Studies on the effects of L(alpha S,5S)-alpha-amino-3-chloro-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazoleacetic acid (AT-125) on 4-aminophenol-induced nephrotoxicity in the Fischer 344 rat

Mechanistic aspects of 4-amino-2,6-dichlorophenol-induced in vitro nephrotoxicity

4-Amino-2,6-dichlorophenol (ADCP) is a potent acute nephrotoxicant in vivo inducing prominent renal corticomedullary necrosis. In vitro, ADCP exposure increases lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from rat renal cortical slices at 0.05 mM or greater. The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of antioxidants, cytochrome P450 (CYP) and flavin adenine dinucleotide monooxygenase (FMO) activity modulators, indomethacin, glutathione and inhibitors of glutathione conjugate metabolism to attenuate ADCP cytotoxicity in vitro. Renal cortical slices prepared from untreated male Fischer 344 rats (N=4/group) were preincubated at 37 degrees C under a 100% oxygen atmosphere with an inhibitor or vehicle for 5-30 min. ADCP (0.05-0.5mM) or vehicle was added and incubations continued for 120 min. At the end of the incubation period, LDH release was measured as an index of nephrotoxicity. ADCP cytotoxicity was partially attenuated by ascorbate (1.0 or 2.0mM), but not by N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPPD), alpha-tocopherol or deferoxamine. Inhibitors of CYP (metyrapone, piperonyl butoxide and isoniazid) and FMO activity modulators (methimazole, N-octylamine) had no effect on ADCP cytotoxicity. Indomethacin or glutathione 1.0mM completely and partially blocked ADCP 0.1 and 0.5mM cytotoxicity, respectively. N-acetylcysteine, AOAA (an inhibitor of cysteine conjugate beta-lyase) and probenecid (an organic anion transport inhibitor), but not AT-125 (an inhibitor of gamma-glutamyl transferase), partially attenuated ADCP 0.1mM cytotoxicity. Overall, these results suggest that reactive metabolites may be produced from ADCP primarily via a co-oxidation-mediated mechanism. The difference in the ability of ascorbate and glutathione to attenuate ADCP-induced cytotoxicity in vitro in kidney cells could indicate that alkylation via the reactive benzoquinoneimine metabolite might be responsible for cytotoxicity rather than a free radical-mediated mechanism.

Metabonomics in pharmaceutical discovery and development

Metabonomics has emerged as a key technology in pharmaceutical discovery and development, evolving as the small molecule counterpart of transcriptomics and proteomics. In drug discovery laboratories, metabonomics aids in target identification, phenotyping, and the understanding of the biochemical basis of disease and toxicity. This review focuses on three areas where metabonomics is used in the industry: (1) analytical considerations, (2) chemometric and statistical concerns, and (3) biological aspects and applications.

4-Amino-2,6-dichlorophenol nephrotoxicity in the Fischer 344 rat: protection by ascorbic acid, AT-125, and aminooxyacetic acid

A halogenated derivative of 4-aminophenol, 4-amino-2, 6-dichlorophenol (ADCP), is a potent nephrotoxicant and a weak hepatotoxicant in Fischer 344 rats. Although the mechanism of ADCP nephrotoxicity is unknown, ADCP could undergo oxidation to a reactive intermediate, such as a 4-amino-2,6-dichlorophenoxy radical or 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinoneimine, which can generate additional free radicals and/or covalently bind to cellular proteins. The toxic process might also be mediated by glutathione (GSH) conjugates of ADCP, as suggested for the mechanism of 4-aminophenol nephrotoxicity. In this study, the effects of modulators of oxidation and GSH conjugation-related metabolism or transport on ADCP-induced nephrotoxicity were examined. In one set of experiments, male Fischer 344 rats (four/group) were intraperitoneally (ip) administered ADCP (0.38 mmol/kg) only or coadministered an antioxidant, ascorbic acid (1.14 mmol/kg, ip) with ADCP. Administration of ascorbic acid markedly reduced both functional nephrotoxicity and morphological changes induced by ADCP. Administration of a gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) inhibitor, l-(alphaS, 5S)-alpha-amino-3-chloro-4,5-dihydroxy-5-isoxazoleacetic acid (10 mg/kg, ip), or a cysteine conjugate beta-lyase inhibitor, aminooxyacetic acid (0.5 mmol/kg, ip), 1 hr before ADCP (0.38 mmol/kg) challenge partially protected rats against ADCP nephrotoxicity. In contrast, administration of an organic anion transport inhibitor, probenecid (140 mg/kg, ip), 30 min before ADCP had little effect on ADCP nephrotoxicity. The GSH depletor, buthionine sulfoximine (890 mg/kg, ip), was given 2 hr prior to ADCP and only minimal protection was noted. In addition, the nonprotein sulfhydryl (NPSH) contents in renal cortex and liver were determined at 2 hr following the administration of ADCP only or ascorbic acid/ADCP. Ascorbic acid afforded complete prevention of the depletion of NPSH in the kidney and liver caused by ADCP administration and also prevented the elevation of renal glutathione disulfide content induced by ADCP. The results indicate that oxidation of ADCP appears to be essential to ADCP nephrotoxicity and that GSH or GSH-derived conjugates of ADCP may be partly responsible for the nephrotoxic effects of ADCP via a GGT-mediated mechanism.