Detection of Riddelliine-Derived DNA Adducts in Blood of Rats Fed Riddelliine

Prediction of in vivo genotoxicity of lasiocarpine and riddelliine in rat liver using a combined in vitro-physiologically based kinetic modelling-facilitated reverse dosimetry approach

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are naturally occurring genotoxic compounds, and PA-containing plants can pose a risk to humans through contaminated food sources and herbal products. Upon metabolic activation, PAs can form DNA adducts, DNA and protein cross links, chromosomal aberrations, micronuclei, and DNA double-strand breaks. These genotoxic effects may induce gene mutations and play a role in the carcinogenesis of PAs. This study aims to predict in vivo genotoxicity for two well-studied PAs, lasiocarpine and riddelliine, in rat using in vitro genotoxicity data and physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modelling-based reverse dosimetry. The phosphorylation of histone protein H2AX was used as a quantitative surrogate endpoint for in vitro genotoxicity of lasiocarpine and riddelliine in primary rat hepatocytes and human HepaRG cells. The in vitro concentration-response curves obtained from primary rat hepatocytes were subsequently converted to in vivo dose-response curves from which points of departure (PoDs) were derived that were compared to available in vivo genotoxicity data. The results showed that the predicted PoDs for lasiocarpine and riddelliine were comparable to in vivo genotoxicity data. It is concluded that this quantitative in vitro-in silico approach provides a method to predict in vivo genotoxicity for the large number of PAs for which in vivo genotoxicity data are lacking by integrating in vitro genotoxicity assays with PBK modelling-facilitated reverse dosimetry.

Use of physiologically based kinetic modelling-facilitated reverse dosimetry to convert in vitro cytotoxicity data to predicted in vivo liver toxicity of lasiocarpine and riddelliine in rat

Lasiocarpine and riddelliine are pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) present in food and able to cause liver toxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modelling-facilitated reverse dosimetry can adequately translate in vitro concentration-response curves for toxicity of lasiocarpine and riddelliine to in vivo liver toxicity data for the rat. To this purpose, PBK models were developed for lasiocarpine and riddelliine, and predicted blood concentrations were compared to available literature data to evaluate the models. Concentration-response curves obtained from in vitro cytotoxicity assays in primary rat hepatocytes were converted to in vivo dose-response curves from which points of departure (PODs) were derived and that were compared to available literature data on in vivo liver toxicity. The results showed that the predicted PODs fall well within the range of PODs derived from available in vivo toxicity data. To conclude, this study shows the proof-of-principle for a method to predict in vivo liver toxicity for PAs by an alternative testing strategy integrating in vitro cytotoxicity assays with in silico PBK modelling-facilitated reverse dosimetry. The approach may facilitate prediction of acute liver toxicity for the large number of PAs for which in vivo toxicity data are lacking.

Formation of DHP-derived DNA adducts from metabolic activation of the prototype heliotridine-type pyrrolizidine alkaloid, heliotrine

Pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing plants are widespread in the world and may be the most common poisonous plants affecting livestock, wildlife, and humans. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids require metabolism to exert their genotoxicity and tumorigenicity. Our mechanistic studies have determined that metabolism of the retronecine-type (riddelliine, retrorsine, and monocrotaline), heliotridine-type (lasiocarpine), and otonecine-type (clivorine) tumorigenic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in vivo and/or in vitro all generates a common set of 6,7-dihydro-7-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-5H-pyrrolizine (DHP)-derived DNA adducts responsible for tumor induction. All the pyrrolizidine alkaloids studied previously are diesters with an ester linkage at the C7 and C9 positions of the necine base. In this study, we report that F344 rat liver microsomal metabolism of heliotrine, a tumorigenic monoester bearing a hydroxyl group at the C7 of the necine base, resulted in the formation of the dehydroheliotridine (DHH) metabolite. When incubations of heliotrine were carried out in the presence of calf thymus DNA, the same set of DHP-derived DNA adducts was formed. These results support that DHP-derived DNA adducts are potential common biomarkers of pyrrolizidine alkaloid exposure and tumorigenicity. For comparison, the dehydroretronecine (DHR)-derived DNA adducts formed from metabolism of riddleiine, retrorsine, monocrotaline, riddelleiine N-oxide, and retrorsine N-oxide were measured in parallel; the levels of DHP-derived DNA adduct formation were in the order: riddelliine approximately retrorsine>monocrotaline>retrorsine N-oxide>or=riddelliine N-oxide>heliotrine.

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids—Genotoxicity, Metabolism Enzymes, Metabolic Activation, and Mechanisms

Pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing plants are widely distributed in the world and are probably the most common poisonous plants affecting livestock, wildlife, and humans. Because of their abundance and potent toxicities, the mechanisms by which pyrrolizidine alkaloids induce genotoxicities, particularly carcinogenicity, were extensively studied for several decades but not exclusively elucidated until recently. To date, the pyrrolizidine alkaloid-induced genotoxicities were revealed to be elicited by the hepatic metabolism of these naturally occurring toxins. In this review, we present updated information on the metabolism, metabolizing enzymes, and the mechanisms by which pyrrolizidine alkaloids exert genotoxicity and tumorigenicity.