The OECD Validation Program of the H295R Steroidogenesis Assay for the Identification of In Vitro Inhibitors and Inducers of Testosterone and Estradiol Production. Phase 2: Inter-Laboratory Pre-Validation Studies (8 pp)

Background, Goals and Scope In response to concerns that have been raised about chemical substances that may alter the function of endocrine systems and result in adverse effects on human health, an OECD initiative was undertaken to develop and validate in vitro and in vivo assays to identify chemicals that may interfere with endocrine systems of vertebrates. Here we report on studies that were conducted to develop and standardize a cell-based screening assay using the H295R cell line to prioritize chemicals that may act on steroidogenic processes in humans and wildlife. These studies are currently ongoing as part of the ‘Special Activity on the Testing and Assessment of Endocrine Disruptors’ within the OECD Test Guidelines Program to review, develop, standardize, and validate a number of in vitro and in vivo toxicological assays for testing and assessment of chemicals concerning their potential to interact with the endocrine system of vertebrates. Study Design Six laboratories from five countries participated in the pre-validation studies. Each laboratory tested the effects of three model chemicals on the production of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) using the H295R Steroidogenesis Assay. Chemicals tested were well described inducers or inhibitors of steroidogenic pathways (forskolin, prochloraz and fadrozole). All experiments were conducted in 24 well plates following standard protocols. Six different doses per compound were analyzed in triplicate per plate. A quality control (QC) plate was run in conjunction with the chemical exposure plate to account for inter-assay variation. Each chemical exposure was conducted two or three times. Results All laboratories successfully detected increases and/or decreases in hormone production by H295R cells after exposure to the different model compounds and there was good agreement in the pattern of response for all groups. Forskolin increased both T and E2 while fadrozole and prochloraz decreased production of both hormones. All chemicals affected hormone production in a dose-dependent manner with the exception of fadrozole which caused maximum inhibition of E2 at the two least concentrations tested. Some inter-laboratory differences were noted in the alteration of hormone production measured in chemically exposed cells. However, with the exception of the production of T measured at one laboratory in cells exposed to forskolin, the EC₅₀s calculated were comparable (coefficients of variation 34–49%) for all hormones. Discussion and Perspectives The results indicated that the H295R Steroidogenesis Assay protocol was robust, transferable and reproducible among all laboratories. However, in several instances that were primarily related to one laboratory there were unexplained minor uncertainties related to the inter-laboratory hormone production variation. Based on the findings from this Phase 2 prevalidation study, the H295R Steroidogenesis Assay protocol is currently being refined. The next phase of the OECD validation program will test the refined protocol among the same group of laboratories using an extended set of chemicals (∼30) that will include positive and negative chemical controls as well as a broad spectrum of different potential inducers and inhibitors of steroidogenic pathways. Submission Editor: Dr. Carsten Brühl (bruehl@uni-landau.de)     

Sonographic diagnosis of thoracic gastroenteric cyst in utero

A case of prenatal sonographic detection of a posterior mediastinal cyst in an otherwise normal fetus is presented. Following surgical excision 5 days after birth, histological examination confirmed the cyst to be gastroenteric. The differential diagnosis and clinical value of prenatal detection are discussed.     

Risk evaluation in chorionic villus sampling

The occasion of the 18th symposium of the European Society of Human Genetics, 20 May to 2 June, provided an opportunity for the WHO to sponsor a small meeting on the progress of risk evaluation in three large programmes of chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Their pooled information showed a rate of fetal loss of 3·4 per cent in the first 300 cases in each programme, falling to 1·7 per cent in the following 400 cases.     

Low-dose sulprostone for pregnancy termination in cases of fetal abnormality

Thirty-two pregnancies (11 primi- and 21 multi-gravid) with an abnormal fetus were terminated between 16 and 35 weeks (mean 22 weeks; median 20 weeks) and a continuous intravenous infusion of 1 μg of the prostaglandin analogue sulprostone. All pregnancies were terminated vaginally, 31 of them with this regimen in a median induction-expulsion interval of 23 h (range 8–52 h). Complete expulsion of the placenta occurred in 72 per cent of cases. Median blood loss was 100 ml (range 20–2000 ml). There were only a few side-effects. We conclude that this induction regimen is both appropriate and safe for pregnancy termination in cases of fetal anomaly.     

