The use of high-throughput screening techniques to evaluate mitochondrial toxicity.

Toxicologists and chemical regulators depend on accurate and effective methods to evaluate and predict the toxicity of thousands of current and future compounds. Robust high-throughput screening (HTS) experiments have the potential to efficiently test large numbers of chemical compounds for effects on biological pathways. HTS assays can be utilized to examine chemical toxicity across multiple mechanisms of action, experimental models, concentrations, and lengths of exposure. Many agricultural, industrial, and pharmaceutical chemicals classified as harmful to human and environmental health exert their effects through the mechanism of mitochondrial toxicity. Mitochondrial toxicants are compounds that cause a decrease in the number of mitochondria within a cell, and/or decrease the ability of mitochondria to perform normal functions including producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Mitochondrial dysfunction can lead to apoptosis, necrosis, altered metabolism, muscle weakness, neurodegeneration, decreased organ function, and eventually disease or death of the whole organism. The development of HTS techniques to identify mitochondrial toxicants will provide extensive databases with essential connections between mechanistic mitochondrial toxicity and chemical structure. Computational and bioinformatics approaches can be used to evaluate compound databases for specific chemical structures associated with toxicity, with the goal of developing quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models and mitochondrial toxicophores. Ultimately these predictive models will facilitate the identification of mitochondrial liabilities in consumer products, industrial compounds, pharmaceuticals and environmental hazards.

5-HT2 Receptor Regulation of Mitochondrial Genes: Unexpected Pharmacological Effects of Agonists and Antagonists.

In acute organ injuries, mitochondria are often dysfunctional, and recent research has revealed that recovery of mitochondrial and renal functions is accelerated by induction of mitochondrial biogenesis (MB). We previously reported that the nonselective 5-HT2 receptor agonist DOI [1-(4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)propan-2-amine] induced MB in renal proximal tubular cells (RPTCs). The goal of this study was to determine the role of 5-HT2 receptors in the regulation of mitochondrial genes and oxidative metabolism in the kidney. The 5-HT2C receptor agonist CP-809,101 [2-[(3-chlorophenyl)methoxy]-6-(1-piperazinyl)pyrazine] and antagonist SB-242,084 [6-chloro-2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-N-[6-[(2-methyl-3-pyridinyl)oxy]-3-pyridinyl]-1H-indole-1-carboxyamide dihydrochloride] were used to examine the induction of renal mitochondrial genes and oxidative metabolism in RPTCs and in mouse kidneys in the presence and absence of the 5-HT2C receptor. Unexpectedly, both CP-809,101 and SB-242,084 increased RPTC respiration and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) mRNA expression in RPTCs at 1-10 nM. In addition, CP-809,101 and SB-242,084 increased mRNA expression of PGC-1α and the mitochondrial proteins NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 and NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) ß subcomplex 8 in mice. These compounds increased mitochondrial genes in RPTCs in which the 5-HT2C receptor was downregulated with small interfering RNA and in the renal cortex of mice lacking the 5-HT2C receptor. By contrast, the ability of these compounds to increase PGC-1α mRNA and respiration was blocked in RPTCs treated with 5-HT2A receptor small interfering RNA or the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist eplivanserin. In addition, the 5-HT2A receptor agonist NBOH-2C-CN [4-[2-[[(2-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]amino]ethyl]-2,5-dimethoxybenzonitrile] increased RPTC respiration at 1-100 nM. These results suggest that agonism of the 5-HT2A receptor induces MB and that the classic 5-HT2C receptor agonist CP-809,101 and antagonist SB-242,084 increase mitochondrial genes and oxidative metabolism through the 5-HT2A receptor. To our knowledge, this is the first report that links 5-HT2A receptor agonism to mitochondrial function.

Assessment of ToxCast Phase II for Mitochondrial Liabilities Using a High-Throughput Respirometric Assay.

