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Yoo O, von Ungern-Sternberg BS, Lim LY. Paediatric Medicinal Formulation Development: Utilising Human Taste Panels and Incorporating Their Data into Machine Learning Training. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2112. [PMID: 37631326 PMCID: PMC10459634 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15082112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
This review paper explores the role of human taste panels and artificial neural networks (ANNs) in taste-masking paediatric drug formulations. Given the ethical, practical, and regulatory challenges of employing children, young adults (18-40) can serve as suitable substitutes due to the similarity in their taste sensitivity. Taste panellists need not be experts in sensory evaluation so long as a reference product is used during evaluation; however, they should be screened for bitterness taste detection thresholds. For a more robust evaluation during the developmental phase, considerations of a scoring system and the calculation of an acceptance value may be beneficial in determining the likelihood of recommending a formulation for further development. On the technological front, artificial neural networks (ANNs) can be exploited in taste-masking optimisation of medicinal formulations as they can model complex relationships between variables and enable predictions not possible previously to optimise product profiles. Machine learning classifiers may therefore tackle the challenge of predicting the bitterness intensity of paediatric formulations. While advancements have been made, further work is needed to identify effective taste-masking techniques for specific drug molecules. Continuous refinement of machine learning algorithms, using human panellist acceptability scores, can aid in enhancing paediatric formulation development and overcoming taste-masking challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Okhee Yoo
- Pharmacy, School of Allied Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
| | - Britta S. von Ungern-Sternberg
- Perioperative Medicine Team, Perioperative Care Program, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
- Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Perth Children’s Hospital, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Lee Yong Lim
- Pharmacy, School of Allied Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
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2
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Wang B, Chen J, Sheng Z, Lian W, Wu Y, Liu M. Embryonic exposure to fentanyl induces behavioral changes and neurotoxicity in zebrafish larvae. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14524. [PMID: 36540796 PMCID: PMC9760023 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of fentanyl during pregnancy, whether by prescription or illicit use, may result in high blood levels that pose an early risk to fetal development. However, little is known regarding the neurotoxicity that might arise from excessive fentanyl exposure in growing organisms, particularly drug-related withdrawal symptoms. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to fentanyl solutions (0.1, 1, and 5 mg/L) for 5 days post fertilization (dpf), followed by a 5-day recovery period, and then the larvae were evaluated for photomotor response, anxiety behavior, shoaling behavior, aggression, social preference, and sensitization behavior. Fentanyl solutions at 1 and 5 mg/L induced elevated anxiety, decreased social preference and aggressiveness, and behavioral sensitization in zebrafish larvae. The expression of genes revealed that embryonic exposure to fentanyl caused substantial alterations in neural activity (bdnf, c-fos) and neuronal development and plasticity (npas4a, egr1, btg2, ier2a, vgf). These results suggest that fentanyl exposure during embryonic development is neurotoxic, highlighting the importance of zebrafish as an aquatic species in research on the neurobehavioral effects of opioids in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binjie Wang
- The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiale Chen
- The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhong Sheng
- The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wanting Lian
- The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuanzhao Wu
- The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Meng Liu
- The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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3
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Balamurugan K, Medishetti R, Rao P, K RV, Chatti K, Parsa KV. Protocol to evaluate hyperlipidemia in zebrafish larvae. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101819. [DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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4
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Gallois B, Pontani LL, Debrégeas G, Candelier R. A scalable assay for chemical preference of small freshwater fish. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:990792. [PMID: 36212190 PMCID: PMC9541871 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.990792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensing the chemical world is of primary importance for aquatic organisms, and small freshwater fish are increasingly used in toxicology, ethology, and neuroscience by virtue of their ease of manipulation, tissue imaging amenability, and genetic tractability. However, precise behavioral analyses are generally challenging to perform due to the lack of knowledge of what chemical the fish are exposed to at any given moment. Here we developed a behavioral assay and a specific infrared dye to probe the preference of young zebrafish for virtually any compound. We found that the innate aversion of zebrafish to citric acid is not mediated by modulation of the swim but rather by immediate avoidance reactions when the product is sensed and that the preference of juvenile zebrafish for ATP changes from repulsion to attraction during successive exposures. We propose an information-based behavioral model for which an exploration index emerges as a relevant behavioral descriptor, complementary to the standard preference index. Our setup features a high versatility in protocols and is automatic and scalable, which paves the way for high-throughput preference compound screening at different ages.
