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Enzymes of the nasal tissue, one of the first tissues to contact inhaled toxicants, are relatively resistant to induction by traditional inducers. Because tobacco smoke has been shown to induce cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) in rat and human lung tissue, we hypothesized that it would also alter levels of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in nasal mucosae. In the present study, the effect of mainstream cigarette smoke (MCS) on nasal CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP2B1/2 was explored. Four groups of 30 F344 rats were exposed to MCS (100 mg total particulate matter/m3) or filtered air for 2 or 8 weeks. Western analysis of microsomes from nasal tissue of MCS-exposed rats showed an induction of CYP1A1 in respiratory and olfactory mucosae, as well as liver, kidney and lung. Relative to controls, CYP1A2 levels increased slightly in the liver and olfactory mucosa. CYP2B1/2, which increased in the liver, appeared to decrease in upper and lower respiratory tissues. Little to no immunoreactivity with CYP1A1 antibody was observed in fixed nasal sections of control rats, yet intense immunoreactivity was seen in epithelia throughout the nasal cavity of MCS-exposed rats. Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity (associated with CYP1A1/2) decreased 2-fold in olfactory mucosa, but increased in non-nasal tissues of rats exposed to MCS. Methoxy- and pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase activities (associated with CYP1A2 and CYP2B1/2, respectively) decreased in olfactory and respiratory mucosae, as well as lung (CYP2B1/2), yet increased in liver. These data suggest that xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes of the nasal mucosae may be regulated differently than other tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Adalimumab, a recombinant fully human monoclonal antibody targeting tumor necrosis factor (TNF), is approved in the United States and Europe to treat various inflammatory and autoimmune indications. Biosimilars are approved biologics highly similar, but not identical, to approved biotherapeutics. To support clinical development of PF-06410293, an adalimumab biosimilar, nonclinical studies evaluated the structural, functional, toxicologic, and toxicokinetic similarity to originator adalimumab sourced from the United States (adalimumab-US) and European Union (adalimumab-EU). Structural similarity was assessed by peptide mapping. Biologic activity was measured via inhibition of TNF-induced apoptosis and Fc-based functionality assessments. In vivo nonclinical similarity was evaluated in a toxicity study in cynomolgus monkeys administered subcutaneous PF-06410293 or adalimumab-EU (0 or 157 mg/kg/week). Peptide mapping demonstrated PF-06410293, adalimumab-US, and adalimumab-EU had identical amino acid sequences. Comparative functional and binding assessments were similar. Effects of PF-06410293 and adalimumab-EU were similar and limited to pharmacologically mediated decreased cellularity of lymphoid follicles and germinal centers in spleen. Toxicokinetics were similar; maximum plasma concentration and area-under-the-concentration-time curve ratio of PF-06410293:adalimumab-EU ranged from 1.0 to 1.2. These studies supported PF-06410293 entry into clinical development. Many regulatory agencies now only request nonclinical in vivo testing if there is residual uncertainty regarding biosimilarity after in vitro analytical studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Mazin Derzi, Ahmed M. Shoieb, Sharon L. Ripp, Leslie G. Lorello, Shawn P. O'Neil, Zaher Radi, Jameel Syed, Matthew S. Thompson, and Michael W. Leach are full-time employees and shareholders of Pfizer Inc. Gregory L. Finch was a full-time employee of Pfizer at the time of these studies and is a shareholder of Pfizer Inc., (Copyright © 2020 Envision Pharma Ltd, Envision House. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bevacizumab, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is approved for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer, metastatic kidney cancer, and glioblastoma. To support clinical development of the potential bevacizumab biosimilar PF-06439535, nonclinical studies evaluated structural, functional, toxicological, and toxicokinetic similarity to bevacizumab sourced from the European Union (bevacizumab-EU) and United States (bevacizumab-US). Peptide mapping demonstrated the amino acid sequence of PF-06439535 was identical to bevacizumab-EU and bevacizumab-US. Biologic activity, measured via inhibition of VEGF-induced cell proliferation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and binding to VEGF isoforms, was similar across the three drugs. In vivo similarity was demonstrated in cynomolgus monkeys administered intravenous PF-06439535 or bevacizumab-EU (0 or 10 mg/kg/dose twice weekly for 1 month; total of nine doses). Systemic exposure appeared similar and test article-related effects were limited to physeal dysplasia of the distal femur. The potential for non-target-mediated toxicity of PF-06439535 was evaluated in rats administered intravenous PF-06439535 (15 or 150 mg/kg/dose twice weekly for 15 days; total of five doses). Nonadverse higher liver weights and minimal sinusoidal cell hyperplasia were observed. Collectively, these studies demonstrated similarity of PF-06439535 to bevacizumab, supporting entry into clinical development., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Biosimilar development requires several steps: selection of an appropriate reference biologic, understanding the key molecular attributes of that reference biologic and development of a manufacturing process to match these attributes of the reference biologic product. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the FDA guidance documents state that, in lieu of conducting extensive preclinical and clinical studies typically required for approval of novel biologics, biosimilars must undergo a rigorous similarity evaluation. The aim of this article is to increase understanding of the preclinical development and evaluation process for biosimilars, as required by the regulatory agencies, that precedes the clinical testing of biosimilars in humans., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Administration of lersivirine, a nonnucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor, daily by oral gavage to Sprague-Dawley rats for up to 2 yr was associated with decreased survival, decreased body weights, and an increase in neoplasms and related proliferative lesions in the liver, thyroid, kidney, and urinary bladder. Thyroid follicular adenoma and carcinoma, the associated thyroid follicular hypertrophy/hyperplasia, hepatocellular adenoma/adenocarcinoma, altered cell foci, and hepatocellular hypertrophy were consistent with lersivirine-related induction of hepatic microsomal enzymes. Renal tubular adenoma and renal tubular hyperplasia were attributed to the lersivirine-related exacerbation of chronic progressive nephropathy (CPN), while urinary bladder hyperplasia and transitional cell carcinoma in the renal pelvis and urinary bladder were attributed to urinary calculi. Renal tubular neoplasms associated with increased incidence and severity of CPN, neoplasms of transitional epithelium attributed to crystalluria, and thyroid follicular and hepatocellular neoplasms related to hepatic enzyme induction have low relevance for human risk assessment., (© 2014 by The Author(s).)

