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Kowalski TW, Caldas-Garcia GB, Gomes JDA, Fraga LR, Schuler-Faccini L, Recamonde-Mendoza M, Paixão-Côrtes VR, Vianna FSL. Comparative Genomics Identifies Putative Interspecies Mechanisms Underlying Crbn-Sall4-Linked Thalidomide Embryopathy. Front Genet 2021; 12:680217. [PMID: 34249098 PMCID: PMC8262662 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.680217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of thalidomide–Cereblon-induced SALL4 degradation has brought new understanding for thalidomide embryopathy (TE) differences across species. Some questions, however, regarding species variability, still remain. The aim of this study was to detect sequence divergences between species, affected or not by TE, and to evaluate the regulated gene co-expression in a murine model. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of proteins experimentally established as affected by thalidomide exposure, evaluating 14 species. The comparative analysis, regarding synteny, neighborhood, and protein conservation, was performed in 42 selected genes. Differential co-expression analysis was performed, using a publicly available assay, GSE61306, which evaluated mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) exposed to thalidomide. The comparative analyses evidenced 20 genes in the upstream neighborhood of NOS3, which are different between the species who develop, or not, the classic TE phenotype. Considering protein sequence alignments, RECQL4, SALL4, CDH5, KDR, and NOS2 proteins had the biggest number of variants reported in unaffected species. In co-expression analysis, Crbn was a gene identified as a driver of the co-expression of other genes implicated in genetic, non-teratogenic, limb reduction defects (LRD), such as Tbx5, Esco2, Recql4, and Sall4; Crbn and Sall4 were shown to have a moderate co-expression correlation, which is affected after thalidomide exposure. Hence, even though the classic TE phenotype is not identified in mice, a deregulatory Crbn-induced mechanism is suggested in this animal. Functional studies are necessary, especially evaluating the genes responsible for LRD syndromes and their interaction with thalidomide–Cereblon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thayne Woycinck Kowalski
- Post-Graduation Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, PPGBM, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics and Evolution, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Medical Population Genetics, INAGEMP, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Bioinformatics Core, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Centro Universitário CESUCA, Cachoeirinha, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Barreto Caldas-Garcia
- Post-Graduation Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, PPGBM, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Post-Graduation Program in Biodiversity and Evolution, PPGBioEvo Institute of Biology, Universidade Federal da Bahia, UFBA, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Julia do Amaral Gomes
- Post-Graduation Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, PPGBM, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics and Evolution, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Medical Population Genetics, INAGEMP, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lucas Rosa Fraga
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Medical Population Genetics, INAGEMP, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Morphological Sciences, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Post-Graduation Program in Medical Science, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Teratogen Information System, SIAT, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lavínia Schuler-Faccini
- Post-Graduation Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, PPGBM, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics and Evolution, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Medical Population Genetics, INAGEMP, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Teratogen Information System, SIAT, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Mariana Recamonde-Mendoza
- Bioinformatics Core, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Institute of Informatics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Rodrigues Paixão-Côrtes
- Post-Graduation Program in Biodiversity and Evolution, PPGBioEvo Institute of Biology, Universidade Federal da Bahia, UFBA, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Sales Luiz Vianna
- Post-Graduation Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, PPGBM, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics and Evolution, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Medical Population Genetics, INAGEMP, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Post-Graduation Program in Medical Science, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Teratogen Information System, SIAT, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Panzica-Kelly JM, Brannen KC, Ma Y, Zhang CX, Flint OP, Lehman-McKeeman LD, Augustine-Rauch KA. Establishment of a molecular embryonic stem cell developmental toxicity assay. Toxicol Sci 2012; 131:447-57. [PMID: 23042729 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfs293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The mouse embryonic stem cell test (EST) is a 10-day screen for teratogenic potential developed to reduce animal use for embryotoxicity testing of chemicals (Spielmann, 2005; Spielmann et al., 1997). In this study, we used the cytotoxicity IC(50) values and transcriptional expression changes as primary endpoints in a shorter 4-day version of the EST, the molecular embryonic stem cell assay. Mouse D3 embryonic stem cells were used for cytotoxicity assessment (monolayers) or grown as embryoid bodies in low attachment plates for transcriptional profiling. Sixty-five compounds with known in vivo teratogenicity (33 teratogens and 32 nonteratogens) were evaluated to develop a model for classifying compounds with teratogenic potential. The expression of 12 developmentally regulated gene targets (nanog, fgf5, gsc, cd34, axin2, apln, chst7, lhx1, fgf8, sox17, foxa2, and cxcr4) was measured following exposure of embryoid bodies to a single compound concentration (0.1 × the cytotoxicity IC(20)) for 4 days. In the decision-tree model, compounds with IC(50) values < 22 µM were categorized as teratogens, whereas compounds in the two groups with IC(50) values between 22-200 µM and > 200 µM were categorized as teratogens if ≥ 8 and 12 genes, respectively, were deregulated by at least 10%. Forty-seven of 65 compounds of the training set were correctly identified (72% total concordance). In a test set of 12 additional compounds (5 teratogens, 7 nonteratogens), 10 were correctly classified by this approach (83% concordance). The false positive rate in the training and test sets was 24 and 0%, respectively, indicating that this assay has potential to identify teratogens.
