Early events following maternal exposure to 5-fluorouracil lead to dysmorphology in cultured embryonic tissues.

The chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is teratogenic in a number of species, yet the mechanism(s) of its developmental toxicity are not fully understood. Administration of 5-FU to the pregnant CD rat on day 14 of gestation results in dose-dependent growth retardation and numerous malformations in near-term fetuses, including hindlimb defects and cleft palate. Following treatment, a number of rapid biochemical and cellular alterations are detectable in embryonic hindlimbs, craniofacial and other tissues, which include thymidylate synthetase (TS) inhibition and altered cell cycle progression. In order to assess the importance of these early events in 5-FU-induced dysmorphogenesis, embryonic mid-facial tissues and hindlimbs were dissected 3 or 6 hr after administration of 5-FU to the dam and placed in explant culture. After 5 days in culture, craniofacial explants were evaluated morphologically for palatal closure and growth was assessed by measuring total protein and DNA content. Hindlimb explants were stained for cartilage using alcian blue to evaluate development of the digits. Craniofacial explants cultured at either 3 or 6 hr after exposure exhibited dose-dependent growth retardation and defects of palatal fusion at the end of the culture period. Deficits in protein and DNA content were similar to those in craniofacial tissues that continued to develop in utero after treatment, although morphological defects in cultured explants did not correlate well with the incidence of cleft palate in vivo. Dose-dependent deficits in metatarsal and phalanx development were observed in hindlimb explants dissected either 3 or 6 hr after maternal treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of methanol on embryonic mouse palate in serum-free organ culture.

Methanol has widespread applications in industry and manufacturing and is under consideration as an alternative automotive fuel. Human exposure to methanol would be expected to increase if applications expand in coming years. Methanol has been shown to be a reproductive and developmental toxicant in the rodent, producing cleft palate in the CD-1 mouse. Developmental toxicity has also been demonstrated in vitro for rat and mouse embryos in whole embryo culture. The present study examines the developmental toxicity of methanol in the palate using a serum-free organ culture model. Gestation day 12 CD-1 mouse embryos were dissected and mid-craniofacial tissues were cultured in BGJ medium at 37 degrees C for 4 days with medium changes at 24 hr intervals. Cultures were exposed to methanol from 0-20 mg/ml for 6 hr, 12 hr, 1 or 4 days. Some cultures were exposed to ethanol for 4 days at doses ranging from 0-15 mg/ml. All cultures were gassed with a 50% O2, 5% CO2, and 45% N2 upon addition of fresh medium and prior to the addition of alcohol. Following organ culture the craniofacial explants were examined for effects on morphology, fusion, proliferation, and growth. Incidence and completeness of palatal fusion decreased with increasing exposure. Depending on the concentration and duration of methanol exposure, the medial epithelium either degenerated completely or remained intact in unfused palates and either condition would interfere with fusion. Cellular proliferation appeared to be a specific and sensitive target for methanol as craniofacial tissues responded to methanol with reduction in total DNA content at an exposure that did not affect total protein. However, both DNA and protein decreased with increasing exposure to methanol. Incorporation of thymidine decreased significantly after 4 day exposure and autoradiography of 3H-thymidine (TdR) demonstrated exposure-dependent reduction in proliferation of palatal mesenchymal cells. Ethanol decreased fusion score, total protein, and DNA, but 3H-TdR/DNA was not significantly changed. In general the ethanol was more potent than methanol for inhibition of protein and DNA synthesis and palatal fusion. This study demonstrated that methanol can selectively affect specific sensitive cell populations and has effects on proliferation and cell fate.

Joint actions of developmental toxicants in Xenopus embryos: binary mixtures of DNA synthesis inhibitors.

The joint toxic action for each of three binary combinations of DNA synthesis inhibitors was examined at concentrations that induce malformations in Xenopus laevis embryos. The three compounds, hydroxyurea, cytosine arabinoside, and 5-fluorouracil, which each inhibit a different enzyme involved in DNA synthesis, were selected for joint action testing to help determine whether joint action types are related to general modes of action (e.g., inhibit DNA synthesis) or to specific biochemical/molecular mechanisms. Three mixtures were tested, in 96-hr static-renewal tests, for each combination. Each combination was tested on three separate occasions. Using toxic unit analysis, the joint action for induction of malformations was generally antagonism, although response addition was observed for certain mixtures. An antagonistic joint action represents the phenomenon of interaction. Therefore, the tests were ineffective in determining whether a concentration addition joint action depicts two compounds that induce malformations by the same general mode of action or by the same specific mechanism of action.

