Assessment of in vitro human dermal absorption studies on pesticides to determine default values, opportunities for read-across and influence of dilution on absorption.

Dermal absorption is an integral part of non-dietary human safety risk assessments for agrochemicals. Typically, dermal absorption data for agrochemical active substances are generated from the undiluted formulation concentrate and its spray dilutions. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) guidance, which combines highly conservative default values, very limited opportunities for read-across from existing data and other overly conservative conclusions, was the driver for this assessment. To investigate the reliability of the EFSA guidance, a homogeneous data-set of 190 GLP and OECD guideline compliant in vitro human skin studies, chosen to match the test method preferred by EU data requirements, was evaluated. These studies represented a wide range of active substances, formulation types, and concentrations. In alignment with EFSA guidance on human exposure assessment, a conservative estimate of absorption (95th percentile) was chosen to define defaults, which were also based on the EFSA worst-case assumption that all material in skin, excluding the first two tape strips, is absorbed. The analysis supports dermal absorption defaults of 6% for liquid concentrates, 2% for solid concentrates, and 30% for all spray dilutions, irrespective of the active substance concentration. Relatively high dermal absorption values for organic solvent-based formulations, compared to water-based or solid concentrates, support their use as worst-case surrogate data for read-across to other formulation types. The current review also shows that dermal absorption of sprays does not increase linearly with increasing dilution, and provides a novel, science-based option for extrapolation from existing data.

Age-dependent skin tumorigenesis and transgene expression in the Tg.AC (v-Ha-ras) transgenic mouse.

Transgenic Tg.AC (v-Ha-ras ) mice develop skin tumors in response to specific carcinogens and tumor promoters. The Tg.AC mouse carries the coding sequence of v-Ha ras, linked to a zeta-globin promoter and an SV40 polyadenylation signal sequence. The transgene confers on these mice the property of genetically initiated skin. This study examines the age-dependent sensitivity of the incidence of skin papillomas in Tg.AC mice exposed to topically applied 12-O:-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) treatment, full thickness skin wounding or UV radiation. Skin tumor incidence and multiplicity were strongly age-dependent, increasing with increasing age of the animal when first treated at 5, 10, 21 or 32 weeks of age. Furthermore, the temporal induction of transgene expression in keratinocytes isolated from TPA-treated mouse skin was also influenced by the age of the mice. Transgene expression was seen as early as 14 days after the start of TPA treatment in mice that were 10-32 weeks of age, but was not detected in similarly treated 5-week old mice. When isolated keratinocytes were fractionated by density gradient centrifugation the highest transgene expression was found in the denser basal keratinocytes. Transgene expression could be detected in the denser keratinocyte fraction as early as 9 days from start of TPA treatment in 32-week old mice. Using flow cytometry, a positive correlation was observed between expression of the v-Ha-ras transgene and enriched expression of the cell surface protein beta1-integrin, a putative marker of epidermal stem cells. This result suggests that, in the Tg.AC mouse, an age-dependent sensitivity to tumor promotion and the correlated induction of transgene expression are related to changes in cellular development in the follicular compartment of the skin.

A farnesyl transferase inhibitor suppresses TPA-mediated skin tumor development without altering hyperplasia in the ras transgenic Tg.AC mouse.

The Tg.AC mouse carries an activated v-Ha-ras oncogene fused to an embryonic zeta-globin promoter and develops cutaneous papillomas in response to specific chemicals, full thickness wounding, and ultraviolet radiation. Papilloma development in these mice has been suggested to be dependent upon activation of ras transgene expression, thus providing a potential model for studying ras-inhibitory compounds. Farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTIs) prevent a critical posttranslational modification step necessary for activation of ras proteins. Our studies demonstrated that a tricyclic FTI (SCH 56582) applied directly to the skin of homozygous Tg.AC mice 1 h prior to administration of the tumor promoter TPA decreased tumor multiplicity compared to TPA-only controls. In addition, a reduction of TPA-induced tumor development was seen in similarly treated hemizygous Tg.AC mice either on an FVB/N strain background or 50% C57BL/6. Histological examination of skin from Tg. AC(+/-):FVB/N mice revealed no differences with respect to 12-O-tetradecamoylpharbol-13-acetate (TPA)-mediated hyperplasia. Keratinocytes isolated from treated and control skin were assayed for ras transgene expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and expression was detected in both TPA- and FTI+TPA-treated tissue, although the appearance of transgene positive pre-papillomas was observed only in histological sections taken 21 d after the first treatment. In summary, we have used a regimen of topical application of an FTI (SCH 56582) to suppress TPA-mediated papillomagenesis in v-Ha-ras transgenic Tg.AC mice. These studies demonstrate that TPA-induced epidermal hyperplasia is a ras-independent process, while papilloma development in response to TPA treatment requires the function of activated ras.

