Disposition of 2′, 3′-dideoxyadenosine and 2′, 3′-dideoxyinosine in mice

Summary Mice were dosed with [³H]2,3-dideoxyadenosine ([³H]ddA) in three procedures: intravenously, intraperitoneally, and interperitoneally following a dose of 2 -deoxycoformycin (dCF). For mice dosed intravenously, the content of radioactivity in plasma and tissue samples were essentially constant after 30 min. Of the radioactivity in plasma and brain samples collected between 30 min and 24 hr, more than 94% was present as ³H₂O, indicating that most of the tritium from [³H]ddA had exchanged with water. No intact ddA was detected, and the deamination product, 2,3 -dideoxyinosine (ddI), was present only transiently. In the urine, the major radioactive material was [³H]ddI. Also detected were ³H₂O and small amounts of [³H]hypoxanthine and [³H]ddA. Following intraperitoneal doses to mice, levels of radioactivity in plasma, liver, and kidney increased to a maximum by 15–30 min after dosing but dropped to essentially constant levels thereafter, again indicating that the tritium had exchanged with water. At 5, 15, and 30 min after dosing, ddI was the major radioactive component in plasma. Only small amounts of ddA were present. When dCF was administered 24 hr prior to intraperitoneal [³H]ddA, levels of radioactivity in plasma, liver, and kidney reached a maximum at 30 to 60 min after dosing and decreased to essentially constant levels thereafter. The dCF transiently inhibited the deamination of ddA to ddI, since, in plasma, [³H]ddA was the main radioactive component at 5 and 15 min after dosing. Comparison of HPLC assays based on radioactivity detection and UV absorbance showed that they were equivalent for measuring ddA and ddI in samples derived from dosed mice. Therefore, exchange of tritium must have occurred at a metabolic step beyond ddI.For mice dosed intravenously and orally with unlabeled ddI, there was evidence of a saturated process. Nevertheless, for the high and low intravenous doses of ddI, the percent of dose excreted in the urine as unchanged drug was the same.     

Distribution and excretion of 2,3,6,2′,3′,6′- and 2,4,5,2′,4′,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl in senescent rats

The disposition of two symmetrical [¹⁴C]hexachlorobiphenyls (HCBs), 2,3,6,2′,3′,6′-HCB (236) and 2,4,5,2′,4′,5′-HCB (245), was studied in 24-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats after iv treatment. Because body composition changes with age, complete dissections were performed on all rats to determine the size of the skin and adipose tissue depots. More than 50% of 236 was metabolized and excreted via the bile into the feces within 2 days. In contrast, 245 redistributed from the liver, muscle, and skin to adipose tissue where it accumulated without being metabolized. Only 2% of the total dose of 245 was excreted primarily in the feces within 21 days. The data obtained in this study were compared to results previously obtained from 2- to 3-month-old rats in this laboratory (Matthews and Tuey, 1980, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.53, 377–388). Although the general pattern of HCB disposition did not change with age, i.e., metabolism and excretion of 236 versus persistence of 245, there were differences in the rates of elimination and in the tissue levels. There was enhanced metabolite retention in the muscle, skin, and adipose tissue of older animals which suggested an age-related decrease in tissue clearance. The large volume of adipose tissue in these older Sprague-Dawley rats could in part explain this observation. In general, there were few changes in decay rates from tissues or in biliary excretion. Age had a greater effect on the disposition of the persistent 245 than on the metabolizable 236. Thus, changes in body composition seemed to play a major role in age-related changes in the distribution and excretion of polychlorinated biphenyls.     

Pharmacokinetics of 2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine in dogs

The pharmacokinetics of 2,3-dideoxyadenosine (ddAdo) and 2-3-dideoxyinosine (ddIno) were determined after intravenous bolus administration and long-term intravenous infusion of ddAdo in dogs. ddAdo was rapidly deaminated to ddIno and ddAdo plasma concentrations were only a fraction of ddIno concentrations. The total body clearance of ddAdo exceeded the literature value for the cardiac output of the dog, indicating an extremely rapid metabolism, and the existence of extrahepatic metabolism. Urinary excretion of unchanged ddAdo was a minor route of elimination ( 1%). The pharmacokinetics of ddIno was determined assuming complete conversions of ddAdo to ddIno. ddIno elimination was dose-dependent with total body clearance ranging from 4 to 55 ml/min/kg in individual animals. The plasma half-life was approximately 30 min after most routes of administration, but increased to approximately 60 min in two animals receiving a large intravenous dose of 500 mg/kg. ddIno penetrated into the cerebrospinal fluid to a limited extent, reaching concentrations of 3–11% of those in plasma. Urinary excretion of unchanged ddIno accounted for approximately 20% of the administered dose of ddAdo, while uric acid and hypoxanthine were minor urinary metabolites.Concentrations exceeding the in vitro minimal viral inhibitory concentration (2.4 g/mL) could be safely maintained in plasma for a 10-day period. Infusions which gave cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of 12 to 17 Lg/mL resulted in dose limiting myelosuppression and intestinal toxicity, after less than 10 days of infusion. Orally administered ddAdo was absorbed as ddIno, with bioavailabilities ranging from 28 to 93% in experiments where no emesis occurred. These studies indicate the rapid in vivo conversion of ddAdo to ddIno, and support the selection of ddIno over ddAdo for further drug development.     