Background and Objectives: Trastuzumab (Herceptin(®)) is a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds to the HER2 protein. PF-05280014 is being developed as a potential biosimilar to trastuzumab products marketed in the United States (trastuzumab-US) and European Union (trastuzumab-EU). Nonclinical studies were designed to evaluate the similarity of PF-05280014 to trastuzumab-US and trastuzumab-EU using in vitro structural and functional analyses, and in vivo pharmacokinetic and immunogenicity assessments., Methods: Peptide mapping was utilized to determine structural similarity. Functional similarity was assessed via an in vitro tumor cell growth inhibition assay. CD-1 male mice were administered a single-dose (0, 1, 10, or 100 mg/kg) of PF-05280014, trastuzumab-US, or trastuzumab-EU. Mice were monitored for clinical signs and body weight changes over a 4-month period. At approximately 720, 1,080, 1,440, 2,160, and 2,880 h post-dose, terminal blood samples were collected and assayed for PF-05280014, trastuzumab-US, or trastuzumab-EU concentrations and anti-drug antibodies (ADA). Values for C max, area under the concentration time curve (AUC), clearance (CL), volume of distribution (V ss), half-life (t ½), and the presence of ADA were determined., Results: In this report, peptide mapping of PF-05280014, trastuzumab-US, and trastuzumab-EU showed similar chromatographic profiles in a side-by-side analysis. The tumor cell growth inhibition of PF-05280014 was similar to trastuzumab-US and trastuzumab-EU. C max and AUC0-∞ values in mice were similar and dose-dependent across the mAbs at all doses, and CL and V ss values were similar and dose-independent. The CL values across doses ranged from 0.193 to 0.350 mL/h/kg (PF-05280014), from 0.200 to 0.346 mL/h/kg (trastuzumab-US), and from 0.193 to 0.335 mL/h/kg (trastuzumab-EU). V ss values across doses ranged from 84.9 to 120 mL/kg (PF-05280014), 86.7 to 130 mL/kg (trastuzumab-US), and 85.4 to 116 mL/kg (trastuzumab-EU). The incidence of ADA was low (~10%) and also similar across all dose levels and the three mAbs. The lower exposure generally observed in ADA-positive animals did not impact the overall PK interpretation. All animals survived to their scheduled terminal blood collection with no mAb-related differences in body weight gain or clinical signs., Conclusions: PF-05280014, trastuzumab-US, and trastuzumab-EU were well tolerated during the 4-month observation period following a single dose of up to 100 mg/kg. PF-05280014, trastuzumab-US, and trastuzumab-EU showed similar structural properties, tumor cell growth inhibition properties, and PK profiles. The incidence of ADA was low and similar across the three mAbs. The results of these studies support the development of PF-05280014 as a proposed biosimilar to Herceptin.

Comparative nonclinical studies were conducted with the proposed biosimilar PF-05280586 and rituximab-EU (MabThera®). In side-by-side analyses, peptide maps and complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay results were similar. Sexually-mature cynomolgus monkeys were administered PF-05280586 or rituximab-EU as a single dose of 0, 2, 10, or 20 mg/kg on day 1 and observed for 92 days (single-dose study) or as 5 weekly injections of 0 or 20 mg/kg and necropsied on day 30, the day after the 5th dose, or on day 121 (repeat-dose study). The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles for both molecules were similar. Marked depletion of peripheral blood B cells 4 days after dosing was followed by near or complete repletion (single-dose study) or partial repletion (repeat-dose study). In the single-dose study, anti-drug antibodies (ADA) were detected by day 29 in all animals administered PF-05280586 or rituximab-EU and persisted through day 85, the last day tested. In the repeat-dose study, ADA were detected on day 121 in 50% of animals administered PF-05280586 or rituximab-EU. Both molecules were well tolerated at all doses. In all endpoints evaluated, PF-05280586 exhibited similarity to rituximab-EU., (© 2014 by The Author(s).)