Morphological characterization of spindle cell tumors induced in transgenic Tg.AC mouse skin.

Transgenic Tg.AC mice carry a v-Ha-ras coding region flanked by a zeta-globin promoter and an SV40 polyadenylation signal sequence. These mice respond to carcinogens by developing epidermal papillomas. In some cases, malignancies develop at the sites of these papillomas. Various patterns of squamous cell differentiation were observed in these malignancies. One malignancy that developed at the site of the papillomas was composed of bundles of spindle cells. This lesion is difficult to distinguish from fibrosarcomas by light microscopy. We characterized 16 of these malignancies (tentatively classified as spindle cell tumors) to determine if they were of epithelial or mesenchymal origin. Papillomas were induced in Tg.AC mice by full thickness wounding, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate treatment, or ultraviolet radiation. With time, some papillomas became broad-based, downwardly invading lesions. These lesions were examined by light microscopy with immunohistochemical analysis for cytokeratins and by electron microscopy. Immunohistochemical examination with a polyclonal anti-cytokeratin antibody demonstrated various degrees of keratin staining in all tumors examined. Attenuated desmosomes were also observed in these lesions by electron microscopy. These results indicate an epithelial origin for these malignancies; therefore, they should be classified as spindle cell carcinomas.

Regression and progression characteristics of papillomas induced by chrysarobin in SENCAR mice.

The present study was designed to test the effects of a free radical generating tumor promoter, chrysarobin (1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl-9-anthrone), on the growth and progression of papillomas generated in the skin of SENCAR mice. In the first set of experiments, papillomas were generated by initiation with 6.4 microg of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) followed by promotion with once-weekly applications of 52.8 microg chrysarobin for 10 weeks. The fate of individual papillomas was then monitored for a 20 week interval following cessation of promoter treatment. Five weeks after the cessation of chrysarobin treatment, the papilloma response reached a maximum of 13.2 papillomas/mouse. By the end of the 20 week interval 19% and 18% of the papillomas had regressed or coalesced respectively. A three-stage treatment protocol was also utilized to test the ability of chrysarobin to enhance the progression of pre-existing papillomas to squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). In stage I, mice were initiated with 0.5 microg of DMBA. In stage II, mice were promoted with twice-weekly applications of 1 or 2 microg of 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) for 15 weeks. Then, in stage III, mice were treated with acetone, TPA (1 or 2 microg), chrysarobin (52.8 microg) or benzoyl peroxide (BzPo; 20 mg) for the next 45 weeks. The mean number of papillomas per mouse at plateau was very similar for all groups. The carcinoma incidence was also similar for all groups regardless of the treatment protocol used, as was the mean number of carcinomas per mouse. The ratio of papillomas that converted to SCCs in mice treated with chrysarobin during stage III was not significantly different from the acetone controls or any of the other treatment groups (P > 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis analysis). In addition, BzPo did not enhance the progression of papillomas to SCCs under the current experimental conditions. Collectively, the results indicate that papillomas promoted by chrysarobin have growth properties similar to those promoted by TPA under similar experimental conditions. Furthermore, despite its ability to generate free radical intermediates, chrysarobin does not enhance the malignant progression of pre-existing papillomas induced by TPA treatment.

The effects of calcium antagonists on anthrone skin tumor promotion and promoter-related effects in SENCAR mice.