Pharmacokinetics of Oral 2′,3′-Dideoxyinosine in Rats

Pharmaceutical Research -     

Percutaneous Absorption of 2′,3′-Dideoxyinosine in Rats

This study explored the topical route for administering of 2,3-dideoxyinosine (ddI), a nucleoside analog used for treating patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A dose of ddI (180 mg/kg) dispersed in ~1 g ointment base was applied, with or without occlusion, to the back of high follicular density (HFD) and low follicular density (LFD) rats. The systemic ddI clearance was determined using a concomitant administration of an intravenous tracer dose of [³H]ddI. At 24 hr, the experiment was terminated and skin sections at the application site were removed. After topical application, average plateau plasma levels of about 0.6 µg/ml were achieved within 1 to 2 hr and maintained for 24 hr. Occlusion gave a more uniform plasma profile but did not increase the bioavailability. The systemic bioavailability in HFD and LFD rats was about the same at 33%. In addition, a depot of about 16% of the dose was recovered by rinsing the application area and extracting the drug from the excised application site. These data indicate that about 50% of the dermal dose penetrated the skin barrier in 24 hr. The similar bioavailability in the HFD and LFD rats further suggests an unimportant role for the transfollicular absorption route for ddI. The effect of a mixture of penetration enhancers, Azone and propylene glycol (5:95), was studied in HFD rats. Coadministration of ddI with the enhancers did not increase the ddI bioavailability. However pre-treatment and coadministration with the enhancers significantly increased the bioavailability to 62%, which is a conservative estimate because the plasma drug level was still at a plateau when the experiment was terminated at 24 hr. In summary, the transdermal bioavailability of ddI exceeded the 15% oral bioavailability found in previous studies by more than 3 folds and was further increased by the pretreatment with absorption enhancers. These data indicate the topical route as an attractive administration route.     

2,2′,3′,4,4′,5,5′-Heptachlorobiphenyl (PCB 180) — on its toxicokinetics,biotransformation and porphyrinogenic action in female rats

The toxicokinetics and biotransformation of 2,2,3,4,4,5,5-heptachlorobiphenyl, as well as its influence on the activity of microsomal and cytosolic enzymes and on the porphyrin pathway in the liver were studied in female rats following oral treatment with 7 mg/kg every other day for 3 months. One day after cessation of treatment the concentration of the compound in liver, spleen, CNS and blood was 100–500 times and in the trachea it was only 5 times less than in the adipose tissue. The daily excretion with the feces and urine amounted to 35 and 1.5 g, respectively. In both excreta, heptachlorobiphenylol was identified as a metabolite. The biotransformation rate was estimated to be about 5%. Investigations of the liver revealed increases in the relative liver weight, total cytochrome P-450 content, O-deethylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin and in the activity of glutathione S-transferases. Disturbances of the hepatic porphyrin pathway were not detected. Only at the end of a post-dosing period of 12 months did the hepatic uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase show diminished activity. Only one of these animals with diminished enzyme activity showed drastically elevated porphyrins. In these animals, the fecal and urinary porphyrins did not differ from controls. At no time did heptachlorobiphenyl influence the urinary excretion of delta-aminolevulinic acid and porphobilinogen. The results indicate 1) that this congener shows expected toxicokinetics with the exception of being accumulated in the trachea and 2) that this congener induces disturbances of the hepatic porphyrin pathway several months after cessation of treatment.     

