Beryllium chemical speciation in elemental human biological fluids

The understanding of beryllium chemistry in human body fluids is important for understanding the prevention and treatment of chronic beryllium disease. Thermodynamic modeling has traditionally been used to study environmental contaminant migration and rarely in the examination of metal (particularly beryllium) toxicology. In this work, a chemical thermodynamic speciation code (MINTEQA2) has been used to model and understand the chemistry of beryllium in simulated human biological fluids such as intracellular, interstitial, and plasma fluids, a number of airway surface fluids for patients with lung conditions, saliva, sweat, urine, bile, gastric juice, and pancreatic fluid. The results show that predicted beryllium solubility and speciation vary markedly between each simulated biological fluid. Formation of beryllium hydroxide and/or phosphate was observed in most of the modeled fluids, and results support the postulation that beryllium absorption in the gastrointestinal tract may be limited by the formation of beryllium phosphate solids. It is also postulated that beryllium is potentially 13% less soluble in the airway surface fluid of a patient with asthma when compared to a "normal" case. The results of this work, supported by experimental validation, can aid in the understanding of beryllium toxicology. Our results can potentially be applied to assessing the feasibility of biological monitoring or chelation treatment of beryllium body burden.     

The chemical speciation of uranium in water does not influence its absorption from the gastrointestinal tract of rats

Studies of the chemical speciation of uranium in water can enhance the knowledge of the mechanisms of its absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and its storage in the body. They can also help to improve the dosimetric models recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The aim of this work was to assess the influence of uranium speciation on its absorption from the gastrointestinal tract by using both computer speciation modeling and direct measurement of the fractional absorption in vivo in rats after ingestion of five different samples of contaminated water. Preliminary ex vivo studies with human saliva and gastric juice showed that 90% of uranium was recovered with the natural components of the fluid studied. The computer studies of uranium speciation among the electrolytes of these fluids showed that under the set conditions, the chemical species changed in a broadly similar manner under the influence of fluid composition and pH. In vivo studies in rats validated these observations by indicating an average fractional absorption of about 0.4% for each of five different water samples. It is concluded that the chemical form of uranium in the water ingested did not influence its absorption into the body.     

Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of the plant cannabinoids, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and cannabinol

Increasing interest in the biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of cannabinoids and in the development of cannabinoid medications necessitates an understanding of cannabinoid pharmacokinetics and disposition into biological fluids and tissues. A drug's pharmacokinetics determines the onset, magnitude, and duration of its pharmacodynamic effects. This review of cannabinoid pharmacokinetics encompasses absorption following diverse routes of administration and from different drug formulations, distribution of analytes throughout the body, metabolism by different tissues and organs, elimination from the body in the feces, urine, sweat, oral fluid, and hair, and how these processes change over time. Cannabinoid pharmacokinetic research has been especially challenging due to low analyte concentrations, rapid and extensive metabolism, and physicochemical characteristics that hinder the separation of drugs of interest from biological matrices--and from each other--and lower drug recovery due to adsorption of compounds of interest to multiple surfaces. delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary psychoactive component of Cannabis sativa, and its metabolites 11-hydroxy-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol are the focus of this chapter, although cannabidiol and cannabinol, two other cannabinoids with an interesting array of activities, will also be reviewed. Additional material will be presented on the interpretation of cannabinoid concentrations in human biological tissues and fluids following controlled drug administration.     

The metabolism and toxicity of quinones,quinonimines, quinone methides,and quinone-thioethers

Quinones are ubiquitous in nature and constitute an important class of naturally occurring compounds found in plants, fungi and bacteria. Human exposure to quinones therefore occurs via the diet, but also clinically or via airborne pollutants. For example, the quinones of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are prevalent as environmental contaminants and provide a major source of current human exposure to quinones. The inevitable human exposure to quinones, and the inherent reactivity of quinones, has stimulated substantial research on the chemistry and toxicology of these compounds. From a toxicological perspective, quinones possess two principal chemical properties that confer their reactivity in biological systems. Quinones are oxidants and electrophiles, and the relative contribution of these properties to quinone toxicity is influenced by chemical structure, in particular substituent effects. Modification to the quinone nucleus also influences quinone metabolism. This review will therefore focus on the differences in structure and metabolism of quinones, and how such differences influence quinone toxicology. Specific examples will be discussed to illustrate the diverse manner by which quinones interact with biological systems to initiate and propagate a toxic response.     