Joint toxic action of binary mixtures of osteolathyrogens at malformation-inducing concentrations for Xenopus embryos.

The joint action of binary mixtures of the osteolathyrogens semicarbazide (SC), beta-aminopropionitrile (beta APN) and penicillamine (PNC) were determined at malformation-inducing concentrations for Xenopus embryos. Tests were static with renewal every 24 h for the 96-h test period. Simultaneous tests on each individual component of the binary mixtures alone gave baseline malformation data (EC50) for joint action analyses. Toxic unit analysis and isobole diagrams were used to determine the type of joint action for 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3 mixtures of each combination. The joint action was concentration additive (strictly additive) for SC with beta APN and response additive (less-than-additive) for SC with PNC and beta APN with PNC. The joint actions were not changed when only osteolathyrogenic lesions, rather than all types of malformations, were considered. The different specific location and character of PNC lesions, as opposed to those for SC and beta APN, may signify a different type of osteolathyrogenic effect for PNC. The mixture testing approach has potential value in determining compounds that act similarly.

QSARs for selected aliphatic and aromatic amines.

The relative toxicity of 24 selected amines was evaluated in the 48 h Tetrahymena pyriformis static population growth impairment assay and compared with literature data for the 96 h Pimephales promelas flow-through mortality assay. Chemicals selected included normal and branched aliphatic primary amines, 4-position alkyl-substituted primary aromatic amines, as well as secondary and tertiary amines. Three amines were not toxic at saturation in the Tetrahymena system, whereas one amine was not toxic at saturation in the Pimephales system. Due to the aberrantly high toxicity of aniline observed in the Tetrahymena system, this chemical was not included in the analyses. For QSAR development, toxicity measured as log IGC50(-1) and log LC50(-1), respectively, was regressed against the log of the 1-octanol/water partition coefficient (log KOW). Both toxicity and hydrophobicity varied over five orders of magnitude. The model, log IGC50(-1) = 0.72(log KOW) - 1.64 (n = 20, r2 = 0.92) (1), was found to be a good predictor of toxicity in the Tetrahymena system. Similarly, the model, log LC50(-1) = 0.80(log KOW) - 1.80 (n = 23, r2 = 0.96) (2), was found to be a good predictor of toxicity in the Pimephales system. A comparison of Eqns (1) and (2) showed the models to be very similar. Therefore, as seen by the model, log LC50(-1) = 1.11(log IGC50(-1] - 0.01 (n = 20, r2 = 0.93) (3), a regression of the log toxicities gave a slope of one, an intercept of zero and a high correlation.

Initial evaluation of developmental malformation as an end point in mixture toxicity hazard assessment for aquatic vertebrates.

The joint toxic action of three binary mixtures was determined for the embryo malformation endpoint of the aquatic FETAX (frog embryo teratogenesis assay: Xenopus) test system. Osteolathyrogenic compounds and short-chain carboxylic acids, representing separate, distinct modes of action for induction of malformation, were selected for testing in 96-hr, static-renewal tests. Three mixtures were tested for each combination, with each combination being tested on three separate occasions. Using toxic unit analysis, the combination of osteolathyrogens and the combination of carboxylic acids produced strictly additive (concentration addition) rates of malformation, while the combination of an osteolathyrogen and a carboxylic acid was less-than-additive (response addition) for induction of malformation. Therefore, developmental malformation may have value as an endpoint in mixture toxicity hazard assessment.

Relationships of quantitative structure-activity for normal aliphatic alcohols.

The relative toxicity of 14 normal aliphatic alcohols has been determined as 48-hr 50% population growth inhibition (log BR, biological response) of Tetrahymena pyriformis. A linear relationship was observed between log BR and the 1-octanol/water partition coefficient (log Kow). Comparison of log BR with 96-hr 50% mortality data for Pimephales promelas revealed excellent agreement between the two test systems. A relatively constant steady-state biophase toxicant concentration is calculated for each alcohol. Calculated chemical activity increased with an increase in hydrocarbon chain length. In addition, there was good agreement between chemical activity and the activity coefficient for narcosis.