Nonlinear Disposition of Intravenous 2′,3′-Dideoxyinosine in Rats

The pharmacokinetics of 2,3-dideoxyinosine (ddI) were examined in rats given intravenous doses of 8, 40, or 200 mg/kg. The concentrations of ddI in whole blood and plasma were identical. The concentration decline was multiexponential, with mean half-lives of 2 and 20 min for the first and second phases, respectively. At the highest dose, a slower third phase with a half-life of 56 min was observed. The total-body clearances were 99, 77, and 37 ml/min-kg for the 8, 40, and 200 mg/kg doses. The steady-state volume of distribution showed a trend for a decrease with increasing doses, but the difference was not statistically significant. Twenty-four-hour urinary recovery of unchanged drug for the three doses was similar at about 20%, suggesting that a major fraction of the dose was metabolized. Urinary excretion of ddI metabolite, hypoxanthine, accounted for less than 5% of the dose. Renal and metabolic clearances decreased with increased doses, ddI was metabolized in blood; the addition of inorganic phosphate, a cosubstrate in phos-phorylase-mediated nucleoside catabolism, enhanced the degradation by about fourfold. In summary, these data indicate equal distribution of ddI in the extracellular and intracellular spaces in blood, its enzymatic degradation in blood, and nonlinear elimination kinetics.     

Protective effects of 2′,4′-dihydroxy-6′-methoxy-3′,5′-dimethylchalcone against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in hepatic L02 cell

2′,4′-Dihydroxy-6′-methoxy-3′,5′-dimethylchalcone (DMC) is a chalcone isolated from the buds of Cleistocalyx operculatus (Roxb.) Merr. et Perry, and the hepatoprotective effects of DMC on Kunming mice have been studied in previous study. However, the effects of DMC on hepatocyte toxicity and corresponding mechanism remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective mechanism of DMC in human hepatocytes (L02) treated with H₂O₂. The results demonstrated that pretreatment with DMC effectively protected H₂O₂-induced cell viability loss, cell membrane damage (lactate dehydrogenase, nitric oxide production and caspase-3 accumulation. Besides, DMC pretreatment increased the amount of glutathione, decreased malondialdehyde and the percentage of apoptotic L02 cells compared with only H₂O₂ treated group. Taken together, these results indicated that DMC had hepatoprotective effects against H₂O₂-induced liver injury by alleviating oxidative stress and apoptosis process in L02 cells, and DMC might be a potential candidate for the intervention of liver diseases.     

Lack of Gender-Related Difference in the Toxicity of 2-(2′-Hydroxy-3′,5′-di-tert-butylphenyl)benzotriazole in Preweaning Rats

In our previous toxicity studies using young rats, we showed that an ultraviolet absorber, 2-(2′-hydroxy-3′,5′-di-tert-butylphenyl)benzotriazole (HDBB), principally affected the liver, and male rats had nearly 25 times higher susceptibility to the toxic effects than females. In the present study, the toxicity of HDBB was investigated in preweaning rats. HDBB was administered by gavage to male and female CD(SD) rats from postnatal days 4 to 21 at a dose of 0, 0.1, 0.5, 2.5, or 12.5 mg/kg/day. No substance-related deaths, clinical signs of toxicity, or body-weight changes were observed. Increased levels of albumin, AST and ALP in both sexes, BUN in males, and LDH in females were found at 12.5 mg/kg. Liver weights increased at 2.5 mg/kg and above in both sexes. Histopathologically, hepatocellular findings, such as nucleolar enlargement, anisokaryosis, increased mitosis, and/or hypertrophy, were observed at 2.5 mg/kg and above in both sexes. These results indicate no gender-related differences in the susceptibility to the toxic effects of HDBB in preweaning rats.     

Inhibition of 3,3′,4,4′,5-Pentachlorobiphenyl-Induced Chicken Embryotoxicity by 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-Hexachlorobiphenyl

3,3′,4,4′,5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (pentaCB) caused a dose-dependent induction of chicken embryolethality, malformations, edema, and liver lesions at doses ranging from 0.5 to 12.0 μg/kg. In contrast, no embryotoxicity was observed after treatment with 10, 25, or 50 mg/kg 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexaCB. In eggs cotreated with 2.0 μg/kg, 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentaCB plus 10, 25, or 50 mg/kg 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexaCB, there was significant protection from 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentaCB-induced embryo malformations, edema, and liver lesions, whereas no inhibition of embryolethality was observed. These results further extend the response-specific nonadditive interactions of binary mixtures of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and should be considered in the development of approaches for hazard assessment of PCB mixtures and related compounds.     

