Hiroyuki Iwai

90-day oral gavage toxicity study of 8-2 fluorotelomer alcohol in rats.

8-2 fluorotelomer alcohol is a fluorinated chemical intermediate used to manufacture specialty polymers and surfactants. The potential subchronic toxicity and the reversibility of the effects of this chemical were evaluated following approximately 90 days of oral gavage dosing to Crl:CD®(SD)IGS BR rats. A complete toxicological profile, including neurobehavioral assessments and hepatic β-oxidation, were conducted at selected intervals and a group of rats was included for a 90-day postdosing recovery period. Dose levels tested were 0 (control), 1, 5, 25, and 125 mg/kg. No test-substance-related mortality occurred at any dose level. Rats at 125 mg/kg developed striated teeth, such that these animals were switched to ground chow at 77 days. No treatment-related alterations in body weight, food consumption, neurobehavioral parameters, or hematology/clinical chemistry were found. Hepatic β-oxidation was increased in males at 125 mg/kg and in females at 25 and 125 mg/kg. In both males and females, plasma fluorine levels were increased at 125 mg/kg and urinary fluorine was elevated at ≥5 mg/kg. Degeneration/disorganization of enamel organ ameloblast cells was observed at 125 mg/kg in males, but not females. Liver weight increases accompanied by focal hepatic necrosis were observed at both 25 and 125 mg/kg, and chronic progressive nephrotoxicity occurred in female rats at 125 mg/kg. With the exception of hepatocellular necrosis in males at 125 mg/kg and the increased incidence and severity of chronic progressive nephropathy in females at 125 mg/kg, all other changes showed evidence of reversibility. The no-observed-adverse-effect level was 5 mg/kg.

In vivo radiosensitizing activity of a new fluorinated hypoxic cell radiosensitizer, KU-2285, in combination with radiation dose fractionation☆

Since most clinical radiotherapy is given as multiple small irradiation fractions, the present study was undertaken to test the in vivo radiosensitizing activity of a new hypoxic cell radiosensitizer, KU-2285, in combination with radiation dose fractionation. Radiosensitizing activity was measured by a growth delay assay using a transplanted mammary tumor in C3H/He mice, and by an in vivo-in vitro assay using the SCC VII tumor. KU-2285 was injected intraperitoneally 30 min before irradiation in all experiments. The in vivo-in vitro assay using SCC VII tumors showed that 12.5 micrograms/g of KU-2285 sensitized the tumors to irradiation (5 Gy/fr x 5 fr/48 hr or 6 Gy/fr x 3 fr/48 hr). KU-2285 also sensitized the transplanted mammary tumors to fractionated irradiation. We concluded that KU-2285 was able to sensitize two different murine tumors when given in combination with radiation dose fractionation.

Oral (Gavage) Combined Developmental and Perinatal/Postnatal Reproduction Toxicity Study of Ammonium Salt of Perfluorinated Hexanoic Acid in Mice

The reproductive toxicity potential of Ammonium Salt of Perfluorinated Hexanoic Acid (PFHxA Ammonium Salt) in pregnant Crl: CD1(ICR) mice was investigated. Twenty females/group were administered the test substance or vehicle once daily from gestation day 6 through 18. Phase 1 doses: 0, 100, 350, and 500 mg/kg/d; phase 2: 0, 7, 35, and 175 mg/kg/d. Parameters evaluated include mortality, viability, body weights, clinical signs, abortions, premature deliveries, pregnancy and fertility, litter observations, maternal behavior, and sexual maturity in the F1 generation. The level of PFHxA Ammonium Salt was measured in the liver of F0 and F1 mice. At doses of 350 and 500 mg/kg/d maternal mortalities, excess salivation and changes in body weight gains occurred. Pup body weights were reduced on postpartum day (PPD) 0 in all the dosage groups, but persisted only in the 350 and 500 mg/kg/d groups. Additional effects at 300 and 500 mg/kg/d included stillbirths, reductions in viability indices, and delays in physical development. Levels of PFHxA Ammonium Salt in the livers of the 100 mg/kg/d dams were all below the lower limit of quantization (0.02 µg/mL); in the 350 mg/kg/d group, 3 of the 8 samples had quantifiable analytical results. In phase 2 no PFHxA Ammonium Salt was found in the liver. Adverse effects occurred only in the 175 mg/kg/d group and consisted of increased stillborn pups, pups dying on PPD 1, and reduced pup weights on PPD 1. Based on these data, the maternal and reproductive no observable adverse effect level of PFHxA Ammonium Salt is 100 mg/kg/d.