Previous high-throughput screens to identify mitochondrial toxicants used immortalized cell lines and focused on changes in mitochondrial membrane potential, which may not be sufficient and do not identify different types of mitochondrial dysfunction. Primary cultures of renal proximal tubule cells (RPTC) were examined with the Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer to screen 676 compounds (5 µM; 1 h) from the ToxCast Phase II library for mitochondrial toxicants. Of the 676 compounds, 19 were classified as cytotoxicants, 376 were electron transport chain (ETC) inhibitors, and 5 were uncouplers. The remaining 276 compounds were examined after a 5-h exposure to identify slower acting mitochondrial toxicants. This experiment identified 3 cytotoxicants, 110 ETC inhibitors, and 163 compounds with no effect. A subset of the ToxCast Phase II library was also examined in immortalized human renal cells (HK2) to determine differences in susceptibility to mitochondrial toxicity. Of the 131 RPTC ETC inhibitors tested, only 14 were ETC inhibitors in HK2 cells. Of the 5 RPTC uncouplers, 1 compound was an uncoupler in HK2 cells. These results demonstrate that 73% (491/676) of the compounds in the ToxCast Phase II library compounds exhibit RPTC mitochondrial toxicity, overwhelmingly ETC inhibition. In contrast, renal HK2 cells are markedly less sensitive and only identified 6% of the compounds as mitochondrial toxicants. We suggest caution is needed when studying mitochondrial toxicity in immortalized cell lines. This information will provide mechanisms and chemical-based criteria for assessing and predicting mitochondrial liabilities of new drugs, consumer products, and environmental agents.

Formoterol restores mitochondrial and renal function after ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Mitochondrial biogenesis may be an adaptive response necessary for meeting the increased metabolic and energy demands during organ recovery after acute injury, and renal mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AKI. We proposed that stimulation of mitochondrial biogenesis 24 hours after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced AKI, when renal dysfunction is maximal, would accelerate recovery of mitochondrial and renal function in mice. We recently showed that formoterol, a potent, highly specific, and long-acting ß2-adrenergic agonist, induces renal mitochondrial biogenesis in naive mice. Animals were subjected to sham or I/R-induced AKI, followed by once-daily intraperitoneal injection with vehicle or formoterol beginning 24 hours after surgery and continuing through 144 hours after surgery. Treatment with formoterol restored renal function, rescued renal tubules from injury, and diminished necrosis after I/R-induced AKI. Concomitantly, formoterol stimulated mitochondrial biogenesis and restored the expression and function of mitochondrial proteins. Taken together, these results provide proof of principle that a novel drug therapy to treat AKI, and potentially other acute organ failures, works by restoring mitochondrial function and accelerating the recovery of renal function after injury has occurred.

cGMP-selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis and promote recovery from acute kidney injury.

Recent studies demonstrate that mitochondrial dysfunction is a mediator of acute kidney injury (AKI). Consequently, restoration of mitochondrial function after AKI may be key to the recovery of renal function. Mitochondrial function can be restored through the generation of new, functional mitochondria in a process called mitochondrial biogenesis (MB). Despite its potential therapeutic significance, very few pharmacological agents have been identified to induce MB. To examine the efficacy of phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors (PDE3: cAMP and cGMP activity; and PDE4: cAMP activity) in stimulating MB, primary cultures of renal proximal tubular cells (RPTCs) were treated with a panel of inhibitors for 24 hours. PDE3, but not PDE4, inhibitors increased the FCCP-uncoupled oxygen consumption rate (OCR), a marker of MB. Exposure of RPTCs to the PDE3 inhibitors, cilostamide and trequinsin, for 24 hours increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α, and multiple mitochondrial electron transport chain genes. Cilostamide and trequinsin also increased mRNA expression of mitochondrial genes and mitochondrial DNA copy number in mice renal cortex. Consistent with these experiments, 8-Br-cGMP increased FCCP-uncoupled OCR and mitochondrial gene expression, whereas 8-Br-cAMP had no effect. The cGMP-specific PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil also induced MB in RPTCs and in vivo in mouse renal cortex. Treatment of mice with sildenafil after folic acid-induced AKI promoted restoration of MB and renal recovery. These data provide strong evidence that specific PDE inhibitors that increase cGMP are inducers of MB in vitro and in vivo, and suggest their potential efficacy in AKI and other diseases characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction and suppressed MB.