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Christian MS, Brent RL, Calda P. Embryo–fetal toxicity signals for 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate in high-risk pregnancies: A review of the non-clinical literature for embryo–fetal toxicity with progestins. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2009; 20:89-112. [PMID: 17437208 DOI: 10.1080/14767050601178758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A large National Institutes of Health (NIH) study showed that pharmacy-compounded 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHP-C) reduced the incidence of preterm birth. The study results included a signal that 17-OHP-C may be associated with an increase in the rate of miscarriages and stillbirths. The most probable cause of an increased incidence of miscarriage/stillbirths may be the use of 17-OHP-C in high-risk patients. The current search of the non-clinical literature was performed to identify whether there were any signals from studies in animals that might suggest concerns for the safe use of progestins generally, and 17-OHP-C specifically, in the prevention of preterm birth in humans. METHODS An extensive literature search was performed for progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and 17-OHP-C, using Medline and Toxline databases, textbooks, and then the obtained publications. Because 17-OHP-C does not have a standardized clinical formulation or optimal route of administration identified, all formulations, vehicles, routes and doses were included in the search, as well as treatment during any stage of pregnancy. All publications obtained were reviewed for relevancy; those in German, French, Italian or Russian were translated. RESULTS None of the relevant non-clinical studies conducted in mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, horses or non-human primates met current standards for determining reproductive and developmental effects as part of the process of drug development. Most studies focused on the potential of 17-OHP-C for teratogenicity. Many studies used supra-pharmacologic and/or high multiples of human exposure in their study design. Overall, 17-OHP-C was consistently shown to be less potent than progesterone, and neither progesterone nor 17-OHP-C consistently adversely affected maternal weight, embryo-fetal viability or caused malformations. One study in rhesus monkeys raises concerns because resorption/abortion occurred at the human equivalent dose of 17-OHP-C, 10 mg/kg; this finding did not occur in cynomolgus monkeys. The absence of information regarding the serum levels of both progesterone and 17-OHP-C in the animal studies and in humans, as well as presumed inter-species metabolic differences, make it difficult to conclude that the findings with 17-OHP-C in rhesus monkeys and the signal in the NIH trial are related. A few studies in rats raised questions regarding potential effects on postnatal development, but in the absence of better study designs, the relevancy of these findings to human risk are also questionable at best. CONCLUSION There is a signal for embryo-fetal toxicity associated with 17-OHP-C in the two largest clinical trials conducted to date; there is also a signal for embryo-fetal toxicity with 17-OHP-C in rhesus monkeys and possibly one in rodent species. The relationship between these signals is unclear given the absence of state-of-the-art reproductive toxicology studies and human pharmacokinetic studies.