The speciation of metals in mammals influences their toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics and therefore human health risk assessment

Chemical form (i.e., species) can influence metal toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics and should be considered to improve human health risk assessment. Factors that influence metal speciation (and examples) include: (1) carrier-mediated processes for specific metal species (arsenic, chromium, lead and manganese), (2) valence state (arsenic, chromium, manganese and mercury), (3) particle size (lead and manganese), (4) the nature of metal binding ligands (aluminum, arsenic, chromium, lead, and manganese), (5) whether the metal is an organic versus inorganic species (arsenic, lead, and mercury), and (6) biotransformation of metal species (aluminum, arsenic, chromium, lead, manganese and mercury). The influence of speciation on metal toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics in mammals, and therefore the adverse effects of metals, is reviewed to illustrate how the physicochemical characteristics of metals and their handling in the body (toxicokinetics) can influence toxicity (toxicodynamics). Generalizing from mercury, arsenic, lead, aluminum, chromium, and manganese, it is clear that metal speciation influences mammalian toxicity. Methods used in aquatic toxicology to predict the interaction among metal speciation, uptake, and toxicity are evaluated. A classification system is presented to show that the chemical nature of the metal can predict metal ion toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics. Essential metals, such as iron, are considered. These metals produce low oral toxicity under most exposure conditions but become toxic when biological processes that utilize or transport them are overwhelmed, or bypassed. Risk assessments for essential and nonessential metals should consider toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic factors in setting exposure standards. Because speciation can influence a metal's fate and toxicity, different exposure standards should be established for different metal species. Many examples are provided which consider metal essentiality and toxicity and that illustrate how consideration of metal speciation can improve the risk assessment process. More examples are available at a website established as a repository for summaries of the literature on how the speciation of metals affects their toxicokinetics.     

Depleted and natural uranium: chemistry and toxicological effects

Depleted uranium (DU) is a by-product from the chemical enrichment of naturally occurring uranium. Natural uranium is comprised of three radioactive isotopes: (238)U, (235)U, and (234)U. This enrichment process reduces the radioactivity of DU to roughly 30% of that of natural uranium. Nonmilitary uses of DU include counterweights in airplanes, shields against radiation in medical radiotherapy units and transport of radioactive isotopes. DU has also been used during wartime in heavy tank armor, armor-piercing bullets, and missiles, due to its desirable chemical properties coupled with its decreased radioactivity. DU weapons are used unreservedly by the armed forces. Chemically and toxicologically, DU behaves similarly to natural uranium metal. Although the effects of DU on human health are not easily discerned, they may be produced by both its chemical and radiological properties. DU can be toxic to many bodily systems, as presented in this review. Most importantly, normal functioning of the kidney, brain, liver, and heart can be affected by DU exposure. Numerous other systems can also be affected by DU exposure, and these are also reviewed. Despite the prevalence of DU usage in many applications, limited data exist regarding the toxicological consequences on human health. This review focuses on the chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and toxicological effects of depleted and natural uranium on several systems in the mammalian body. A section on risk assessment concludes the review.     

DEPLETED AND NATURAL URANIUM: CHEMISTRY AND TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Depleted uranium (DU) is a by-product from the chemical enrichment of naturally occurring uranium. Natural uranium is comprised of three radioactive isotopes: ²³⁸U, ²³⁵U, and ²³⁴U. This enrichment process reduces the radioactivity of DU to roughly 30% of that of natural uranium. Nonmilitary uses of DU include counterweights in airplanes, shields against radiation in medical radiotherapy units and transport of radioactive isotopes. DU has also been used during wartime in heavy tank armor, armor-piercing bullets, and missiles, due to its desirable chemical properties coupled with its decreased radioactivity. DU weapons are used unreservedly by the armed forces. Chemically and toxicologically, DU behaves similarly to natural uranium metal. Although the effects of DU on human health are not easily discerned, they may be produced by both its chemical and radiological properties. DU can be toxic to many bodily systems, as presented in this review. Most importantly, normal functioning of the kidney, brain, liver, and heart can be affected by DU exposure. Numerous other systems can also be affected by DU exposure, and these are also reviewed. Despite the prevalence of DU usage in many applications, limited data exist regarding the toxicological consequences on human health. This review focuses on the chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and toxicological effects of depleted and natural uranium on several systems in the mammalian body. A section on risk assessment concludes the review.     

