conclusion, plant-derived PAs with a double bond between C1 and C2 are potentially hepatotoxic after metabolic removal of the double bond, and may cause PA-HSOS with a potential lethal outcome, even if PA consumption is stopped.
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