ß2-Adrenoceptor agonists in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis.

The stimulation of mitochondrial biogenesis (MB) via cell surface G-protein coupled receptors is a promising strategy for cell repair and regeneration. Here we report the specificity and chemical rationale of a panel of ß2-adrenoceptor agonists with regards to MB. Using primary cultures of renal cells, a diverse panel of ß2-adrenoceptor agonists elicited three distinct phenotypes: full MB, partial MB, and non-MB. Full MB compounds had efficacy in the low nanomolar range and represent two chemical scaffolds containing three distinct chemical clusters. Interestingly, the MB phenotype did not correlate with reported receptor affinity or chemical similarity. Chemical clusters were then subjected to pharmacophore modeling creating two models with unique and distinct features, consisting of five conserved amongst full MB compounds were identified. The two discrete pharmacophore models were coalesced into a consensus pharmacophore with four unique features elucidating the spatial and chemical characteristics required to stimulate MB.

High-throughput respirometric assay identifies predictive toxicophore of mitochondrial injury.

Many environmental chemicals and drugs negatively affect human health through deleterious effects on mitochondrial function. Currently there is no chemical library of mitochondrial toxicants, and no reliable methods for predicting mitochondrial toxicity. We hypothesized that discrete toxicophores defined by distinct chemical entities can identify previously unidentified mitochondrial toxicants. We used a respirometric assay to screen 1760 compounds (5 µM) from the LOPAC and ChemBridge DIVERSet libraries. Thirty-one of the assayed compounds decreased uncoupled respiration, a stress test for mitochondrial dysfunction, prior to a decrease in cell viability and reduced the oxygen consumption rate in isolated mitochondria. The mitochondrial toxicants were grouped by chemical similarity and two clusters containing four compounds each were identified. Cheminformatic analysis of one of the clusters identified previously uncharacterized mitochondrial toxicants from the ChemBridge DIVERSet. This approach will enable the identification of mitochondrial toxicants and advance the prediction of mitochondrial toxicity for both drug discovery and risk assessment.

The ß2-adrenoceptor agonist formoterol stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a common mediator of disease and organ injury. Although recent studies show that inducing mitochondrial biogenesis (MB) stimulates cell repair and regeneration, only a limited number of chemicals are known to induce MB. To examine the impact of the ß-adrenoceptor (ß-AR) signaling pathway on MB, primary renal proximal tubule cells (RPTC) and adult feline cardiomyocytes were exposed for 24 h to multiple ß-AR agonists: isoproterenol (nonselective ß-AR agonist), (±)-(R*,R*)-[4-[2-[[2-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-hydroxyethyl]amino]propyl]phenoxy] acetic acid sodium hydrate (BRL 37344) (selective ß(3)-AR agonist), and formoterol (selective ß(2)-AR agonist). The Seahorse Biosciences (North Billerica, MA) extracellular flux analyzer was used to quantify carbonylcyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP)-uncoupled oxygen consumption rate (OCR), a marker of maximal electron transport chain activity. Isoproterenol and BRL 37244 did not alter mitochondrial respiration at any of the concentrations examined. Formoterol exposure resulted in increases in both FCCP-uncoupled OCR and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number. The effect of formoterol on OCR in RPTC was inhibited by the ß-AR antagonist propranolol and the ß(2)-AR inverse agonist 3-(isopropylamino)-1-[(7-methyl-4-indanyl)oxy]butan-2-ol hydrochloride (ICI-118,551). Mice exposed to formoterol for 24 or 72 h exhibited increases in kidney and heart mtDNA copy number, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α, and multiple genes involved in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (F0 subunit 6 of transmembrane F-type ATP synthase, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6, and NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1ß subcomplex subunit 8). Cheminformatic modeling, virtual chemical library screening, and experimental validation identified nisoxetine from the Sigma Library of Pharmacologically Active Compounds and two compounds from the ChemBridge DIVERSet that increased mitochondrial respiratory capacity. These data provide compelling evidence for the use and development of ß(2)-AR ligands for therapeutic MB.