Maleic hydrazide: should the Delaney amendment apply to its use?

The chemistry, metabolism, toxicology, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity of maleic hydrazide have been reviewed. There is little doubt that this chemical is a mutagen and a carcinogen in cell cultures and animals, but no evidence is available on human carcinogenicity regardless of population exposure in manufacturing, agriculture, and the food chain (i.e., potato chips). An epidemiology survey should be conducted to ascertain possible human carcinogenicity in these populations. A long-term ingestion experiment should be conducted in several animal species to establish whether maleic hydrazide is carcinogenic by this route. Biotransformation studies should be undertaken along with pharmacokinetic studies to obtain a better understanding of the chemical's metabolism and excretion. Such investigations would firmly establish whether the tolerance formaleic hydrazide should remain or whether the use of the compound should be banned under the Delaney Amendment.     

Influence of uranium speciation on normal rat kidney (NRK-52E) proximal cell cytotoxicity

Uranium is a naturally occurring heavy metal. Its extensive use in the nuclear cycle and for military applications has focused attention on its potential health effects. Acute exposures to uranium are toxic to the kidneys where they mainly cause damage to proximal tubular epithelium. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biological consequences of acute in vitro uranyl exposure and the influence of uranyl speciation on its cytotoxicity. NRK-52E cells, representative of rat kidney proximal epithelium, were exposed to uranyl-carbonate and -citrate complexes, which are the major complexes transiting through renal tubules after acute in vivo contamination. Before NRK-52E cell exposure, these complexes were diluted in classical or modified cell culture media, which can possibly modify uranyl speciation. In these conditions, uranium cytotoxicity appears after 16 h of exposure. The CI50 cytotoxicity index, the uranium concentration leading to 50% dead cells after 24 h of exposure, is 500 microM (+/-100 microM) and strongly depends on uranyl counterion and cell culture medium composition. Computer modeling of uranyl speciation is reported, enabling one to draw a parallel between uranyl speciation and its cytotoxicity.     

Screening of human serum proteins for uranium binding

About 20% of uranyl ions in serum are associated with the protein pool. A few of them such as transferrin have been characterized, but most still have to be identified to obtain a better explanation of the biochemical toxicology and kinetics of uranium. We designed an in vitro sensitive procedure involving a combination of bidimensional chromatography with time-resolved fluorescence, coupled with proteomic analysis, to identify uranium-binding proteins in human serum fractions. Ten novel targets were identified and validated using purified proteins and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Of these, ceruloplasmin, hemopexin, and two complement proteins displayed the capacity to bind uranium with stoichiometry greater than 1 mole of uranium per mole of protein. Not all of these targets are metalloproteins, suggesting that uranyl ions can use a wide variety of binding sites and coordination strategies. These data provide additional insights into a better understanding of uranium chemical toxicity.     

生物学标志的概念与应用

近年来,生物学标志在毒理学、流行病学等多学科中得到广泛的应用。本文综述了近年来有关生物学标志的概念和和分类,阐述了生物学标志的的检测,即直接检测接触物及其代谢产物,动物试验中毒代动力学资料的应用,人类生物样品中生物学标志的测定和毒代动力学中数学模型。其后阐述了大分子加合物重点是DNA加合物作为生物学标志的应用。     

Molecular clinical safety intelligence: a system for bridging clinically focused safety knowledge to early-stage drug discovery - the GSK experience

Drug toxicity is a major cause of late-stage product attrition. During lead identification and optimization phases little information is typically available about which molecules might have safety concerns. A system was built linking chemistry, preclinical and human safety information, enabling scientists to lever safety knowledge across multiple disciplines. The system consists of a data warehouse with chemical structures and chemical and biological properties for ～80000 compounds and tools to access and analyze clinical data, toxicology, in vitro pharmacology and drug metabolism data. Tapping into this safety knowledge enables rapid clinically focused risk assessments of drug candidates. Use of this strategy adds value to the drug discovery process at GSK via efficient triage of compounds based on their potential for toxicity.     