Lersivirine is a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) being developed for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Like other NNRTIs, lersivirine is a potent enzyme inducer in rodents capable of inducing a number of hepatic enzymes including those involved in its own metabolism. Preclinically lersivirine has been associated with hepatocellular hypertrophy and thyroid gland follicular cell hypertrophy in rats, mice, and dogs. In rodents, we show that development of thyroid hypertrophy is related to the classic mechanism, namely increased thyroxine (T4) clearance secondary to induction of uridine-diphosphoglucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT) in the liver and a resulting increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone. Similarly, lersivirine-exposed dogs exhibit a significant increase in hepatic UDPGT enzyme activity along with increased T4 clearance although clear effects on serum thyroid hormone levels were less apparent. These effects on thyroid hormonal clearance in the dog suggest that thyroid gland hypertrophy in this species is due to the same mechanism shown to occur in rodents although, as expected, dogs better adapt to these effects and therefore maintain relatively normal thyroid hormonal balance. It is also notable that the minimal thyroid follicular hypertrophy that occurs in dogs does not progress as is seen in rodents. As is the case with rodents, these adaptive changes in the dog are not considered indicative of a human health risk., (© 2014 by The Author(s).)

Background: Lersivirine is a second-generation nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor undergoing clinical development for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus-1. An embryo-fetal development study was performed to evaluate the potential for maternal and developmental toxicity of lersivirine., Methods: Pregnant New Zealand White rabbits were administered 0, 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg lersivirine by oral gavage once daily on gestation days (GDs) 7 to 19, followed by cesarean section on GD 29 and fetal evaluation., Results: Maternal toxicity was noted at all dose levels (decreased food consumption and body weight gain), with fetal toxicity at 500 mg/kg (decreased fetal weights, increased postimplantation loss). Equivocal findings for axial skeletal malformations were observed in three fetuses at 500 mg/kg. To better understand if these malformations were related to treatment with lersivirine, a follow-up rabbit embryo-fetal development study was performed with 1000 mg/kg/day lersivirine (500 mg/kg BID, 12-hr interdose interval) for two different 3-day windows, GDs 8 to 10 or GDs 11 to 13, which represent the sensitive windows of axial skeletal development in rabbits. Control rabbits were administered vehicle following the same dosing regimen from GDs 8 to 13. Cesarean sections were performed on GD 29, and fetal skeletons were examined for the potential of lersivirine to cause skeletal malformations in rabbits. At maternal exposure levels higher than the initial study, lersivirine did not induce fetal skeletal malformations when administered in the sensitive windows of axial skeletal development., Conclusion: The results of these studies indicate that lersivirine did not exhibit any evidence of teratogenicity in rabbits., (© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Lersivirine is a second-generation nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor undergoing clinical development for the treatment of HIV-1. An embryo-fetal developmental toxicity study was performed to evaluate the maternal and developmental toxicity of lersivirine in pregnant mice. Mated Crl:CD1(ICR) mice were administered 0, 150, 350, and 500 mg/kg lersivirine once daily by oral gavage on gestation days 6 to 17, followed by cesarean section on gestation day 18. The first 2 days of dosing for the high-dose group were done at 250 mg/kg to allow induction of hepatic metabolizing enzymes, after which the dose was increased to 500 mg/kg/day. This dosing paradigm allowed for maintenance of exposure in the high-dose group despite the considerable autoinduction that occurs in rodents following lersivirine treatment. Lersivirine did not cause an increase in external, visceral, or skeletal malformations. Intrauterine growth retardation, demonstrated by reduced fetal body weights and increased variations associated with delayed skeletal ossification, was noted at 350 and 500 mg/kg/day. The results of these studies indicate that lersivirine is not teratogenic in mice., (© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

An important safety consideration for developing new therapeutics is assessing the potential that the therapy will increase the risk of cancer. For biotherapeutics, traditional two-year rodent bioassays are often not scientifically applicable or feasible. This paper is a collaborative effort of industry toxicologists to review past and current practice regarding carcinogenicity assessments of biotherapeutics and to provide recommendations. Publicly available information on eighty marketed protein biotherapeutics was reviewed. In this review, no assessments related to carcinogenicity or tumor growth promotion were identified for fifty-one of the eighty molecules. For the twenty-nine biotherapeutics in which assessments related to carcinogenicity were identified, various experimental approaches were employed. This review also discusses several key principles to aid in the assessment of carcinogenic potential, including (1) careful consideration of mechanism of action to identify theoretical risks, (2) careful investigation of existing data for indications of proliferative or immunosuppressive potential, and (3) characterization of any proliferative or immunosuppressive signals detected. Traditional two-year carcinogenicity assays should not be considered as the default method for assessing the carcinogenicity potential of biotherapeutics. If experimentation is considered warranted, it should be hypothesis driven and may include a variety of experimental models. Ultimately, it is important that preclinical data provide useful guidance in product labeling.