Measurement of cell death in Mammalian cells.

Methods for assessing mammalian cell death are presented in this unit. The unit is divided into six sections: (1) a brief overview of cytotoxicity and pathways of cell death, (2) a method to measure cell death using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release as a marker of membrane integrity, (3) a flow cytometry method that simultaneously measures two types of cell death, necrosis, and apoptosis, (4) use of fluorescence microscopy and nuclear morphology to assess apoptosis and necrosis, (5) the use of multi-well plates and high-content analysis imaging systems to assess nuclear morphology, and (6) a discussion of the use of cytotoxicity assays to determine the mechanisms of cell death.

Telomeres and telomerase in renal health.

The role of telomeres and telomerase in human biology has been studied since the early 1990s because telomere attrition is implicated in various diseases including cardiovascular dysfunction, carcinogenesis, and the progression of acute kidney injury. Telomeric length is a reliable indicator of intrinsic biologic age and a surrogate for the mitotic clock. Because the prevalence of chronic kidney disease increases with age, telomere length and telomerase activity may play a role in its progression.

Comparative chronic liver toxicity of benzo[a]pyrene in two populations of the atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) with different exposure histories.

BACKGROUND: The Atlantic Wood Industries Superfund site on the Elizabeth River (ER) in Portsmouth, Virginia, is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) derived from creosote. Embryos and larvae of ER killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) are refractory to the induction of enzymes regulated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor including cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) and are resistant to PAH-induced lethality and teratogenicity. However, adult ER killifish show a greater prevalence of hepatic and pancreatic tumors compared with those from reference sites. OBJECTIVES: We used controlled laboratory studies to determine if ER killifish are more or less sensitive to PAH-induced chronic hepatic toxicity than killifish from an uncontaminated site. METHODS: Larvae from the ER and a reference site on King's Creek (KC) were subjected to two 24-hr aqueous exposures of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP; 0-400 µg/L). At various time points, larvae were analyzed for CYP1A activity, BaP concentrations, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA damage, and liver pathology. RESULTS: CYP1A activity was induced by BaP in KC but not ER larvae, and KC larvae demonstrated a greater reduction in whole-body concentrations of BaP over time. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA lesion frequency increased significantly in BaP-exposed KC larvae, but not in ER larvae. Nine months postexposure, KC juveniles exhibited significantly more hepatic foci of cellular alteration and only KC juveniles developed hepatocellular carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to acquiring the heritable resistance to the acute teratogenic effects of PAHs, ER fish appear to have concomitantly developed resistance to chronic effects, including cancer.

Characterization of the recalcitrant CYP1 phenotype found in Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) inhabiting a Superfund site on the Elizabeth River, VA.