Genetic toxicology in the pharmaceutical industry

The main objective of the pharmaceutical industry is health protection. Drugs not intended for use in life-threatening diseases should be free from toxic effects, but every natural or man-made chemical has potential toxicity depending on the exposure dose. The pharmaceutical industry considers genetic toxicology as a part of overall safety evaluation. No single genetic toxicity test is satisfactory; a battery of test is necessary to cover the whole spectrum of genetic events. Numerous tier approaches have been proposed for mutagenicity testing but from the toxicological viewpoint a phylogenic testing model seems more appropriate than a sequential step model. Evaluation of the mutagenic potential of drugs should rely on in vivo animal models, although for screening purposes and to promote understanding of the mutagenic action, in vitro tests using different systems can be used. Rejection solely on the basis of in vitro tests can lead to the unnecessary loss of a valuable drug. More inexpensive and relatively short tests on non-mammalian and mammalian cells are needed for studying structure-mutagenic activity relationships. For extrapolating to man and in the framework of clinical studies, it might be worthwhile to focus more time on developing inexpensive and simple tests using models directly relevant to man (e.g. human body fluids).     

Dose-Response Curves in Chemical Carcinogenesis

Extrapolation from studies of chemical carcinogenicity in rodents, at high doses, to humans, at the typically low doses to which we are exposed, has been one of the most controversial issues in toxicology. Many chemical carcinogenesis experiments currently are evaluated on a linear scale for dose. Log dose has been the standard for decades in pharmacology and toxicology for noncancer toxicities and there is no reason to think that it should not apply to chemical carcinogenesis. Furthermore, log dose is consistent with fundamental principles of chemistry. Direct comparisons of linear and logarithmic scales for dose illustrate the deceptive nature of linear plots for dose; low doses, which is where our interest lies in comparing human exposures, are compressed beyond evaluation by a linear scale. Unequivocal thresholds for carcinogenicity are shown when the dose-response curves for animal studies done at high doses are evaluated on a log scale for dose. This observation now raises the issue of the relevance to human exposures of these high-dose experiments in animals. Studies analyzed by this log dose to linear response procedure demonstrate that the thresholds from animal experiments can be used to calculate safety factors for human exposure and that humans are more resistant than animals to carcinogenesis from chemicals.     

Application of connectivity mapping in predictive toxicology based on gene-expression similarity

Connectivity mapping is the process of establishing connections between different biological states using gene-expression profiles or signatures. There are a number of applications but in toxicology the most pertinent is for understanding mechanisms of toxicity. In its essence the process involves comparing a query gene signature generated as a result of exposure of a biological system to a chemical to those in a database that have been previously derived. In the ideal situation the query gene-expression signature is characteristic of the event and will be matched to similar events in the database. Key criteria are therefore the means of choosing the signature to be matched and the means by which the match is made. In this article we explore these concepts with examples applicable to toxicology.     

Hormesis [biological effects of low-level exposure (B.E.L.L.E.)] and dermatology

Hormesis is characterized by nonmonotonic dose response that is biphasic, displaying opposite effects at low and high doses. Its occurrence has been documented across a broad range of biological models and diverse types of exposure. The effects of hormesis at various points can be beneficial or detrimental, depending on the context in which they occur. Because hormesis appears to be a relatively common phenomenon in many areas, the objective of this review is to explore its occurrence related to dermatology and its public health and risk assessment implication. Hormesis appears to be a common phenomenon in dermatology. Better understanding of this phenomenon will likely lead to different strategies for risk assessment process employed in the fields of dermatologic toxicology and pharmacology. More focus should be redirect from looking only at adverse effects at high levels of exposure to characterizing the complex biological effects, both adverse and beneficial, at low levels of exposure. Low-dose toxicology and pharmacology will not only provide a significant research challenge but also should contribute to better methods for low-dose risk assessment for complex mixtures of chemical compounds. This refocusing from high- to low-dose effects will shift the focus in the field of toxicology from emphasizing on adverse effects into studying the biological effects of chemical compounds on living organisms, taking into account the realization that the ultimate biological effect of a chemical may vary with its dose, the endpoint, the target organ considered, the interaction with other cell types/systems, and/or the combined exposure with other chemicals. The skin, with its ready accessibility, and its own areas of non-invasive technology, should provide fertile options to not only understand skin, but further explore practical implications in human and animal. We believe that hormesis is a common phenomenon and should be given detailed consideration to its concept and its risk assessment implications, and how these may be incorporated into the experimental and regulatory processes in dermatology. The skin, with its unique characteristics, its accessibility, and the availability of non-invasive bioengineering and DNA microarray technology, will be a good candidate to extend the biology of hormesis.     