The present study investigated a possible role for Ca2+ in skin tumor promotion by anthrones. This was accomplished by testing the effects of two Ca2+ antagonists, verapamil and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid 8-(diethylamino) octyl ester (TMB-8), on tumor promotion and promoter-related effects induced by the anthrone chrysarobin in SENCAR mice. Verapamil and TMB-8 both effectively inhibited epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction by a single application of chrysarobin. Both Ca2+ antagonists inhibited anthrone-induced skin edema and epidermal hyperplasia. Additionally, both verapamil and TMB-8 slightly inhibited (20-21% at the highest doses) tumor promotion with chrysarobin. Although the inhibition by both Ca2+ antagonists was not statistically significant (P > 0.05) in either case, the fact that both compounds produced a similar inhibition suggests that this effect may be biologically relevant. Collectively, the data suggest a possible role for Ca2+ in the process of skin tumor promotion by anthrones.

Inhibition of chrysarobin skin tumor promotion in SENCAR mice by antioxidants.

The present study was designed to further investigate the role of reactive oxygen species in the mechanism of action of anthrone tumor promoters. To accomplish this, the effects of several antioxidants on the induction of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity, epidermal hyperplasia, skin edema, and skin tumor promotion by chrysarobin (1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl-9-anthrone) were tested. Ascorbyl palmitate (AP), given 5 min prior to the promoter at 1 and 4 mumol doses, effectively inhibited the induction of ODC activity (28% and 59%, respectively) by 220 nmol of chrysarobin. Using a similar protocol, alpha-tocopherol acetate (alpha-TA) at 10 and 40 mumol doses also effectively inhibited the induction of ODC activity (36% and 70%, respectively) by 220 nmol of chrysarobin. In contrast, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) at doses up to 56 mumol per mouse was ineffective at inhibiting the induction of ODC by chrysarobin. AP at the 4 mumol dose significantly inhibited the induction of edema by chrysarobin by 24% and the induction of epidermal hyperplasia by 23%. alpha-TA at the 40 mumol dose also significantly inhibited chrysarobin-induced edema by 22% and epidermal hyperplasia by 17%. Skin tumor promotion in mice initiated with 25 nmol of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and promoted with once-weekly treatments of 220 nmol chrysarobin was markedly inhibited by treating mice with either AP or alpha-TA 5 min prior to promoter treatment. AP at 1 and 4 mumol doses significantly reduced the number of papillomas per mouse, by 48% and 44%, respectively. alpha-TA at 10 and 40 mumol doses also significantly reduced the number of papillomas per mouse, by 33% and 59%, respectively. In two separate tumor experiments, BHA at 2.8 and 5.6 mumol failed to inhibit chrysarobin tumor promotion. The current results provide further support for a role of reactive oxygen species in the tumor promoting activity of anthrones. In addition, the data indicate that the phenolic antioxidant BHA is an ineffective inhibitor of anthrone tumor promotion.

Occurrence of thymic lymphoma in carcinogenesis bioassay specimens of the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Multiple cases of thymic lymphoma were diagnosed in bioassay specimens of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), a small fish species. Lymphoma in chemically exposed specimens was not clearly related to specific compounds, dose, or sex. Multiple cases of lymphoma occurred in three specimens held in one aquarium and in two specimens in two other aquaria, suggesting the possibility of horizontal transmission. Forty cases were observed in 9802 specimens (0.41%), with an incidence of 0.46% in exposed specimens (5690 total) and 0.34% in controls (4112 total). Lesions were dominated by small cells with large, basophilic nuclei and a thin cytoplasmic rim. Mitotic figures were frequently observed. Electron microscopy showed that the nuclei of lymphoma cells were highly invaginated but revealed no viral particles. Lymphomas appeared to originate in the thymus and subsequently infiltrate esophagopharyngeal regions, retroperitoneal spaces, cranial regions, heart, and abdominal viscera. Given the scattered occurrence of the lymphomas and the fact that they tend to occur in specimens in contact with one another, we suspect a viral etiology. Lymphoma appears to be the most frequently occurring spontaneous neoplasm in medaka and should be taken into account when assessing results of carcinogenesis studies.