Fundulus heteroclitus (Atlantic killifish) found at the Atlantic Wood Industries Superfund site on the Elizabeth River (ER) in Portsmouth, VA (USA), have been shown to be resistant to the teratogenic effects of creosote-contaminated sediments found at this highly contaminated site. Many of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found at the ER are known to activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), and are thought to mediate their toxic effects through this pathway. Activation of the AHR results in the induction of several Phase I and II metabolic enzymes. It has been previously shown that the AHR of killifish from the ER are refractory to induction by AHR agonists. To more fully characterize this altered AHR response, we exposed embryos from the ER and from a reference site on King's Creek, VA (KC) to two PAHs, benzo[alpha]pyrene (BaP) and benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), and to the dioxin-like compound (DLC), 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126). We compared their developmental and molecular responses by screening the embryos for CYP1A enzyme activity, cardiac deformities, and mRNA expression of CYP1A, CYP1B1, CYP1C1, and AHR2. Basal gene expression of both CYP1A and CYP1B1 was 40% higher in the KC control embryos compared to those from the ER, while AHR2 and CYP1C1 were not significantly different between the populations. Exposure of KC embryos to BaP, BkF, and PCB126 induced CYP1A activity and cardiac deformities. In contrast, CYP1A activity was induced in ER embryos only in response to BkF exposure, although this induction in ER embryos was significantly lower than that observed in KC fish at comparable concentrations. ER embryos did not develop cardiac deformities in response to any of the chemicals tested. CYP1A, CYP1B1 and CYP1C1 mRNA were all significantly induced in the KC embryos after exposure to BaP, BkF and PCB126. Exposure to BaP and BkF in ER embryos resulted in a significant induction of CYP1A mRNA, albeit significantly lower than observed in KC fish. Interestingly, BaP exposure resulted in induction of CYP1B1 at comparable levels in embryos from both populations. CYP1s were not induced in ER embryos in response to PCB126, nor was CYP1C1 for any treatment examined. Additionally, AHR2 was not significantly induced for any of the treatment groups. This study further characterizes the AHR response in killifish, and provides greater insight into the adapted ER phenotype. The ER adaptation involves the suppression of normal AHR-inducible gene expression for all three CYP1 genes, and therefore is likely an alteration in AHR signaling or control.

Effect of CYP1A inhibition on the biotransformation of benzo[a]pyrene in two populations of Fundulus heteroclitus with different exposure histories.

Sediment contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a Superfund site on the Elizabeth River (ER) in Portsmouth, VA, is teratogenic to embryonic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) from reference sites. However, embryos born to a population of ER killifish are resistant to PAH-induced teratogenicity. Mechanisms underlying the resistance are unclear; however, ER killifish are refractory to induction of metabolic enzyme cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A), at the level of mRNA, protein and activity. The contaminated ER sediment comprises a complex mixture of PAHs with different mechanisms of toxicity. While many are inducers of metabolic enzymes involved in both phase I and phase II of biotransformation, some PAHs can also inhibit phase I enzymatic activity. Previous research has shown that co-exposure to PAHs with different modes of action can result in synergistic embryotoxicity (Billiard, S.M., Meyer, J.N.D., Wassenberg, M., Hodson, P.V., Di Giulio, R.T., 2008. Nonadditive effects of PAHs on early vertebrate development: mechanisms and implications for risk assessment. Toxicological Sciences 105, 5-23). Two of the abundant PAHs at the ER are fluoranthene (FL), a CYP1A inhibitor, and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a CYP1A inducer. Based on the ER resistant phenotype and the PAH mixture in the ER sediment, we hypothesized that the inhibition of CYP1A activity affects the teratogenicity of PAHs through a biotransformation-mediated mechanism. To examine this hypothesis, we compared the responses of killifish embryos born to parents from the ER and from a reference site (King's Creek (KC), VA) after a water-borne exposure to BaP (0-400 microg/L) in the presence or absence of FL (0-500 microg/L). Embryos were dosed from 24 to 120 h post-fertilization (hpf) and were analyzed for induction of CYP1 enzymatic activity as measured by the ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) assay, cardiac deformities, and BaP metabolic profile. KC embryos showed significant induction of CYP1 protein activity at all BaP concentrations examined. Co-exposure to 500 microg/L of FL significantly decreased CYP1 activity and increased cardiac deformities. ER embryos showed no change in CYP1 activity or cardiac deformities for any treatment. Significantly greater concentrations of BaP and BaP 9,10-dihydrodiol were recovered from ER embryos compared to those from KC. Co-exposure with FL did not significantly alter the amount of BaP or the metabolites recovered in either population. These findings suggest that the teratogenicity observed by co-exposure to BaP and FL cannot fully be explained by alteration in BaP metabolism. This study also indicates that the metabolic adaptation observed in the ER killifish cannot be explained simply by the refractory CYP1 phenotype.