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Huang PH, McBride WG. Thalidomide induced alteration in secondary structure of rat embryonic DNA in vivo. TERATOGENESIS, CARCINOGENESIS, AND MUTAGENESIS 1990; 10:281-94. [PMID: 1980031 DOI: 10.1002/tcm.1770100402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Teratogenicity of thalidomide was demonstrated in Wistar rats following a single maternal intravenous injection during the embryonic organogenetic period. When compared to day 13 embryonic DNA isolated from untreated control mothers, differences were observed in the mean wet weights of day 13 embryos from rats treated with thalidomide during days 10 or 11 of gestation, and significantly less amounts of embryonic DNA were recovered from mothers similarly treated on days 10 or 12 of their respective gestation periods. Rat embryonic DNA may be separated into two fractions by stepwise elution from benzoylated DEAE-cellulose (BD-cellulose) columns with 1.0 M NaCl (SE-DNA) and 1.8% (w/v) caffeine (CE-DNA) solutions, respectively. Other studies using bacterial, yeast, and rat liver DNA suggested that the first fraction contains native DNA, whereas the second may exhibit some degree of single-stranded character. Similar reproducible chromatographic profiles were obtained using a novel "batch method" developed for general application. Rat embryonic DNA was monitored by labelling in vivo with an i.p. injection of [methyl-3H]-thymidine (3H-TdR) during days 5, 6, and 7 of the gestation period. All samples were analysed on day 13 of gestation. A simple increase in percentage of caffeine-eluted DNA was not detected in thalidomide treated samples; however, diversity of percent (%) CE-DNA within litter was noted. Briefly, the percent CE-DNA values for embryos in one litter were ranked and arbitrarily grouped in classes with limits of mean +/- 1 SD, mean +/- 2 SD, and so on to generate a characteristic profile of percent CE-DNA distribution. The number of embryos within the range of each SD unit was expressed as a percentage of each litter. A plot of the ranges of percent CE-DNA versus percentage of each litter was used to illustrate the distribution profile of the particular litter and to be used for comparison between samples from untreated control and thalidomide and/or dimethylformamide (DMF) treated DNA. Treatment of day 12 mothers with thalidomide produced a majority of embryos having percent CE-DNA values similar to those of untreated controls with the exception of the inclusion of a second population of embryos with much higher percent CE-DNA values than those of the untreated controls. Similar treatment of day 11 animals produced a majority of embryos still having percent CE-DNA values similar to those of untreated controls and also having a second group of embryos with a lower percent CE-DNA values than those of untreated controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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Affiliation(s)
- P H Huang
- Foundation 41, Unit of Molecular Biology, Surry Hills, N.S.W., Australia
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Fabro S, Shull G, Brown NA. The relative teratogenic index and teratogenic potency: proposed components of developmental toxicity risk assessment. TERATOGENESIS, CARCINOGENESIS, AND MUTAGENESIS 1982; 2:61-76. [PMID: 6122280 DOI: 10.1002/1520-6866(1990)2:1<61::aid-tcm1770020107>3.0.co;2-o] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Teratogenicity tests should provide answers to three questions: (1) Can the agent induce developmental defects? ("teratogenic potential"); (2) What are the effective doses? ("teratogenic potency"); and (3) Are effective doses below adult toxic doses? ("teratogenic hazard"). The answers to (2) and (3) should be quantitative in nature, but there are no accepted parameters to express these properties. In this paper we propose parameters for the description of teratogenic potency and hazard in quantitative terms. Derivation and calculation of the parameters are illustrated by the analysis of adult lethality and teratogenicity data of eight structurally related anhydrides and imides, following testing in the CD-1 mouse. Teratogenicity was evaluated following treatment on Days 8-10 of gestation, using an average of four dose groups per compound and at least 10 dams per group. Adult lethality was estimated following a similar 3-day dosage schedule with an average of 6 dose groups per compound and at least 8 animals per group. Dose-response relationships of teratogenicity were fitted to a probit model from which tD50 (median effective dose), and other effective doses were computed. It is proposed that tD05, as a minimum teratogenic dose, best represents teratogenic potency. In this study, potency ranged from 0.17 mmol/kg/day for phenytoin to 5.2 mmol/kg/day for ethosuximide. In order to measure teratogenic hazard a ratio between adult toxic (lethality was chosen as the most appropriate measure) and teratogenic responses was made. Since the dose-response slopes of lethality and teratogenicity were different, a simple ratio between median effective doses could not be used. It is shown that a ratio of LD01 to tD05 provides a "Relative Teratogenic Index" (RTI) which reflects the teratogenic hazard of a test agent. The following RTI values (LD01/tD05) were computed in this study: phthalic anhydride, 0.9; phensuximide, 1.0; succinic anhydride, 1.0; ethosuximide, 1.2; phenytoin, 1.6; phenacemide, 3.3; trimethadione, 4.0; and sodium valproate, 4.1. For these data, tD05 and RTI clearly represent the differing teratogenic potencies and hazards of the tested compounds. it is suggested that these parameters may be useful in comparative teratogenicity studies and may be valuable components of developmental toxicity risk assessment.
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