Marc Weimer

Optimization and prevalidation of the in vitro ERα CALUX method to test estrogenic and antiestrogenic activity of compounds

Estrogenicity of chemicals has received significant attention and is linked to endocrine-disrupting activities. However, there is a paucity of validated methods to assess estrogenicity in vitro. We have established a robust method to test estrogenic and antiestrogenic activity of compounds in vitro, as an alternative to using animal models such as the uterotrophic assay. To this end we optimized protocols to be used in combination with CALUX reporter gene assays and carried out an in house prevalidation, followed by two rounds of tests to establish transferability. Problems in the initial test with transferability were solved by isolation of a novel cell clone of the ERalpha CALUX line with greatly improved stability and luciferase levels. This cell line proved to be a very suitable and reliable predictor of estrogenicity of chemicals and was able to readily rank a range of chemicals on the basis of their EC50 values.

ReProGlo: a new stem cell-based reporter assay aimed to predict embryotoxic potential of drugs and chemicals.

A stem cell-based reporter assay was developed to detect drug-induced alterations in the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway, which is involved in the regulation of early embryonic development. The so-called ReProGlo assay allows simultaneous determination of cell viability and luciferase reporter activity in a high throughput 96-well microtiter format. A clone of mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells stably expressing the SuperTopFlash reporter was established. This allows Wnt pathway activity determinations in undifferentiated mES cells and their differentiated descendants. Several test chemicals were analyzed in the new assay system. Known embryotoxicants like retinoic acid or lithium chloride induced concentration-dependent increases in reporter activity. The potency of valproic acid and a series of structural analogs to activate the Wnt pathway correlated well with their reported teratogenic activity in the mouse. Cyclophosphamide was also active but only after metabolic activation by hepatocytes. The new test may help to predict embryotoxic potential of chemicals.

Impact of VP1-Specific Protein Sequence Motifs on Adeno-Associated Virus Type 2 Intracellular Trafficking and Nuclear Entry

ABSTRACT Adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) has gained much interest as a gene delivery vector. A hallmark of AAV2-mediated gene transfer is an intracellular conformational change of the virus capsid, leading to the exposure of infection-relevant protein domains. These protein domains, which are located on the N-terminal portion of the structural proteins VP1 and VP2, include a catalytic phospholipase A2 domain and three clusters of basic amino acids. We have identified additional protein sequence motifs located on the VP1/2 N terminus that also proved to be obligatory for virus infectivity. These motifs include signals that are known to be involved in protein interaction, endosomal sorting and signal transduction in eukaryotic cells. Among different AAV serotypes they are highly conserved and mutation of critical amino acids of the respective motifs led to a severe infection-deficient phenotype. In particular, mutation of a YXXQ-sequence motif significantly reduced accumulation of virus capsids around the nucleus in comparison to wild-type AAV2. Interestingly, intracellular trafficking of AAV2 was shown to be independent of PLA2 activity. Moreover, mutation of three PDZ-binding motifs, which are located consecutively at the very tip of the VP1 N terminus, revealed a nuclear transport-defective phenotype, suggesting a role in nuclear uptake of the virus through an as-yet-unknown mechanism.

Preliminary interlaboratory comparison of the ex vivo dual human placental perfusion system

As a part of EU-project ReProTect, a comparison of the dual re-circulating human placental perfusion system was carried out, by two independent research groups. The detailed placental transfer data of model compounds [antipyrine, benzo(a)pyrene, PhIP (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine) and IQ (2-amino-3-methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline] has been/will be published separately. For this project, a comparative re-analysis was done, by curve fitting the data and calculating two endpoints: AUC(120), defined as the area under the curve between time 0 and time 120 min and as t(0.5), defined as the time when the fetal to maternal concentration ratio is expected to be 0.5. The transport of the compounds from maternal to fetal circulation across the perfused placenta could be ranked in the order of antipyrine>IQ>PhIP in terms of both t(0.5) and AUC(120) by both partners. For benzo(a)pyrene the curve fitting failed. These prevalidation results give confidence for harmonization of the placental perfusion system to be used as one of the test methods in a panel for reproductive toxicology to model placental transfer in humans.

The assessment of estrogenic or anti-estrogenic activity of chemicals by the human stably transfected estrogen sensitive MELN cell line: Results of test performance and transferability

The need for development and validation of in vitro hormone receptor transactivation assays as important alternative tools to study interactions with sex hormone receptors is outlined by international organisations, as such assays should be included in the OECD conceptual framework for the testing and assessment of endocrine active chemicals. Therefore as part of the European Union (EU)-sponsored 6th framework project ReProTect, the validation study with MELN cells, MCF-7 cells (ER+, estrogen receptor positive) which were stably transfected with the estrogen responsive gene ERE-betaGlob-Luc-SVNeo was set up. Standard operating procedures including a prescreen assay for unknown chemicals, an ER-agonist assay and an ER-antagonist assay were developed at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Belgium, and successfully transferred to Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany. Test results were obtained for 16 chemicals, and it was demonstrated that the MELN assay is transferable, robust and reproducible which allowed to rank chemical compounds according to their strong to weak affinity for the estrogen-alpha receptor, or identify negative chemicals within the test range up to 10(-5)M. Besides the screening for agonism, we demonstrated the suitability of MELN cells to test for antagonistic activity, which is of added value compared to current validated assays. As the MELN assay successfully passed the first modules of the ECVAM validation procedure, it now should be considered for further steps including the definition of a prediction model and application domain to get it accepted as an alternative screening assay, contributing to the 3Rs with a reduction of animal experiments.