Rats were exposed once by inhalation to plutonium-239 dioxide ((239)PuO(2)), resulting in chronic alpha-particle irradiation of the lung, and exposed chronically to cigarette smoke to examine carcinogenic interactions between the two exposures. F344 rats were exposed to (239)PuO(2) to achieve an initial lung burden of 0.5 kBq and then exposed 6 h/day, 5 days/week to cigarette smoke at 100 or 250 mg particulate matter/m(3) for up to 30 months. Exposure to cigarette smoke increased the cumulative radiation dose to lung by slowing the clearance of (239)PuO(2). (239)PuO(2) alone did not affect survival, but the higher cigarette smoke exposure shortened survival in females. Combined exposure to (239)PuO(2) and cigarette smoke acted synergistically to shorten survival in both genders. The combined effects of cigarette smoke and (239)PuO(2) were approximately additive for lung hyperplasia and adenomas but were strongly synergistic for carcinomas. Differences between observed incidences and incidences predicted by survival-adjusted models accounting for increased radiation dose revealed a substantial component of synergy for carcinomas above that attributable to the radiation dose effect. The synergy for malignant lung tumors is consistent with findings from uranium miners and nuclear weapons production workers. These results bolster confidence in the epidemiological findings and have implications for risk assessment.

Robust assessments of the nonclinical safety profile of biopharmaceuticals are best developed on a scientifically justified, case-by-case basis, with consideration of the therapeutic molecule, molecular target, and differences/similarities between nonclinical species and humans (ICH S6). Significant experience has been gained in the 10 years ensuing since publication of the ICH S6 guidance. In a PhRMA-FDA-sponsored workshop, "Nonclinical Aspects of Biopharmaceutical Development," industry and US regulatory representatives engaged in exploration of current scientific and regulatory issues relating to the nonclinical development of biopharmaceuticals in order to share scientific learning and experience and to work towards establishing consistency in application of general principles and approaches. The proceedings and discussions of this workshop confirm general alignment of strategy and tactics in development of biopharmaceuticals with regard to such areas as species selection, selection of high doses in toxicology studies, selection of clinical doses, the conduct of developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) studies, and assessment of carcinogenic potential. However, several important aspects, including, for example, appropriate use of homologues, nonhuman primates, and/or in vitro models in the assessment of risk for potential developmental and carcinogenic effects, were identified as requiring further scientific exploration and discussion.

Antimuscarinics are first-line pharmacotherapy for the treatment of overactive bladder. However, because central nervous system cholinergic neurotransmission is involved in cognition, and the central nervous system-permeable antimuscarinics scopolamine and oxybutynin affect memory, cognitive impairment has been noted as a possible side effect of these drugs. We evaluated the effect of tolterodine, an antimuscarinic for overactive bladder, in a mouse passive-avoidance model of memory. Mice were chosen because like humans, mice but not rats, form the pharmacologically active 5-hydroxymethyl metabolite of tolterodine, DD01. In the passive-avoidance test, tolterodine at 1 or 3 mg/kg had no effect on memory; the latency to cross and percentage of animals crossing were comparable to controls. In contrast, scopolamine induced a memory deficit; the latency to cross was decreased, and the number of animals crossing was increased. Therefore, at a dose exceeding therapeutic exposure by six-fold, tolterodine had no effect on memory in the mouse passive-avoidance model, indicating that tolterodine does not disrupt cognitive function in this testing paradigm.

Regardless of purity and origin, therapeutic insulins continue to be immunogenic in humans. However, severe immunological complications occur rarely, and less severe events affect a small minority of patients. Insulin autoantibodies (IAAs) may be detectable in insulin-naive individuals who have a high likelihood of developing type 1 diabetes or in patients who have had viral disorders, have been treated with various drugs, or have autoimmune disorders or paraneoplastic syndromes. This suggests that under certain circumstances, immune tolerance to insulin can be overcome. Factors that can lead to more or less susceptibility to humoral responses to exogenous insulin include the recipient's immune response genes, age, the presence of sufficient circulating autologous insulin, and the site of insulin delivery. Little proof exists, however, that the development of insulin antibodies (IAs) to exogenous insulin therapy affects integrated glucose control, insulin dose requirements, and incidence of hypoglycemia, or contributes to beta-cell failure or to long-term complications of diabetes. Studies in which pregnant women with diabetes were monitored for glycemic control argue against a connection between IAs and fetal risk. Although studies have shown increased levels of immune complexes in patients with diabetic microangiopathic complications, these immune complexes often do not contain insulin or IAs, and insulin administration does not contribute to their formation. The majority of studies have shown no relationship between IAs and diabetic angiopathic complications, including nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy. With the advent of novel insulin formulations and delivery systems, such as insulin pumps and inhaled insulin, examination of these issues is increasingly relevant.