Evaluation of the Chronic Toxicity and Carcinogenicity of Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), a 6-carbon perfluoroalkyl (C6; CAS # 307-24-4), has been proposed as a replacement for the commonly used 8-carbon perfluoroalkyls: perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate. PFHxA is not currently a commercial product but rather the ultimate degradation product of C6 fluorotelomer used to make C6 fluorotelomer acrylate polymers. It can be expected that, to a greater or lesser extent, the environmental loading of PFHxA will increase, as C6 fluorotelomer acrylate treatments are used and waste is generated. This article reports on a chronic study (duration 104 weeks) that was performed to evaluate the possible toxicologic and carcinogenic effects of PFHxA in gavage (daily gavage, 7 days per week) treated male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. In the current study, dosage levels of 0, 2.5, 15, and 100 mg/kg/day of PFHxA (males) and 5, 30, and 200 mg/kg/day of PFHxA (females) were selected based on a previous subchronic investigation. No effects on body weights, food consumption, a functional observational battery, or motor activity were observed after exposure to PFHxA. While no difference in survival rates in males was seen, a dose-dependent decrease in survival in PFHxA-treated female rats was observed. Hematology and serum chemistry were unaffected by PFHxA. PFHxA-related histologic changes were noted in the kidneys of the 200-mg/kg/day group females. Finally, there was no evidence that PFHxA was tumorigenic in male or female SD rats at any of the dosage levels examined.

Toxicokinetics of ammonium perfluorohexanoate

Excretion patterns and rates of ammonium perfluorohexanoate (APFHx) after administration of a single and multiple (14 days) oral dose(s) at 50 mg/kg to male and female mice and rats were examined. The test substance was [14C]-labeled APFHx. After a single oral administration, total excretion was rapid, with mean recoveries of over 90% of the dose at 24 hours after administration, irrespective of gender or species. The major route of elimination was via the urine (means of percentage recovery between 73.0 and 90.2% of the dose), followed by the feces (means of percentage recovery between 7.0 and 15.5% of the dose). Elimination via expired air was negligible. For the multiple dose tests, multiple (13 daily doses) oral administration of APFHx was followed by a single oral administration of [14C]-APFHx. Excretion was rapid, with mean recoveries of over 90% of the administered dose (mean values >95% of the ultimately recovered material) at 24 hours after dosing, irrespective of gender or species. The major route of elimination was via the urine (means of percentage recovery between 77.8 and 83.4% of the dose), followed by the feces (means of percentage recovery between 9.6 and 12.9% of the dose).

Fluorinated 2-nitroimidazole derivative hypoxic cell radiosensitizers: Radiosensitizing activities and pharmacokinetics

PURPOSE To assess the effects of incorporation of a CF2 group into the side chain of a 2-nitroimidazole derivative, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo radiosensitizing activities of KU-2285 (a 2-nitroimidazole derivative with an N1-substituent of -CH2CF2CONH(CH2)nOH, n = 2) and its related compounds in comparison with those of comparable nonfluorinated compounds. The pharmacokinetics of these compounds in murine tumors was also tested. METHODS AND MATERIALS KU-2285, KU-3202 (n = 3) and KU-3207 (n = 4) are fluorinated 2-nitroimidazole derivative compounds with similar structures. Etanidazole (a 2-nitroimidazole derivative with an N1-substituent of -CH2CONH(CH2)nOH, n = 2) and its related compounds, KU-3205 (n = 3) and KU-3206 (n = 4) were also tested. The in vitro radiosensitizing activities of each compound for hypoxic cells was evaluated with a standard colony formation method. The in vivo radiosensitizing activities of these compounds were tested in female C3H/He mice bearing SCCVII tumors using an in vivo/in vitro clonogenic assay. The pharmacokinetic studies were performed in C3H/He mice bearing the SCCVII tumor. Samples were analyzed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS The in vitro radiosensitizing activities of fluorinated 2-nitroimidazoles were higher than those of the nonfluorinated compounds. Although the in vivo radiosensitizing activity of KU-2285 was higher than that of etanidazole (p < 0.05), other fluorinated 2-nitroimidazoles showed less radiosensitizing activity than the comparable nonfluorinated compounds. The compound was eliminated from serum more rapidly with the increase in the number of CH2 group in the side chain of the compound in each series. CONCLUSION Although the in vitro sensitizing activity of the fluorinated compounds was higher than that of the comparable nonfluorinated compounds, the in vivo radiosensitizing activity of all fluorinated compounds but KU-2285 was lower than that of comparable etanidazole group compounds, probably due to their lower molecular concentrations in tumor and rapid elimination.

