Tomoya Yamada

In a carcinogenicity study with CD-1 mice exposed to pyridachlometyl (dietary dose levels: 0, 700, 2000, and 7000 ppm), a combined incidence of hepatocellular adenoma and carcinoma was increased in male mice at doses ≥ 2000 ppm, but not in female mice. We evaluated the mode of action (MOA) of pyridachlometyl-induced liver tumor formation in male mice and its relevance to humans. Pyridachlometyl was found to be neither genotoxic, cytotoxic, immunosuppressive, nor hormone-mediated based on a series of toxicity studies. Data from general toxicity studies suggested that the MOA involves activation of the nuclear receptor constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), leading to a pleiotropic response including altered gene expression specific to CAR activation, increased hepatocyte proliferation, clonal expansion resulting in altered hepatic foci, and ultimately liver tumor formation. Short-term in vivo MOA studies in CD-1 mice showed that pyridachlometyl significantly increased liver weight, incidence of centrilobular hepatocyte hypertrophy, Cyp2b10 and Cyp3a11 mRNA levels and their enzyme activities, and hepatocyte replicative DNA synthesis, all in a dose-dependent manner. These effects were reversible upon cessation of treatment and were attenuated in CAR/PXR knockout mice. Pyridachlometyl induced human CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 mRNAs but did not increase replicative DNA synthesis in either cultured human hepatocytes or human hepatocytes in chimeric mice (PXB-mice). Overall, these data strongly support that the MOA for pyridachlometyl-induced hepatocellular tumors in male mice is via activation of CAR, indicatiing that the liver tumor formation observed in male mice is not relevant to humans.

Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) activators have long been known to enhance hepatocellular carcinogenesis in rodents, with the prototypic chemical being phenobarbital (PB). This has raised an ongoing controversy for the past 50 years as to whether this is relevant to human cancer risk. The established mode of action (MOA) for rodent liver tumor formation by CAR activators includes receptor activation, increased hepatocellular proliferation, altered liver foci and ultimately liver tumors. We previously published a critical review indicating the pivotal species difference that CAR activators are mitogenic agents in mouse and rat hepatocytes, but they do not stimulate hepatocellular proliferation in humans based on molecular downstream interaction differences, thus CAR activators pose no liver carcinogenic risk to humans (Yamada et al. Crit Rev Toxicol 2021). Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) activators induce rodent liver tumors through a similar MOA, again involving increased hepatocellular proliferation, but are generally considered not relevant to human cancer risk. As with CAR activators, PPARα activators are mitogenic in rodent liver but not in other species, including humans. This species-specific effect of CAR and PPARα activators provides critical information useful for the overall risk assessments of these molecules, including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, food additives, and other chemicals. Overall, based on the available data for the specific molecular effects of these agents, the time has come to consider that chemicals for which the MOA of liver carcinogenicity observed in rodents has been clearly identified as either CAR- or PPARα-mediated (with other MOAs having been excluded) can be judged as having no relevance to human cancer risk without further investigations being necessary.

We propose a modified Comparative Thyroid Assay (CTA, USEPA) utilizing a smaller number of Sprague-Dawley rats (N=10/group) that assesses brain thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations and periventricular heterotopia while maintaining assay sensitivity. Our recent findings demonstrated that a prenatal test cohort of the modified CTA detected a dose-dependent decrease in maternal serum T3 (up to -26%) and T4 (up to -44%) with sodium phenobarbital (NaPB) exposure at 1000 ppm and 1500 ppm, equivalent to intakes of 60 and 84 mg/kg/day, respectively. On gestation day (GD) 20, fetuses exhibited reduced serum (-26%) and brain (-29%) TH concentrations, although these reductions were not dose dependent. The present study expanded the treatment in a postnatal test cohort, with maternal exposure to NaPB (81-93 mg/kg/day) from GD6 to lactation day (LD) 21. We assessed serum and brain TH concentrations, and periventricular heterotopia in pups on postnatal days (PND) 4, 21, and 28. While LD21 dams showed significant reductions in serum T3 (up to -34%) and T4 (up to -54%), the pups did not exhibit significant TH suppression or periventricular heterotopia at any test point. Instead, a compensatory increase in T4 was observed in serum and brain of PND21 pups. The present study confirmed that perinatal maternal exposure to high doses of NaPB leads to a moderate decrease in maternal TH concentrations; however, the exposure of maternal rats to a similar dose of NaPB did not significantly reduce serum or brain TH concentrations in their postnatal offspring.