Transferability and inter-laboratory variability assessment of the in vitro bovine oocyte maturation (IVM) test within ReProTect.

The new European chemicals policy for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) will most probably impose a dramatic increase in the number of animals required for reproductive toxicity testing. For this purpose, the development and validation of alternative methods is urgently needed in order to reduce the use of laboratory animals. The present study describes the inter-laboratory variability and the transferability assessment of an in vitro test able to identify chemical effects during the process of oocyte maturation in a bovine model. The test was developed/optimised within ReProTect, an integrated research project funded by the European Union, joining together 35 partners with complementary expertise in reproductive toxicology. Eight chemicals with well-known toxic properties were tested (benzo[a]pyrene, busulfan, cadmium chloride, cycloheximide, diethylstilbestrol, ketoconazole, methylacetoacetate, mifepristone/RU-486 and DMSO as solvent) on the in vitro maturation (IVM) assay in two well-trained laboratories using the established Standard Operating Procedures. The statistical analysis demonstrated the concordance of results across the laboratories and the reproducibility of the test. We therefore conclude that the IVM test could advance toward the process of validation as alternative in vitro method that, in combination with additional in vitro tests, can become part of an integrated testing strategy in order to predict chemical hazards on mammalian fertility.

In vitro-Ishikawa cell test for assessing tissue-specific chemical effects on human endometrium

The human endometrium is a fertility-determining factor. Its receptivity during the implantation window may be altered by chemicals. Since human embryo implantation is unique chemical risk assessment cannot be based solely on animal studies. We established a tissue-specific in vitro test based on human endometrial adenocarcinoma (Ishikawa) cells. Progesterone receptor (PR) was selected as primary target gene for estrogenic effects. Changes of mRNA levels were investigated by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR. Sigmoidal dose-response curves for up-regulation of PR mRNA and EC(50) values were established for 17beta-estradiol, diethylstilbestrol and the weak xenoestrogen bisphenol A. Nonylphenol also had a clear PR mRNA up-regulating effect. Several other chemicals were characterized as negative compounds. Among them was methoxyacetic acid which may produce false positive results in reporter gene assays. Up-regulation of PR protein by 17beta-estradiol, diethylstilbestrol, bisphenol A and nonylphenol was confirmed by Western Blotting.

Critical evaluation of human endometrial explants as an ex vivo model system: a molecular approach

The human endometrium is unique among adult tissues. Its functions are modulated by numerous hormones and mediators. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of human endometrial explants for studying functional effects of chemicals and drugs on gene expression biomarkers. Endometrial tissues were obtained by aspiration curettage and cultivated for up to 24 h. Relative mRNA concentrations were determined by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR. Viability was assessed by light microscopy, lactate dehydrogenase assay and scanning electron microscopy. It was acceptable after 6 h of culture but reduced after 24 h. Culture-induced alterations of mRNA levels were found for progesterone receptor, estrogen receptor(α), leukemia inhibitory factor and cyclooxygenase-2 in tissues from all cycle stages. The suitability of the model to detect chemical effects was demonstrated by the down-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA by chlormadinone acetate in proliferative and secretory endometrium. The model is mainly restricted by interindividual variations and varying tissue quality. An advantage is the preservation of tissue composition. We conclude that human endometrial explants are a complex model due to limited viability, difficult standardization and intrinsic alterations during culture. Experiments with this model should be performed over a limited time period under strictly controlled conditions.

The impact of data transformations on concentration–response modeling

Concentration-response studies are performed to investigate the potency of the substance under investigation. Data are typically evaluated using non-linear regression. A common model is the log-logistic model which includes parameters for lower and upper boundary of mean response, EC50 and Hill slope. Often, response and/or concentration data are transformed before proceeding with the analysis of their relationship. This is motivated by practical reasons, including comparability of results across different assays. We prove mathematically that a linear transformation of data will not change the EC50 and Hill slope estimates and only results in an identical transformation of the estimated parameters for lower and upper boundary of mean response. However, fixing some of the parameters may lead to erroneous estimates. This is of practical relevance when data are corrected for background signal and normalized by background corrected solvent control and a reduced model is used in which the response range is fixed between 100% and 0%. Computer simulations and a real data example are used to illustrate the impact of data transformations on parameter estimation. We further shed light on some common problems arising in the analysis of concentration-response data. Recommendations for practical implementation in concentration-response analysis are provided.

Evaluation of a modified comet assay to detect DNA damage in mammalian sperm exposed in vitro to different mutagenic compounds.

The final stages of male gametogenesis are sensitive targets of DNA-reactive chemicals, most of which form adducts. Comet assay is a widely applied genotoxicity test that reveals DNA adducts through breaks formed during repair processes. However, sperm cells are essentially devoid of repair enzymes and comet assay is poorly sensitive in detecting chemically induced DNA lesions in sperm. To overcome such limitation, in a previous paper we proposed a modified protocol for comet assay. In this work we further tested the method treating bull sperm with additional mutagens (diethylsulfate, mitomycin C, bleomycin and colchicine) in parallel with the standard comet assay. No treatment-related increase of DNA migration was ever detected with the standard protocol. A dose-dependent effect of diethylsulfate, was obtained with the modified assay. As expected, the mitotic poison colchicine resulted negative even by the modified assay. Results with the other two compounds were consistent with their mechanism of action.