PEGylated proteins: evaluation of their safety in the absence of definitive metabolism studies.

During the development of any PEGylated protein or peptide, toxicology in relevant species will be conducted prior to human exposure. Normally, comprehensive metabolism data accompany the toxicity studies for a small molecule. We have examined whether such studies would be relevant in the safety assessment of PEGylated material. Literature data indicate that the polyethylene glycol (PEG) associated with a biological molecule should provide no extra concern because the exposure-toxicity relationship of PEG in animals and humans has been thoroughly investigated and metabolism/excretion of PEG is well understood. Based on the comparisons of PEG exposure from PEGylated biological products and the exposure of PEG associated with toxicity in humans, the therapeutic index is large (approximately 600-fold or greater). Therefore, assuming that toxicological evaluation of a biological molecule of interest is complete and satisfactory therapeutic windows are achieved, the data contained in this review indicate that the PEG associated with a protein or other biological molecule does not represent an additional unquantified risk to humans.     

Mechanisms of Chromium Carcinogenicity and Toxicity

Abstract

Chromium, like many transition metal elements, is essential to life at low concentrations yet toxic to many systems at higher concentrations. In addition to the overt symptoms of acute chromium toxicity, delayed manifestations of chromium exposure become apparent by subsequent increases in the incidence of various human cancers. Chromium is widely used in numerous industrial processes, and as a result is a contaminant of many environmental systems. Chromium, in its myriad chemical forms and oxidation states, has been well studied in terms of its general chemistry and its interactions with biological molecules. However, the precise mechanisms by which chromium is both an essential metal and a carcinogen are not yet fully clear. The following review does not seek to embellish upon the proposed mechanisms of the toxic and carcinogenic actions of chromium, but rather provides a comprehensive review of these theories. The chemical nature of chromium compounds and how these properties impact upon the interactions of chromium with cellular and genetic targets, including animal and human hosts, are discussed.     

HEALTH RISK OF LOW-DOSE PESTICIDES MIXTURES: A Review of the 1985-1998 Literature On Combination Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment

A literature review covering the last 14 yr has been performed in the field of combination toxicology and human risk assessment from exposure to chemical mixtures, with special emphasis on mixtures of pesticides at low doses, that is, at levels likely to occur in human diet and environment. Despite a large body of knowledge in the field of risk assessment methodologies for exposure to chemical and pesticide mixtures, there is no single methodological approach in "combination toxicology" and health risk assessment of chemical mixtures, and therefore professional judgment is still required. Generally, the dose or response additivity approach that may be applied to evaluate potential risk for chemical mixtures in human toxicology overestimates the risk of a combination of chemicals. The recent endocrine disrupter issue demonstrated the difficulty of reproducibility of data when testing environmental toxicants at very low levels, and the need for more basic work in this field. The use of integrated methodological approaches may provide more reliable predictive data in the risk assessment of chemical mixtures in future. Yet data have demonstrated that exposure to a combination of compounds does not cause effects stronger than the ones of their most active component, provided components are present at low concentration levels, like acceptable daily intake (ADI) or reference dose (RfD) levels, well below their respective no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs). Although it has been demonstrated that a combination of compounds with the same target organ and the same or very similar mechanisms of action may cause additive or synergistic effects, the chance of such effects will most likely diminish with decreasing exposure levels to such combinations. Synergism and antagonism may both occur at the same time at different organs or targets in the same organism. However, and despite some exceptions, it has been demonstrated that interaction between components is not a common event at low levels of human exposure such as those that may occur through pesticides residues in food or drinking water. The introduction of a special safety factor as a standard for mixtures in addition to those normally used for deriving ADIs, RfDs, or minimal risk levels is not supported by data. It can be concluded from our review that, as a general rule, exposure to mixtures of pesticides at low doses of the individual constituents does not represent a potential source of concern to human health.