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5
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Reinwald H, Alvincz J, Salinas G, Schäfers C, Hollert H, Eilebrecht S. Toxicogenomic profiling after sublethal exposure to nerve- and muscle-targeting insecticides reveals cardiac and neuronal developmental effects in zebrafish embryos. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 291:132746. [PMID: 34748799 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
For specific primary modes of action (MoA) in environmental non-target organisms, EU legislation restricts the usage of active substances of pesticides or biocides. Corresponding regulatory hazard assessments are costly, time consuming and require large numbers of non-human animal studies. Currently, predictive toxicology of development compounds relies on their chemical structure and provides little insights into toxicity mechanisms that precede adverse effects. Using the zebrafish embryo model, we characterized transcriptomic responses to a range of sublethal concentrations of six nerve- and muscle-targeting insecticides with different MoA (abamectin, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, fipronil, imidacloprid & methoxychlor). Our aim was to identify affected biological processes and suitable biomarker candidates for MoA-specific signatures. Abamectin showed the most divergent signature among the tested insecticides, linked to lipid metabolic processes. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after imidacloprid exposure were primarily associated with immune system and inflammation. In total, 222 early responsive genes to either MoA were identified, many related to three major processes: (1) cardiac muscle cell development and functioning (tcap, desma, bag3, hspb1, hspb8, flnca, myoz3a, mybpc2b, actc2, tnnt2c), (2) oxygen transport and hypoxic stress (alas2, hbbe1.1, hbbe1.3, hbbe2, hbae3, igfbp1a, hif1al) and (3) neuronal development and plasticity (npas4a, egr1, btg2, ier2a, vgf). The thyroidal function related gene dio3b was upregulated by chlorpyrifos and downregulated by higher abamectin concentrations. Important regulatory genes for cardiac muscle (tcap) and forebrain development (npas4a) were the most frequently ifferentially expressed across all insecticide treatments. We consider the identified gene sets as useful early warning biomarker candidates, i.e. for developmental toxicity targeting heart and brain in aquatic vertebrates. Our findings provide a better understanding about early molecular events in response to the analyzed MoA. Perceptively, this promotes the development for sensitive and informative biomarker-based in vitro assays for toxicological MoA prediction and AOP refinement, without the suffering of adult fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Reinwald
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany; Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julia Alvincz
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Gabriela Salinas
- NGS-Services for Integrative Genomics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Schäfers
- Department of Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Henner Hollert
- Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sebastian Eilebrecht
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany.
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Isabella AJ, Stonick JA, Dubrulle J, Moens CB. Intrinsic positional memory guides target-specific axon regeneration in the zebrafish vagus nerve. Development 2021; 148:272160. [PMID: 34427308 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Regeneration after peripheral nerve damage requires that axons re-grow to the correct target tissues in a process called target-specific regeneration. Although much is known about the mechanisms that promote axon re-growth, re-growing axons often fail to reach the correct targets, resulting in impaired nerve function. We know very little about how axons achieve target-specific regeneration, particularly in branched nerves that require distinct targeting decisions at branch points. The zebrafish vagus motor nerve is a branched nerve with a well-defined topographic organization. Here, we track regeneration of individual vagus axons after whole-nerve laser severing and find a robust capacity for target-specific, functional re-growth. We then develop a new single-cell chimera injury model for precise manipulation of axon-environment interactions and find that (1) the guidance mechanism used during regeneration is distinct from the nerve's developmental guidance mechanism, (2) target selection is specified by neurons' intrinsic memory of their position within the brain, and (3) targeting to a branch requires its pre-existing innervation. This work establishes the zebrafish vagus nerve as a tractable regeneration model and reveals the mechanistic basis of target-specific regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Isabella
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jason A Stonick
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Julien Dubrulle
- Shared Resources, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Cecilia B Moens
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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Bennett J, Coburn A, Coupe A, Stedman D, Taylor A, Tyler A. Development of a zebrafish model for bitter taste assessment. Int J Pharm 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2017.08.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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8