In a past study, we proposed a modified Comparative Thyroid Assay (CTA) with additional examinations of brain thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations and brain histopathology but with smaller group sizes. The results showed that the modified CTA in Sprague Dawley rats detected 10 ppm 6-propylthiouracil (6-PTU)-induced significant suppressions of serum/brain TH concentrations in offspring. To confirm the reliability of qualitative brain histopathology and identify the optimal testing time for heterotopia (a cluster of ectopic neurons) in the modified CTA, brain histopathology together with serum/brain TH concentrations were assessed in GD20 fetuses and PND2, 4, 21, and 28 pups using a similar study protocol but with a smaller number of animals (N=3–6/group/time). Significant hypothyroidism was observed and brain histopathology revealed cerebral heterotopia formation in PND21 and PND28 pups, with likely precursor findings in PND2 and PND4 pups but not in GD20 fetuses. This study confirmed that the optimal testing time for cerebral heterotopia in rat CTA was PND21 and thereafter. These findings suggest that cerebral heterotopia assessment at appropriate times may be a useful alternative to the original CTA design.

To the Editor,We are pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the letter to the Editor by Drs. van Kesteren, Pronk, Heusinkveld, Luijten and Hakkert concerning our published paper entitled “Cr...

The non-genotoxic synthetic pyrethroid insecticide permethrin produced hepatocellular adenomas and bronchiolo-alveolar adenomas in female CD-1 mice, but not in male CD-1 mice or in female or male Wistar rats. Studies were performed to evaluate possible modes of action (MOAs) for permethrin-induced female CD-1 mouse liver and lung tumor formation. The MOA for liver tumor formation by permethrin involves activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), increased hepatocellular proliferation, development of altered hepatic foci, and ultimately liver tumors. This MOA is similar to that established for other PPARα activators and is considered to be qualitatively not plausible for humans. The MOA for lung tumor formation by permethrin involves interaction with Club cells, followed by a mitogenic effect resulting in Club cell proliferation, with prolonged administration producing Club cell hyperplasia and subsequently formation of bronchiolo-alveolar adenomas. Although the possibility that permethrin exposure may potentially result in enhancement of Club cell proliferation in humans cannot be completely excluded, there is sufficient information on differences in basic lung anatomy, physiology, metabolism, and biologic behavior of tumors in the general literature to conclude that humans are quantitatively less sensitive to agents that increase Club cell proliferation and lead to tumor formation in mice. The evidence strongly indicates that Club cell mitogens are not likely to lead to increased susceptibility to lung tumor development in humans. Overall, based on MOA evaluation it is concluded that permethrin does not pose a tumorigenic hazard for humans, this conclusion being supported by negative data from permethrin epidemiological studies.

Permethrin has been shown to increase lung adenomas in female CD-1 mice, but not in male mice or Wistar rats. The proposed mode of action (MOA) for permethrin-induced female mouse lung tumor formation involves morphological changes in Club cells; increased Club cell proliferation; increased Club cell hyperplasia, and lung tumor formation. In this study, the treatment of female CD-1 mice with tumorigenic doses (2500 and 5000 ppm) of permethrin, but not with a nontumorigenic dose (20 ppm), for 14 and/or 28 days increased Club cell replicative DNA synthesis. Global gene expression analysis of female mouse lung samples demonstrated that permethrin treatment up-regulated 3 genes associated with cell proliferation, namely aldehyde dehydrogenase 3a1 (Aldh3a1), oxidative stress-induced growth inhibitor 1, and thioredoxin reductase 1. Treatment with 2500 and 5000 ppm, but not 20 ppm, permethrin for 7 days produced significant increases in mRNA levels of these 3 genes. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that Club cell secretory protein, CYP2F2, and ALDH3A1 colocalized in Club cells; confirmed by flow cytometry analysis of lung cells employing KI67 as a cell proliferation marker. Overall, the present data extend the proposed MOA by demonstrating that Club cells are the primary initial target of permethrin administration in female mouse lungs. As humans are quantitatively much less sensitive to agents that increase Club cell proliferation and lung tumor formation in mice, it is most likely that permethrin could not produce lung tumors in humans. This conclusion is supported by available negative epidemiological data from several studies.