A fourteen-day repeated dose oral toxicity study of APFO in rats.

Ammonium perfluoroocanoate (APFO) was repeatedly administered orally to male Crj:CD(SD)IGS rats for 14 days. Doses of APFO were 0, 0.5, 5, and 50 mg/kg. Significant increases and increasing tendencies in absolute/relative weight of the liver and no change in weight of the spleen were observed in all groups. Although inductions of mitochondrion- and peroxisome-specific enzymes were increased, no decrease was seen in any hematological parameter of lipid metabolism. Red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit or these tendencies showed a significant decrease or a tendency to decrease, but no influence on lymphocyte subsets was noted. Secondary inhibition of immunocompetent cells, previously reported for mice, was not seen in this study of rats.

KIN-804 vs. KU-2285 as a radiosensitizer for clinical use

PURPOSE The in vitro and in vivo effects of two promising hypoxic cell radiosensitizers, KIN-804 (KIN) and KU-2285 (KU), were compared using four types of assays, and the acute toxicity and pharmacokinetics of KIN were investigated to evaluate the clinical applicability of the compounds. METHODS AND MATERIALS To evaluate the in vitro effect at low radiation doses (1-4.5 Gy), the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (MN) assay using SCCVII or EMT-6 cells and the chromosomal aberration (CA) assay using EMT-6 cells were performed. In addition, an in vivo-in vitro colony assay, a growth delay assay, and a pharmacokinetic study were performed using C3H mice bearing SCCVII tumors, and the LD50/7 was determined in ICR mice. RESULTS In the in vitro MN assay, the sensitizer enhancement ratio (SER) at 0.1, 0.25, 1, and 5 mM with SCCVII cells, and at 1 mM with EMT-6 cells was respectively, 1.45, 1.61, 2.57, 4.22, and 1.96 for KIN, and 1.57, 1.62, 2.59, 5.66, and 2.21 for KU. In the in vitro CA assay, the SER at 1 mM was 1.78 for KIN and 1.79 for KU. In the in vivo-in vitro colony assay, the SER of KIN at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg was 1.24, 1.30, and 1.45, respectively, while the SER of KU at 100 mg/kg was 1.41. In the growth delay assay, the growth delay time for 100 and 200 mg/kg of the drug plus 20 Gy of radiation was respectively, 16.5 and 19.1 days for KIN, and 18.9 and 24.0 days for KU. In all experiments, the sensitizing effect of KIN was almost equal to that of KU. The LD50/7 of KIN was 3.6 g/kg by intraperitoneal injection, while that of KU was 3.6 g/kg by intraperitoneal injection, and the pharmacokinetic study of KIN revealed a low uptake of the drug by the brain. CONCLUSION Both KIN and KU had a definite sensitizing effect even at lower drug concentrations or doses, suggesting their potential usefulness in clinical radiotherapy.

Radiosensitizing activity and pharmacokinetics of multiple dose administered KU-2285 in peripheral nerve tissue in mice.

PURPOSE In a clinical trial in which a 2-nitroimidazole radiosensitizer was administered repeatedly, the dose-limiting toxicity was found to be peripheral neuropathy. In the present study, the in vivo radiosensitizing activity of KU-2285 in combination with radiation dose fractionation, and the pharmacokinetics of cumulative dosing of KU-2285 in the peripheral nerves were examined. METHODS AND MATERIALS The ability of three nitroimidazoles, misonidazole (MISO), etanidazole (SR-2508) and KU-2285, to sensitize SCCVII tumors to radiation treatment has been compared for drug doses in the range 0-200 mg/kg. Single radiation doses or two different fractionation schedules (6 Gy/fractions x three fractions/48 h or 5 Gy/fractions x five fractions/48 h) were used; the tumor cell survival was determined using an in vivo/in vitro colony assay. The pharmacokinetics in the sciatic nerves were undertaken, when KU-2285 or etanidazole were injected at a dose of 200 mg/kg intravenously one, two, three or four times at 2-h intervals. RESULTS At less than 100 mg/kg, KU-2285 sensitized SCCVII tumors more than MISO and SR-2508 by fractionated irradiation. Evaluation of pharmacokinetics in the peripheral nerves showed that the apparent biological half-life of SR-2508 increased with the increases in the number of administrations, whereas that of KU-2285 became shorter. CONCLUSION Since most clinical radiotherapy is given in small multiple fractions, KU-2285 appears to be a hypoxic cell radiosensitizer that could be useful in such regimens, and that poses no risk of chronic peripheral neurotoxicity.