Although cigarette smoke has been epidemiologically associated with lung cancer in humans for many years, animal models of cigarette smoke-induced lung cancer have been lacking. This study demonstrated that life time whole body exposures of female B6C3F1 mice to mainstream cigarette smoke at 250 mg total particulate matter/m(3) for 6 h per day, 5 days a week induces marked increases in the incidence of focal alveolar hyperplasias, pulmonary adenomas, papillomas and adenocarcinomas. Cigarette smoke-exposed mice (n = 330) had a 10-fold increase in the incidence of hyperplastic lesions, and a 4.6-fold (adenomas and papillomas), 7.25-fold (adenocarcinomas) and 5-fold (metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinomas) increase in primary lung neoplasms compared with sham-exposed mice (n = 326). Activating point mutations in codon 12 of the K-ras gene were identified at a similar rate in tumors from sham-exposed mice (47%) and cigarette smoke-exposed mice (60%). The percentages of transversion and transition mutations were similar in both the groups. Hypermethylation of the death associated protein (DAP)-kinase and retinoic acid receptor (RAR)-beta gene promoters was detected in tumors from both sham- and cigarette smoke-exposed mice, with a tendency towards increased frequency of RAR-beta methylation in the tumors from the cigarette smoke-exposed mice. These results emphasize the importance of the activation of K-ras and silencing of DAP-kinase and RAR-beta in lung cancer development, and confirm the relevance of this mouse model for studying lung tumorigenesis.

Models of emphysema produced by exposing animals to cigarette smoke (CS) have potential for use in testing treatments of this disease. To better characterize development of emphysema in an animal model, male and female mice of the B6C3F1 and A/J strains were exposed to CS at 250 mg total particulate material (TPM)/m3 for 15 weeks. Emphysema was evident in both strains of mice to differing degrees of severity. The CS-induced increase in the mean linear intercept (normalized to BW) of A/J mice was 51% greater than the control value, while CS-exposed B6C3F1 had an increase of 38% in this morphometric measurement of alveolar air space enlargement. In separate experiments, female B6C3F1 mice and male A/J mice were exposed to CS for 32 weeks and 15 weeks, respectively, and were then used to test the efficacy of all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) treatments to ameliorate emphysema lesions. Following CS exposure, the B6C3F1 mice were treated once daily for 14 days in a 3-week period by nose-only inhalation exposure to aerosols of 180 or 1,800 mg-minutes ATRA/m3. The A/J mice were treated once daily, 4 days/week, for three weeks by either intraperitoneal injection of ATRA (0.5 or 2.5 mg/kg) or inhalation exposure to ATRA (3,600 or 18,000 mg-minutes/m3). Neither the injections nor inhalation exposures of ATRA in either strain of mouse caused reversal of the emphysema. In summary, CS-induced emphysema was more severe in A/J mice than in B6C3F1 mice. Treatment with ATRA did not reverse emphysema in either strain of CS-exposed mice.

An animal model of lung carcinogenicity induced by chronic inhalation of mainstream cigarette smoke would be useful for research on carcinogenic mechanisms, smoke composition-response relationships, co-carcinogenicity, and chemoprevention. A study was conducted to determine if chronic whole-body exposures of rats would significantly increase lung tumor incidence. Male and female F344 rats (n = 81 to 178/gender) were exposed whole-body 6 h/day, 5 days/week for up to 30 months to smoke from 1R3 research cigarettes diluted to 100 (LS) or 250 (HS) mg total particulate matter/m(3), or sham-exposed to clean air (C). Gross respiratory tract lesions and standard lung and nasal sections were evaluated by light microscopy. A slight reduction of survival suggested that the HS level was at the maximum tolerated dose as commonly defined. Cigarette smoke exposure significantly increased the incidences of non-neoplastic and neoplastic proliferative lung lesions in females, while nonsignificant increases were observed in males. The combined incidence of bronchioloalveolar adenomas and carcinomas in females were: HS = 14%; LS = 6%; and C = 0%. These incidences represented minima because only standard lung sections and gross lesions were evaluated. Mutations in codon 12 of the K-ras gene occurred in 4 of 23 (17%) tumors. Three mutations were G to A transitions and one was a G to T transversion. The incidence of neoplasia of the nasal cavity was significantly increased at the HS, but not the LS level in both males and females (HS = 6%, LS = 0.3%, C = 0.4% for combined genders). These results demonstrate that chronic whole-body exposure of rats to cigarette smoke can induce lung cancer.