Gonadal Influence on the Toxicity of 2-(2′-Hydroxy-3′,5′-di-tert-butylphenyl) benzotriazole in Rats

Previously, we showed that susceptibility of male rats to the toxicity of an ultraviolet absorber, 2-(2′-hydroxy-3′,5′-di-tert-butylphenyl)benzotriazole (HDBB), was nearly 25 times higher than that of females. In the current study, we investigated the role of sex steroids in the mediation of the gender-related difference using castrated rats. Male and female castrated CD(SD) rats were given HDBB by gavage at 0, 0.5, 2.5, or 12.5 mg/kg/day for 28 days. No deaths, clinical signs of toxicity, or changes in body weight or food consumption were found at any doses. Blood biochemical changes suggestive of hepatic damage, such as increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase, were detected at 12.5 mg/kg/day in males. Absolute and relative liver weight increased at 0.5 mg/kg/day and above in males and at 12.5 mg/kg/day in females. In the liver, histopathological changes, such as nucleolar enlargement, increased mitosis, hypertrophy in hepatocytes, and/or focal necrosis were observed at 0.5 mg/kg/day and above in males, and at 2.5 mg/kg/day and above in females. These findings indicate that castration markedly reduced the gender-related differences in toxicity of HDBB in rats.     

Effects of arecoline and cholinesterase inhibitors on cyclic guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate and adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate in mouse brain

Summary In mice, Arecoline in vivo dose-dependently increased the cGMP concentrations of the cerebellum and the cerebrum (= parts of cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, striatum and midbrain) without influencing the cAMP levels. The cholinesterase inhibitors paraoxon and physostigmine caused an elevation only in cerebrum, whereas the cGMP content of the cerebellum even decreased.Pretreatment with atropine prevented the rise in cGMP levels as well as the symptoms of cholinergic stimulation elicited by arecoline or paraoxon. Diazepam reduced cGMP levels below control values and blocked the effect of arecoline, while typical symptoms due to arecoline, e.g., tremor and salivation remained unaffected. The tripeptide prolyl-leucyl-glycinamide (MIF) had no effect on either cGMP values or the peripheral signs of cholinergic stimulation elicited by arecoline.The results show that elevation of cGMP in the central nervous system caused by cholinomimetic agents can be prevented not only by cholinolytics, blocking muscarinic receptors but also by influencing other mechanisms to be discussed.     

Gender-Related Difference in the Toxicity of Ultraviolet Absorber 2-(3′,5′-Di-tert-butyl-2′-hydroxyphenyl)-5-chlorobenzotriazole in Rats

2-(3′,5′-Di-tert-butyl-2′-hydroxyphenyl)-5-chlorobenzotriazole (DBHCB) is widely used as an ultraviolet absorber. Previously, we showed that male rats had more than a 100 times higher susceptibility to the toxic effects of DBHCB than females. In order to investigate the role of sex steroids in the mediation of this gender-related difference, DBHCB (0 or 250?mg/kg/day) was given to male and female young intact and castrated rats by gavage for 28 days in the current study. In intact rats, relative liver weight increased to more than two times that of the control in males, while the rate of change was less than 10% in females. On histopathology, hypertrophy of hepatocytes was observed in males but not in females. In castrated rats, an approximately 40% increase in the relative liver weight was found only in males, and no histopathological changes in the liver were detected in either sex. The gender-related difference was also determined in preweaning rats administered DBHCB at 0, 250, or 500?mg/kg/day by gavage from postnatal days 4 to 21. Blood biochemical changes, including increases in the levels of AST, ALT, and ALP, 80–95% increase in the relative liver weight and histopathological changes in the liver, such as hypertrophy and single cell necrosis of hepatocytes, were observed at both doses in both sexes. In conclusion, the gender-related difference in the toxicity of DBHCB, which was observed in young rats, was markedly reduced by castration and abolished in preweaning rats.     

Comparative studies on distribution and covalent tissue binding of 2,4,2′,4′- and 3,4,3′,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl isomers in the rat

The ¹⁴C-labeled tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB) isomers 2,4,2,4-tetrachlorobiphenyl (2,4,2,4-TCB) and 3,4,3,4-tetrachlorobiphenyl (3,4,34-TCB) were administered orally to rats, and distribution and covalent binding were measured in several organs. Marked differences in distribution and covalent binding of the two TCBs were observed. The accumulation and retention of 2,4,2,4-TCB in adipose tissue were much higher than those of 3,4,3,4-TCB, although the level of radioactivity in the blood was consistently higher in 3,4,3,4-TCB treated rats. The radioactivity bound in covalent linkages with cellular macromolecules in several tissues was also measured. The data obtained indicated that covalent binding was higher in 3,4,3,4-TCB treated rats than in those treated with 2,4,2,4-TCB, particularly in liver and blood components. These results suggest that the two TCB isomers have different pharmacokinetic properties in rats, and the association of covalent binding with 3,4,3,4-TCB-induced toxicities might be important. In addition, we found that repeated oral dosing with the two TCB isomers caused an increase in in vitro liver microsomal generation of reactive metabolites of TCBs, indicating that the microsomal enzyme system is likely to play an important role in the in vivo covalent binding of TCB.     

