Extrapolation of animal toxicity to humans: interspecies comparisons in drug development.

Different methods for converting the dose-related toxicity of drugs from animals to humans are reviewed. Each method is analyzed with respect to its utility and limitations. Linear extrapolations from animals to humans based on body weight equivalence are shown to be inaccurate unless species-specific conversion factors are used. Extrapolations based on surface area equivalence are more accurate, do not require conversion factors, and may be used when pharmacokinetic data are not available. Ultimately, interspecies conversions are most reliable when pharmacokinetic data are available, assuming that toxic responses are comparable among species for similar blood levels. Two pharmacokinetic-based approaches may be used: direct use of plasma concentration or area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models.

Nonclinical toxicity studies of antiviral drugs indicated for the treatment of non-life-threatening diseases: evaluation of drug toxicity prior to phase 1 clinical studies.

The types of nonclinical toxicity studies conducted during the preclinical research and development of antiviral drugs intended for the treatment of non-life-threatening diseases in humans are reviewed. This guidance also applies to other classes of drugs under development for non-life-threatening diseases that fall under the regulatory responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration's Division of Antiviral Drug Products, including systemic antifungals, antimycobacterials, and immunomodulators.

Guidelines for nonclinical toxicology studies for chemical warfare agent (CWA) antidotes and pretreatments.

The following is a review of FDA's guidelines for nonclinical toxicology studies as applied to chemical warfare agent (CWA) antidotes and pretreatments. These specific guidelines are of major interest to the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command which is a full-scale developer of pharmaceuticals and active in the research and development of antidotes and pretreatments against CWAs. Antidotes and pretreatments against CWAs are unique classes of drugs whose nonclinical requirements are unlike most other pharmaceuticals. However, these guidelines have general applicability to pharmaceutical developers in the private sector and apply to any antidote or pretreatment regardless of the indication.

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate may be a signal for f-Met-Leu-Phe-induced intracellular Ca mobilisation in human leucocytes (HL-60 cells).

Permeabilised, dimethyl sulphoxide-differentiated HL-60 human myelomonocytic leukemia cells accumulate 45Ca in an ATP-dependent manner. The 45Ca is taken up by a pool thought to be a component of the endoplasmic reticulum. Inositol trisphosphate induced a rapid release of Ca from this pool, suggesting that this molecule which is formed in these cells in response to f-Met-Leu-Phe may play a role in agonist-induced Ca metabolism.

Secretagogue-induced phosphoinositide metabolism in human leucocytes.

The relationship between receptor binding of the formylated peptide chemoattractant formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe), lysosomal enzyme secretion and metabolism of membrane phospholipids was evaluated in both human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) and the dimethyl sulphoxide (Me2SO)-stimulated human myelomonocytic HL-60 leukaemic cell line. In both cell types, exposure to fMet-Leu-Phe (100 nM) induced rapid lysosomal enzyme secretion (maximal release less than 30 s) and marked changes in the 32P-labelling of the inositol lipids phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns), phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns4P), phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2] as well as phosphatidic acid (PtdA). Specifically, levels of [32P]PtdIns and [32P]PtdIns(4,5)P2 decreased rapidly (peak decrease at 10-15s), with a subsequent increase at 30 s and later. PtdIns4P and PtdA showed only an increase. In Me2SO-differentiated HL-60 cells prelabelled with [3H]inositol for 20 h, fMet-Leu-Phe caused a net increase in the cellular content of [3H]inositol phosphates, including a rapid increase in [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, suggesting that PtdIns(4,5)P2 breakdown occurs by a phospholipase C mechanism. Both lysosomal enzyme secretion and changes in phospholipid metabolism occur over the same agonist concentration range with a similar time course. Binding of [3H]fMet-Leu-Phe, although occurring over the same concentration range, exhibited markedly slower kinetics. Although depletion of extracellular Ca2+ had no effect on ligand-induced polyphosphoinositide turnover, PtdIns turnover, PtdA labelling and lysosomal enzyme secretion were severely curtailed. These studies demonstrate a receptor-mediated enhancement of phospholipid turnover that correlates with a specific biological response to fMet-Leu-Phe. Further, the results are consistent with the idea that phospholipase C-mediated degradation of PtdIns(4,5)P2, which results in the formation of inositol trisphosphate, is an early step in the stimulus-secretion coupling pathway of the neutrophil. The lack of correlation between these two responses and the equilibrium-binding condition suggests that either these parameters are responsive to the rate of ligand-receptor interaction or only fractional occupation is required for a full biological response.

Isolation and reconstitution of the N-formylpeptide receptor from HL-60 derived neutrophils.

A multifunctional receptor for N-formylpeptides exists on the membranes of neutrophils. This receptor has now been isolated from neutrophils derived from HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. After solubilization by Nonidet-P40 and purification by affinity chromatography and HPLC the isolated receptor was reconstituted into egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles by SM-2 Bio-Bead removal of the Nonidet-P40. Analysis of the affinity and selectivity of the receptor was done by direct binding of two high-affinity ligands, formyl-Met-Leu-[3H]Phe-OH and formyl-Nle-Leu-Phe-[3H]Tyr-OH. The data suggest that the receptor can be isolated and reconstituted without apparent alteration of its binding affinity and selectivity, and that there appear to be no co-factors or subunits upon which these binding characteristics are dependent.