Episodic elevation of air pollutants may exacerbate respiratory distress associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), yet few experiments have been performed to determine how continuously polluted atmospheres may contribute to the etiology of COPD, in general and pulmonary emphysema in particular. This study describes the effects of concurrent exposure to ozone (O(3)) in the pathogenesis of cigarette smoke (CS)-induced emphysema in the mouse. Female B6C3F1 mice were whole-body exposed either to filtered air (FA) or to mainstream CS at a concentration of 250 mg total particulate material/m(3) for 6 h/day, 5 days/wk for 15 or 32 wk. Concurrently, mice were exposed either to FA or to O(3) at 0.3 ppm for 8 h/night, 5 nights/wk for the same time periods. At necropsy, mouse lungs were lavaged, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was analyzed for inflammatory cell numbers, total protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) activities, superoxide production by isolated alveolar macrophages, glutathione content, inflammatory cytokines, and proteolytic activity. Other lungs were inflated at constant pressure for 6 h with formalin for fixation, routine histopathology, and stereology. After 32 wk of exposure, CS with or without concurrent O(3) exposure produced stereologic evidence of emphysema as previously described. Concurrent O(3) exposure did not worsen any of these parameters, nor did O(3) by itself cause stereologic changes that were consistent with emphysema. The O(3) exposure caused only slight elevations of BALF macrophages, while CS exposure caused marked increases in the numbers of both BALF macrophages and neutrophils. Neutrophils in the BALF in response to CS exposure were also more numerous at 32 wk than at 15 wk. Exposure to CS caused an increase in BALF total protein, LDH, AP, and interleukin (IL)-1beta. After 32 wk, CS exposure was associated with decreased superoxide production from isolated alveolar macrophages. The CS exposure elevated BALF total glutathione primarily at 15 wk. Overall, O(3) had little effect on endpoints that were significantly affected by CS exposure. We conclude that concurrent O(3) exposure has no effect on the induction of emphysema by CS in this animal model.

There is increasing interest in diesel fuels derived from plant oils or animal fats ("biodiesel"), but little information on the toxicity of biodiesel emissions other than bacterial mutagenicity. F344 rats were exposed by inhalation 6 h/day, 5 days/wk for 13 wk to 1 of 3 dilutions of emissions from a diesel engine burning 100% soybean oil-derived fuel, or to clean air as controls. Whole emissions were diluted to nominal NO(x) concentrations of 5, 25, or 50 ppm, corresponding to approximately 0.04, 0.2, and 0.5 mg particles/m(3), respectively. Biologically significant, exposure-related effects were limited to the lung, were greater in females than in males, and were observed primarily at the highest exposure level. There was a dose-related increase in the numbers of alveolar macrophages and the numbers of particles in the macrophages, as expected from repeated exposure, but no neutrophil response even at the highest exposure level. The macrophage response was reduced 28 days after cessation of the exposure. Among the high-level females, the group mean lung weight/body weight ratio was increased, and minimal, multifocal bronchiolar metaplasia of alveolar ducts was observed in 4 of 30 rats. Lung weights were not significantly increased, and metaplasia of the alveolar ducts was not observed in males. An increase in particle-laden macrophages was the only exposure-related finding in lungs at the intermediate and low levels, with fewer macrophages and fewer particles per macrophage at the low level. Alveolar histiocytosis was observed in a few rats in both exposed and control groups. There were statistically significant, but minor and not consistently exposure-related, differences in body weight, nonpulmonary organ weights, serum chemistry, and glial fibrillary acidic protein in the brain. There were no significant exposure-related effects on survival, clinical signs, feed consumption, ocular toxicity, hematology, neurohistology, micronuclei in bone marrow, sister chromatid exchanges in peripheral blood lymphocytes, fertility, reproductive toxicity, or teratology. This study demonstrated modest adverse effects at the highest exposure level, and none other than the expected physiological macrophage response to repeated particle exposure at the intermediate level.

Recent studies by our laboratory indicate that the p16(INK4a) gene is frequently methylated in lung tumors induced by genotoxic carcinogens and that the frequency for methylation of the estrogen receptor alpha (ER) gene varies as a function of carcinogenic exposure. The purpose of the current investigation was to define the role of these two genes in lung tumors induced by the particulate carcinogens carbon black (CB), diesel exhaust (DE) or beryllium metal. Methylation of p16 was observed in 59 and 46% of DE and CB tumors, respectively. In contrast, the ER gene was inactivated in only 15% of DE or CB tumors. Methylation of the p16 and ER genes was very common (80 and 50%, respectively) in beryllium-induced lung tumors; both genes were methylated in 40% of the tumors. Bisulfite sequencing revealed dense methylation throughout exon 1 of the ER gene. The inhibitory effect of methylation on gene transcription was confirmed through RT-PCR expression studies in which p16 gene expression was 30-60-fold lower in methylated than unmethylated tumors. Residual expression in methylated tumors was consistent with contamination by stromal and inflammatory cells. Results indicate that tumors induced by these particulate carcinogens arise, in part, through inactivation of the p16 and ER genes. Furthermore, the inactivation of the p16 gene by these carcinogenic exposures supports a possible role for oxidative stress and inflammation in the etiology of human lung cancer.