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Mersereau EJ, Boyle CA, Poitra S, Espinoza A, Seiler J, Longie R, Delvo L, Szarkowski M, Maliske J, Chalmers S, Darland DC, Darland T. Longitudinal Effects of Embryonic Exposure to Cocaine on Morphology, Cardiovascular Physiology, and Behavior in Zebrafish. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17060847. [PMID: 27258254 PMCID: PMC4926381 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17060847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A sizeable portion of the societal drain from cocaine abuse results from the complications of in utero drug exposure. Because of challenges in using humans and mammalian model organisms as test subjects, much debate remains about the impact of in utero cocaine exposure. Zebrafish offer a number of advantages as a model in longitudinal toxicology studies and are quite sensitive physiologically and behaviorally to cocaine. In this study, we have used zebrafish to model the effects of embryonic pre-exposure to cocaine on development and on subsequent cardiovascular physiology and cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in longitudinal adults. Larval fish showed a progressive decrease in telencephalic size with increased doses of cocaine. These treated larvae also showed a dose dependent response in heart rate that persisted 24 h after drug cessation. Embryonic cocaine exposure had little effect on overall health of longitudinal adults, but subtle changes in cardiovascular physiology were seen including decreased sensitivity to isoproterenol and increased sensitivity to cocaine. These longitudinal adult fish also showed an embryonic dose-dependent change in CPP behavior, suggesting an increased sensitivity. These studies clearly show that pre-exposure during embryonic development affects subsequent cocaine sensitivity in longitudinal adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Mersereau
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - Cody A Boyle
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - Shelby Poitra
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - Ana Espinoza
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Joclyn Seiler
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - Robert Longie
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - Lisa Delvo
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - Megan Szarkowski
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - Joshua Maliske
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - Sarah Chalmers
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - Diane C Darland
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - Tristan Darland
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
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9
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Mohamed-Ahmed AHA, Soto J, Ernest T, Tuleu C. Non-human tools for the evaluation of bitter taste in the design and development of medicines: a systematic review. Drug Discov Today 2016; 21:1170-80. [PMID: 27240776 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2016.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Taste evaluation is a crucial factor for determining acceptance of medicines by patients. The human taste panel test is the main method used to establish the overall palatability and acceptability of a drug product to a patient towards the end of development. Non-human in vitro and in vivo taste-evaluation tools are very useful for pre-formulation, quality control and screening of formulations. These non-human taste assessment tools can be used to evaluate all aspects of taste quality. The focus of this review is bitterness because it is a key aspect of taste in association with the development of medicines. In this review, recent in vitro (analytical) and in vivo (non-human) tools are described for the assessment of the bitter taste of medicines. Their correlations with human taste data are critically discussed. The potential for their use in early screening of the taste of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to expedite paediatric formulation development is also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica Soto
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Terry Ernest
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Third Ave, Harlow CM19 5AW, UK
| | - Catherine Tuleu
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
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10
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Caro M, Iturria I, Martinez-Santos M, Pardo MA, Rainieri S, Tueros I, Navarro V. Zebrafish dives into food research: effectiveness assessment of bioactive compounds. Food Funct 2016; 7:2615-23. [DOI: 10.1039/c6fo00046k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish ease of use and characteristics reveal it to be an interesting and underused model in food and nutrition research.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Caro
- AZTI, Food Research, Astondo Bidea 609
- 48160 Derio
- Spain
| | - I. Iturria
- AZTI, Food Research, Astondo Bidea 609
- 48160 Derio
- Spain
| | | | - M. A. Pardo
- AZTI, Food Research, Astondo Bidea 609
- 48160 Derio
- Spain
| | - S. Rainieri
- AZTI, Food Research, Astondo Bidea 609
- 48160 Derio
- Spain
| | - I. Tueros
- AZTI, Food Research, Astondo Bidea 609
- 48160 Derio
- Spain
| | - V. Navarro
- AZTI, Food Research, Astondo Bidea 609
- 48160 Derio
- Spain
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11
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Sumbre G, de Polavieja GG. The world according to zebrafish: how neural circuits generate behavior. Front Neural Circuits 2014; 8:91. [PMID: 25126059 PMCID: PMC4115616 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Germán Sumbre
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS Paris, France ; Inserm, U1024 Paris, France ; CNRS, UMR 8197 Paris, France
| | - Gonzalo G de Polavieja
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Madrid, Spain ; Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown Lisbon, Portugal
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12
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Gelperin A. Comparative chemosensory cognition. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:190. [PMID: 24904341 PMCID: PMC4033254 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alan Gelperin
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton NJ, USA
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