A new highly androgen specific yeast biosensor, enabling optimisation of (Q)SAR model approaches

Dose addition in mixtures of compounds with dissimilar endocrine modes of action in in vitro receptor activation assays and the zebrafish sexual development test

BACKGROUND

Human exposure to pesticides is being associated with feminisation for which a decrease of the anogenital distance (AGD) is a sensitive endpoint. Dose addition for the cumulative risk assessment of pesticides in food is considered sufficiently conservative for combinations of compounds with both similar and dissimilar modes of action (MoA).

OBJECTIVE

The present study was designed to test the dose addition hypothesis in a binary mixture of endocrine active compounds with a dissimilar mode of action for the endpoint feminisation.

METHODS

Compounds were selected from a list of chemicals of which exposure is related to a decrease of the AGD in rats and completed with reference compounds. These chemicals were characterised using specific in vitro transcriptional activation (TA) assays for estrogenic and androgenic properties, leading to a final selection of dienestrol as an ER-agonist and flutamide, linuron, and deltamethrin as AR-antagonists. These compounds were then tested in an in vivo model, i.e. in zebrafish (Danio rerio), using sex ratio in the population as an endpoint in order to confirm their feminising effect and MoA. Ultimately, the fish model was used to test a binary mixture of flutamide and dienestrol.

RESULTS

Statistical analysis of the binary mixture of flutamide and dienestrol in the fish sexual development tests (FSDT) with zebrafish supported dose addition.

Characterisation and validation of an in vitro transactivation assay based on the 22Rv1/MMTV_GR-KO cell line to detect human androgen receptor agonists and antagonists

We describe the characterisation and validation of an androgen receptor (AR) transactivation assay for detection of AR agonists and antagonists using a stably transfected human prostate cancer cell line. This 22Rv1/mouse mammary tumour virus glucocorticoid knock-out cell line based AR transactivation assay was validated by criteria in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Guidance Document 34 to determine if the assay performed equally well to the AR EcoScreen Assay included in Test Guideline for AR Transactivation (OECD TG 458). There was no Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) crosstalk, and no changes in the AR DNA sequence in cells after the successful knock out of GR. Subsequently, the concordance of classifications of the 22 test chemicals was 100% in all laboratories. The AR agonistic and antagonistic inter-laboratory coefficients of variation based on log[10% effect for 10 nM DHT, PC₁₀] and log[inhibitory response of 800 pM DHT by at 30%, IC₃₀] from comprehensive tests were 2.75% and 2.44%, respectively. The AR agonist/antagonist test chemical classifications were consistent across AR EcoScreen ARTA assay data for 82/89%, and the balanced accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 83/90%, 88/100% and 78/80%, respectively. This assay was successfully validated and was approved for inclusion in TG 458 in 2020.

Cell-based assays for screening androgen receptor ligands

The androgen receptor (AR, NR3C4) mediates the majority of androgen effects on target cells. The AR is activated following ligand binding that result is enhanced of target gene transcription. Several cell-based model systems have been developed that allow sensitive detection and monitoring of steroids or other compounds with AR bioactivity. Most cell-based AR reporter models use transgenic gene constructs that include an androgen response element that controls reporter gene expression. The DNA cis-regulatory elements that respond to AR share sequence similarity with cis-regulatory elements for glucocorticoid (GR, NR3C1), mineralocorticoid (MR, NR3C2), and progesterone (PGR, NR3C3) receptors, which has compromised AR selectivity for some models. In recent years, the sensitivity and selectivity of AR bioassays have been significantly improved through careful selection of cell models, utilization of improved reporter genes, and the use of yeast two-hybrid AR systems. This review summarizes and compares the currently available androgen-responsive cell model systems.

Development and assessment of a novel Arxula adeninivorans androgen screen (A-YAS) assay and its application in analysis of cattle urine

The novel A-YAS assay for the detection of androgenic activity in liquid samples such as urine has been developed and assessed. The assay is based on transgenic Arxula adeninivorans yeast cells as the bio-component. The cells were engineered to co-express the human androgen receptor (hAR) gene and the inducible phytase reporter gene (phyK, derived from Klebsiella sp. ASR1), under the control of an Arxula derived glucoamylase (GAA) promoter, which had been modified by the insertion of hormone-responsive elements (HREs). The Arxula transformation/expression platform Xplor®2 was used to select stable mitotic resistance marker free transformants and the most suitable cells were characterized for performance as a sensor bio-component. The assay is easy-to-use, fast (6-25 h) and is currently the most sensitive yeast-based androgen screen with an EC50, limit of detection and of quantification values for 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) of 277.1±53.0, 56.5±4.1 and 76.5±6.7 ng L(-1), respectively. Furthermore, the assay allows the determination of androgenic and anti-androgenic activity of various compounds such as naturally occurring androgens and estrogens, pharmaceuticals and biocides. The robustness of the A-YAS assay enables it to be used for analysis of complex samples such as urine. The results of the analysis of a number of cattle urine samples achieved by the A-YAS assay correlate well with GC-MS analysis of the same samples.