Chronic exposure of mice and rats to cigarette smoke affects T-cell responsiveness that may account for the decreased T-cell proliferative and T-dependent antibody responses in humans and animals exposed to cigarette smoke. However, the mechanism by which cigarette smoke affects the T cell function is not clearly understood. Our laboratory has shown that chronic exposure of rats to nicotine inhibits the antibody-forming cell response, impairs the antigen-mediated signaling in T cells, and induces T cell anergy. To determine the mechanism of cigarette smoke-induced immunosuppression and to compare it with chronic nicotine exposure, rats were exposed to diluted, mainstream cigarette smoke for up to 30 months or to nicotine (1 mg/kg b.wt./24 h) via miniosmotic pumps for 4 weeks, and evaluated for immunological function in vivo and in vitro. This article presents evidence suggesting that T cells from long-term cigarette smoke-exposed rats exhibit decreased antigen-mediated proliferation and constitutive activation of protein tyrosine kinase and phospholipase C-gamma1 activities. Moreover, spleen cells from smoke-exposed and nicotine-treated animals have depleted inositol-1, 4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive Ca(2+) stores and a decreased ability to raise intracellular Ca(2+) levels in response to T cell antigen receptor ligation. These results suggest that chronic smoking causes T cell anergy by impairing the antigen receptor-mediated signal transduction pathways and depleting the inositol-1,4, 5-trisphosphate-sensitive Ca(2+) stores. Moreover, nicotine may account for or contribute to the immunosuppressive properties of cigarette smoke.

Cigarette smoking is associated with respiratory diseases that may be caused by injury to specific pulmonary cells. The injury may manifest itself as site-specific enhanced cellular replication. In this study, rats were exposed either to mainstream cigarette smoke (CS; 250 mg total particulate matter/m(3)) or to filtered air (FA) for 6 h/day, 5 days/week, for 2 weeks. In one group, cells in S-phase were labeled over 7 days by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) released from implanted osmotic pumps (pump labeled), while another group received BrdU by injection 2 h prior to necropsy (pulse labeled). Morphometry showed that the type II epithelial BrdU labeling index (LI) was significantly elevated in the CS-exposed animals of both labeling groups. The axial airway and terminal bronchiolar LIs were enhanced by CS only in the pump-labeled group. In a third group (pulse labeled), 2 weeks of recovery following exposure to CS allowed a normalization in the type II LI. In the pump-labeled rats, the CS-induced elevation of the type II LI was greater than the LI elevation in conducting airways, suggesting that the parenchyma may have been injured more than the conducting airways. The terminal bronchiolar LI in the pump-labeled group, regardless of exposure, was significantly greater than the axial airway LI. Pump labeling, in contrast to pulse labeling, could therefore discern differences among replication rates of conducting airway epithelium in different regions of the lung. Mucosubstance (MS) within the axial airway epithelium was quantified by morphometry. The CS exposure did not increase the total number of MS-containing cells or the total number of axial airway epithelial cells, but there was a phenotype change in the MS cells. Neutral MS cells (periodic acid-Schiff-positive) were significantly decreased, while acid MS cells (alcian blue-positive) were slightly increased by CS exposure. Either cell replication and differentiation or differentiation alone may have changed the phenotype in the MS cell population., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)

Cigarette smoke (CS) causes pulmonary emphysema in humans, but results of previous studies on CS-exposed laboratory animals have been equivocal and have not clearly demonstrated progression of the disease. In this study, morphometry and histopathology were used to assess emphysema in the lungs of B6C3F1 mice and Fischer-344 rats. The animals were exposed, whole-body, to CS at a concentration of 250 mg total particulate matter/m3 for 6 h/day, 5 days/week, for either 7 or 13 months. Morphometry included measurements of parenchymal air space enlargement (alveolar septa mean linear intercept [Lm], volume density of alveolar air space [VVair]), and tissue loss (volume density of alveolar septa [VVspt]). In addition, centriacinar intra-alveolar inflammatory cells were counted to assess species differences in the type of inflammatory response associated with CS exposure. In mice, many of the morphometric parameters indicating emphysema differed significantly between CS-exposed and control animals. In CS-exposed rats, only some of the parameters differed significantly from control values. The Lm in both CS-exposed mice and rats was increased at 7 and 13 months, indicating an enlargement of parenchymal air spaces, but the VVair was increased significantly only in CS-exposed mice. The VVspt was decreased at both time points in mice, but not in rats, indicating damage to the structural integrity of parenchyma. Morphologic evidence of tissue destruction in the mice included alveoli that were irregular in size and shape and alveoli with multiple foci of septal discontinuities and isolated septal fragments. Morphometric differences in the mice at 13 months were greater than at 7 months, suggesting a progression of the disease. Inflammatory lesions within the lungs of mice contained significantly more neutrophils than those lesions in rats. These results suggest that B6C3F1 mice are more susceptible than F344-rats to the induction of emphysema by this CS exposure regimen and that in mice the emphysema may be progressive. Furthermore, the type of inflammatory response may be a determining factor for species differences in susceptibility to emphysema induction by CS exposure.