Extensive Absorption of 2′,3′-Dideoxyinosine by Intratracheal Administration in Rats

Purpose. To evaluate the intratracheal route of administration as an alternative to oral administration for 2,3-dideoxyinosine (ddI). Methods. A ddI dose (40 mg/kg/300 µl or 6.5 mg/kg/50 µl) was instilled into the trachea in female Fisher rats and an intravenous tracer dose (9 µg/kg) of ³H-ddI was administered concomitantly to determine the drug clearance. Plasma concentrations were analyzed for the rate and extent of absorption. Results. ddI was rapidly absorbed from the lungs, with a bioavailability of 63% at 40 mg/kg and 101% at 6.5 mg/kg. By comparison, our previous data showed an oral bioavailability of about 15% (Pharm Res., 9:822, 1992). The distribution of a dye solution instilled intratracheally showed that a fraction of the 300 µL dose spilled over to the gastrointestinal tract, where the entire 50 µL dose was retained in the lungs. The different distribution of the two doses/volumes likely contributed to the different bioavailability, with a fraction of the higher dose/volume degraded in the gastrointestinal tract after the spillover. Absorption of ddI from the airspace of the lung was biexponential, suggesting two absorption processes. Conclusions. These data indicate significantly higher and less variable bioavailability of ddI by the intratracheal route of delivery compared to the oral route. Furthermore, the complete bioavailability at the lower dose/volume indicates no significant pulmonary first pass elimination for ddI.     

Apoptotic effect of synthetic 2′,4′,5′-trimethoxychalcones in human K562 and Jurkat leukemia cells

In this study, we assessed the cytotoxic effect of synthetic 2′,4′,5′-trimethoxychalcones on the human K562 acute myeloid leukemia cell and human Jurkat acute lymphoid leukemia cell. Compounds 13, 16, 19, and 26 showed low IC₅₀ values (4.10–8.56 μM at 72 h) for both cell lines and did not have a cytotoxic effect on normal human lymphocytes. The mechanism of cell death induced by these compounds involves a decrease in the expression of cell proliferation marker Ki67, suggesting inhibition of cell proliferation. Furthermore, these chalcones reduced mitochondrial potential, decreased Bcl-2 expression, and increased Bax expression, indicating that the mechanism of apoptosis induced by them involves the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. The mechanism of action also involves increase in active caspase-3 and decrease in survivin expression. These results support the chalcones as potential antitumoral agents for further optimization.     

Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between Intravenous 2′,3′-Dideoxyinosine and Pentamidine in Rats

Purpose. This study examined the pharmacokinetic interaction between 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddl) and pentamidine. Background, ddl and pentamidine are often coadministered to patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and are both associated with pancreatic toxicity. Information on potential interaction would be useful to assess the need for dose modification and the basis of the higher incidence of pancreatic toxicity associated with coadministration of the two drugs. Methods. ddl (200 mg/kg) and pentamidine (10 mg/kg) were administered by continuous infusion to rats over 3 hr, either alone or concomitantly. Drug analysis was by high pressure liquid chromatography with UV or fluorescence detection, or by radioimmunoassay. Results. Pentamidine coadministration significantly increased the apparent volume of distribution at steady state of ddl from 1.4 to 3.4 l/kg (p = 0.004), and increased the mean residence time from 36.3 to 50.0 min (p = 0.015). Pentamidine enhanced the distribution of ddl from plasma into pancreas (p = 0.001) and muscle (p = 0.026). ddl distribution into spleen and liver was also increased, with differences approaching statistical significance (p = 0.08 and 0.06, respectively). In contrast, ddl coadministration did not affect the total body clearance but increased the urinary excretion and the renal clearance of pentamidine by about 5-fold (p = 0.0003). Conclusions. These data indicate that pentamidine increased the distribution of ddl into pancreas and muscle, whereas ddl increased the renal elimination of pentamidine.