In vitro androgen bioassays as a detection method for designer androgens

Androgens are the class of sex steroids responsible for male sexual characteristics, including increased muscle mass and decreased fat mass. Illicit use of androgen doping can be an attractive option for those looking to enhance sporting performance and/or physical appearance. The use of in vitro bioassays to detect androgens, especially designer or proandrogens, is becoming increasingly important in combating androgen doping associated with nutritional supplements. The nutritional sports supplement market has grown rapidly throughout the past decade. Many of these supplements contain androgens, designer androgens or proandrogens. Many designer or proandrogens cannot be detected by the standard highly-sensitive screening methods such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry because their chemical structure is unknown. However, in vitro androgen bioassays can detect designer and proandrogens as these assays are not reliant on knowing the chemical structure but instead are based on androgen receptor activation. For these reasons, it may be advantageous to use routine androgen bioassay screening of nutraceutical samples to help curb the increasing problem of androgen doping.

Impact of the emergence of designer drugs upon sports doping testing

Historically, dope-testing methods have been developed to target specific and known threats to the integrity of sport. Traditionally, the source of new analytical targets for which testing was required were derived almost exclusively from the pharmaceutical industry. More recently, the emergence of designer drugs, such as tetrahydrogestrinone that are specifically intended to evade detection, or novel chemicals intended to circumvent laws controlling the sale and distribution of recreational drugs, such as anabolic steroids, stimulants and cannabinoids, have become a significant issue. In this review, we shall consider the emergence of designer drugs and the response of dope-testing laboratories to these new threats, in particular developments in analytical methods, instrumentation and research intended to detect their abuse, and we consider the likely future impact of these approaches.

Evaluation of androgenic activity of nutraceutical-derived steroids using mammalian and yeast in vitro androgen bioassays

Androgenic steroids marketed online as nutraceuticals are a growing concern in sport doping. The inability of conventional mass spectrometry (MS)-based techniques to detect structurally novel androgens has led to the development of in vitro androgen bioassays to identify such designer androgens by their bioactivity. The objective of this study was to determine the androgenic bioactivity of novel steroidal compounds isolated from nutraceuticals using both yeast and mammalian cell-based androgen bioassays. We developed two new in vitro androgen bioassays by stably transfecting HEK293 and HuH7 cells with the human androgen receptor (hAR) expression plasmid together with a novel reporter gene vector (enhancer/ARE/SEAP). The yeast β-galactosidase androgen bioassay was used for comparison. Our new bioassay featuring the enhancer/ARE/SEAP construct (-S) displayed simpler assay format and higher specificity with lower sensitivity compared with the commonly used mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV)-luciferase. The relative potencies (RP), defined as [EC(50)] of testosterone/[EC(50)] of steroid, of nutraceutical extracts in the yeast, HEK293-S, and HuH7-S, were 34, 333, and 80,000 for Hemapolin; 208, 250, and 80 for Furazadrol; 0.38, 10, and 106 for Oxyguno; 2.7, 0.28, and 15 for Trena; and 4.5, 0.1, and 0.4 for Formadrol, respectively. The wide discrepancies in rank RP of these compounds was reconciled into a consistent potency ranking when the cells were treated with meclofenamic acid, a nonselective inhibitor of steroid metabolizing enzymes. These findings indicate that steroids extracted from nutraceuticals can be converted in vitro into more or less potent androgens in mammalian but not in yeast cells. We conclude that the putative androgenic bioactivity of a new compound may depend on the bioassay cellular format and that mammalian cell bioassays may have an added benefit in screening for proandrogens but sacrifice specificity for sensitivity in quantitation.

Superinduction of estrogen receptor mediated gene expression in luciferase based reporter gene assays is mediated by a post-transcriptional mechanism

Several estrogenic compounds including the isoflavonoid genistein have been reported to induce a higher maximal response than the natural estrogen 17β-estradiol in in vitro luciferase based reporter gene bioassays for testing estrogenicity. The phenomenon has been referred to as superinduction. The mechanism underlying this effect and thus also its biological relevance remain to be elucidated. In the present study several hypotheses for the possible mechanisms underlying this superinduction were investigated using genistein as the model compound. These hypotheses included (i) a non-estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated mechanism, (ii) a role for an ER activating genistein metabolite with higher ER inducing activity than genistein itself, and (iii) a post-transcriptional mechanism that is not biologically relevant but specific for the luciferase based reporter gene assays. The data presented in this study indicate that induction and also superinduction of the reporter gene is ER-mediated, and that superinduction by genistein could be ascribed to stabilization of the firefly luciferase reporter enzyme increasing the bioluminescent signal during the cell-based assay. This indicates that the phenomenon of superinduction may not be biologically relevant but may rather represent a post-transcriptional effect on enzyme stability.