Species-dependent effects of the phenolic herbicide ioxynil with potential thyroid hormone disrupting activity: modulation of its cellular uptake and activity by interaction with serum thyroid hormone-binding proteins

Ioxynil, a phenolic herbicide, is known to exert thyroid hormone (TH) disrupting activity by interfering with TH-binding to plasma proteins and a step of the cellular TH-signaling pathway in restricted animal species. However, comparative studies are still lacking on the TH disruption.We investigated the interaction of [¹²⁵I]ioxynil with serum proteins from rainbow trout, bullfrog, chicken, pig, rat, and mouse, using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Candidate ioxynil-binding proteins, which included lipoproteins, albumin and transthyretin (TTR), differed among the vertebrates tested. Rainbow trout and bullfrog tadpole serum had the lowest binding activity for ioxynil, whereas the eutherian serum had the highest binding activity. The cellular uptake of, and response to, ioxynil were suppressed by rat serum greater than by tadpole serum. The cellular uptake of [¹²⁵I]ioxynil competed strongly with phenols with a single ring, but not with THs. Our results suggested that ioxynil interferes with TH homeostasis in plasma and with a step of cellular TH-signaling pathway other than TH-uptake system, in a species-specific manner.     

Thyroid disruption by technical decabromodiphenyl ether （DE-83R） at low concentrations in Xenopus laevis

Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), as a flame retardant, is widely produced and used. To study the thyroid disruption by technical decaBDE at low concentrations, Xenopus laevis tadpoles were exposed to technical decaBDE mixture DE-83R (1–1000 ng/L) in water from stage 46/47 (free swimming larvae, system of Nieuwkoop and Faber) to stage 62. DE-83R at concentration of 1000 ng/L significantly delayed the time to metamorphosis (presented by forelimb emergence, FLE). Histological examination showed that DE- 83R at all tested concentrations caused histological alterations – multilayer follicular epithelial cell and markedly increased follicle size accompanied by partial colloid depletion and increase in the peripheral colloid vacuolation, in thyroid glands. All tested concentrations of DE-83R also induced a down-regulation of thyroid receptor mRNA expression. These results demonstrated that technical decaBDE disrupted the thyroid system in X. laevis tadpoles. Analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (sum of 39 congeners) in X. laevis indicated that mean concentrations of total PBDEs in X. laevis exposed to 1, 10, 100, 1000 ng/L were 11.0, 128.1, 412.1, 1400.2 ng/g wet weight, respectively. Considering that PBDEs burden of X. laevis tadpoles was close to PBDEs levels in amphibians as reported in previous studies, our study has raised new concerns for thyroid disruption in amphibians of technical decaBDE at environmentally relevant concentrations.     

环境中有机紫外防晒剂残留及其生态毒性研究进展

有机紫外防晒剂被广泛添加在个人护理品中,随着日常使用源源不断地进入环境中,成为一类新兴污染物。环境介质中有机紫外防晒剂的检测及其生态毒理是目前的研究热点。概述了个人护理品中常用的有机紫外防晒剂,总结了有机紫外防晒剂在各类地表水、沉积物和生物体等不同介质中的浓度水平,详细分析了有机紫外防晒剂对鱼类的内分泌干扰效应和对水生无脊椎动物的急性毒性,为今后深入研究和科学评价这类新兴污染物提供重要参考。     

邻苯二甲酸二(异)丁酯及其替代品的内分泌干扰效应研究进展

邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(di-n-butyl phthalate,DnBP)和邻苯二甲酸二异丁酯(diisobutyl phthalate,DiBP)是广泛用于塑料、树脂和橡胶制品中的邻苯二甲酸酯类增塑剂,曾在各种环境介质中频繁检出.现有研究表明,DnBP和DiBP对人类和其他动物具有显著的内分泌干扰效应以及生殖发育毒性等不...     

内分泌干扰物三丁基锡诱导的腹足纲动物性畸变现象

论述了腹足纲雌性动物由于三丁基锡化合物的内分泌扰乱作用而诱发性畸变的现状.介绍了性畸变现象的发生过程,说明了普遍采用的腹足纲动物采集方式与生物样品中有机锡含量的分析方法.通过相对阴茎尺寸指数(RPSI)与输精管序列指数(VDS)两个概念给出了性畸变腹足纲动物的身体形态发生的变化及度量性畸变的指标,着重介绍了芳构化酶抑制假说与睾酮-硫络合物抑制假说等有关性畸变的机理,并结合作者个人体会提出以后要开展的研究内容.      

基于不同毒性终点的双酚A(BPA)预测无效应浓度(PNEC)研究

双酚A(BPA)已被证实是一种类雌激素类物质。本研究根据BPA对水生生物毒性效应的特点,按照不同的毒性终点将BPA的毒性数据进行归类,采用物种敏感度分布法(species sensitivity distribution,SSD)推导了BPA对水生生物的预测无效应浓度(predicted no effect concentration,PNEC)。结果表明:以雌激素效应为暴露终点的急、慢性PNEC分别为25.11μg·L-1、1.075μg·L-1;而以所有数据的急、慢性毒性效应为暴露终点推导的PNEC值分别为355.7μg·L-1、7.549μg·L-1。BPA对水生生物的雌激素效应更为敏感,建议在推导BPA这类内分泌干扰物的PNEC值时,应依据其毒性终点分别推导,从而得到更加合理的基准值。研究成果以期为我国地表水环境质量标准的制修订提供数据支持。