New in vitro reporter gene bioassays for screening of hormonal active compounds in the environment

Identification of chemicals with endocrine-disrupting activities in the past two decades has led to the need for sensitive assays for detection and monitoring of these activities in the environment. In vitro reporter gene assays represent a relatively fast and easy-to-perform method for detection of compounds that are able to bind to hormonal receptors and stimulate or silence their transactivation activity, thus interfering with the hormone signaling pathways. This paper reviews upgrades on reporter gene assays performed during the last decade. The utilization of new reporter genes (luciferase and green fluorescent protein coding genes) significantly improved the sensitivity of the tests and made them faster. Reporter gene assays now represent a high-throughput system for screening chemicals for hormonal activity. Finally, modification of test set-ups for testing anti-hormonal activities also enabled measurements of endocrine-disrupting activities in complex environmental samples such as sediments and wastewater treatment plant effluents.

Bovine liver slices combined with an androgen transcriptional activation assay: an in-vitro model to study the metabolism and bioactivity of steroids

Previously we described the properties of a rapid and robust yeast androgen bioassay for detection of androgenic anabolic compounds, validated it, and showed its added value for several practical applications. However, biotransformation of potent steroids into inactive metabolites, or vice versa, is not included in this screening assay. Within this context, animal-friendly in-vitro cellular systems resembling species-specific metabolism can be of value. We therefore investigated the metabolic capacity of precision-cut slices of bovine liver using 17β-testosterone (T) as a model compound, because this is an established standard compound for assessing the metabolic capacity of such cellular systems. However, this is the first time that slice metabolism has been combined with bioactivity measurements. Moreover, this study also involves bioactivation of inactive prohormones, for example dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and esters of T, and although medium extracts are normally analyzed by HPLC, here the metabolites formed were identified with more certainty by ultra-performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC–TOFMS) with accurate mass measurement. Metabolism of T resulted mainly in the formation of the less potent phase I metabolites 4-androstene-3,17-dione (4-AD), the hydroxy-T metabolites 6α, 6β, 15β, and 16α-OH-T, and the phase II metabolite T-glucuronide. As a consequence the overall androgenic activity, as determined by the yeast androgen bioassay, decreased. In order to address the usefulness of bovine liver slices for activation of inactive steroids, liver slices were exposed to DHEA and two esters of T. This resulted in an increase of androgenic activity, because of the formation of 4-AD and T.

Figure

Steroid assays in paediatric endocrinology

Most steroid disorders of the adrenal cortex come to clinical attention in childhood and in order to investigate these problems, there are many challenges to the laboratory which need to be appreciated to a certain extent by clinicians. The analysis of sex steroids in biological fluids from neonates, over adrenarche and puberty present challenges of specificities and concentrations often in small sample sizes. Different reference ranges are also needed for interpretations. For around 40 years, quantitative assays for the steroids and their regulatory peptide hormones have been possible using immunoassay techniques. Problems are recognised and this review aims to summarise the benefits and failings of immunoassays and introduce where tandem mass spectrometry is anticipated to meet the clinical needs for steroid analysis in paediatric endocrine investigations. It is important to keep a dialogue between clinicians and the laboratory, especially when any laboratory result does not make sense in the clinical investigation.

SERMs and SARMs: detection of their activities with yeast based bioassays

Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are compounds that activate their cognate receptor in particular target tissues without affecting other organs. Many of these compounds will find their use in therapeutic treatments. However, they also will have a high potential for misuse in veterinary practice and the sporting world. Here we demonstrate that yeast estrogen and androgen bioassays can be used to detect SERMs and SARMs, and are also useful screening tools to investigate their mode of action. Six steroidal 11beta-substituents of E2 (SERMs) and some arylpropionamide- and quinoline-based SARMs were tested. In addition, 7 compounds previously tested on AR agonism and determined as inactive in the yeast androgen bioassay, while QSAR modelling revealed strong binding to the human androgen receptor, are now shown to act as AR antagonists.

Designer steroids

Anabolic steroids have been studied for over 50 years and during that time numerous compounds with a variety of functional groups have been produced and many have been published. Of these only a small number have been introduced to the pharmaceutical market. WADA has continued the work begun by the IOC banning the use of these agents within sport as performance enhancing substances. Athletes, however, continue to use these anabolic steroids but tighter testing and the introduction of unannounced sample collection has made this form of cheating harder.In order to try to evade detection, athletes who continue to dope are having to resort to the use of a far more dangerous form of drug - the designer steroid. These steroids are manufactured to closely resemble existing known compounds, but with sufficient chemical diversity to ensure that their detection by the WADA accredited laboratories is more difficult. A worrying feature of the use of these compounds is that no data is available to evaluate either the efficacy or the safety of these substances. Many such drugs are now being made in clandestine ways (as demonstrated by the recent BALCO case) and then passed on to athletes who become the guinea pigs determining the potential of the substances as doping agents.Methods for the detection of these new compounds are being developed using emerging techniques such as gas chromatography or liquid chromatography attached to a variety of mass spectrometry instruments. This technology as well as vigilance by laboratories and enforcement agencies can all help in early detection of designer steroids being used for doping.