Background: Epidemiological data indicate that in females cigarette smoking exerts antiestrogenic effects that manifest clinically in an increased incidence of osteoporosis, earlier menopause, increased spot bleeding, and decreased risk of endometrial cancer for female smokers. The molecular mechanism of this effect is unclear; however, decreased serum estrogen levels in female smokers have been correlated with increased concentrations of the metabolite 2-hydroxyestrogen in females who smoke. Induction of estrogen metabolizing enzymes, CYP1A1 and 1A2, is one mechanism by which increased 2-hydroxyestrogen concentrations may occur. It has also been suggested that the estrogen receptor (ER) may contribute to this anti-estrogenic effect by binding to antagonist(s) in cigarette smoke., Methods: Gel retardation analysis was employed to determine if diluted mainstream cigarette smoke condensates (DMCSCs) could activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). AhR-regulated ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity and dioxin response element (DRE)-mediated luciferase induction were assessed in Hepa1c1c7 mouse hepatoma cells. A competitive ligand binding assay was utilized to determine if DMCSCs could bind to the ER. ER-dependent luciferase activity was assessed in MCF-7 cells., Results: In gel retardation assays, DMCSCs induced a protein-DNA complex when incubated with a radiolabeled wild-type DRE oligonucleotide. The complex was effectively competed by excess unlabeled DRE but not by excess unlabeled mutant DRE. In Hepa1c1c7 mouse hepatoma cells transiently transfected with a DRE-regulated luciferase reporter gene, pGudluc1.1, treatment with DMCSCs resulted in a 23- and 25-fold increase in luciferase activity (P<0.01) and an 8.5- and 10.5-fold (P<0.01) induction in EROD activity, respectively. DMCSCs completely displaced bound tritiated E2 from the ER in a dose-dependent manner and induced ER-regulated luciferase activity significantly 6-fold (P<0.01), representing 86% of the maximal induction observed with E2., Conclusions: DMCSCs can bind to and transcriptionally activate the AhR and ER nuclear receptors and cause induction of DRE- and ER-regulated genes. Further study is required to identify the specific compound(s) responsible for these activities., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)

As a portion of a study to examine how chronic cigarette smoke exposure might alter the risk of lung tumors from inhaled 239puO2 in rats, the effects of smoke exposure on alpha-particle lung dosimetry over the life-span of exposed rats were determined. Male and female rats were exposed to inhaled 239PuO2 alone or in combination with cigarette smoke. Animals exposed to filtered air alone served as controls for the smoke exposure. Whole-body exposure to mainstream smoke diluted to concentrations of either 100 or 250 mg total particulate matter m(-3)(LCS or HCS, respectively) began at 6 wk of age and continued for 6 h d(-1), 5d wk(-1), for 30 mo. A single, pernasal, acute exposure to 239PuO2 was given to all rats (control, LCS and HCS) at 12 wk of age. Exposure to cigarette smoke caused decreased body weight gains in a concentration dependent manner. Lung-to-body weight ratios were increased in smoke-exposed rats. Rats exposed to cigarette smoke before the 239PuO2 exposure deposited less 239Pu in the lung than did controls. Except for male rats exposed to LCS, exposure to smoke retarded the clearance of 239Pu from the lung compared to control rats through study termination at 870 d after 239PuO2 exposure. Radiation doses to lungs were calculated by sex and by exposure group for rats on study for at least 360 d using modeled body weight changes, lung-to-body weight ratios, and standard dosimetric calculations. For both sexes, estimated lifetime radiation doses from the time of 239PuO2 exposure to death were 3.8 Gy, 4.4 Gy, or 6.7 Gy for the control, LCS, or HCS exposure groups, respectively. Assuming an approximately linear dose-response relationship between radiation dose and lung neoplasm incidence, approximate increases of 20% or 80% in tumor incidence over controls would be expected in rats exposed to 239PuO2 and LCS or 239PuO2 and HCS, respectively.

The transgenic heterozygous p53+/- knockout mouse has been a model for assessing the tumorigenicity of selected carcinogens administered by noninhalation routes of exposure. The sensitivity of the model for predicting cancer by inhaled chemicals has not been examined. This study addresses this issue by acutely exposing p53+/- mice of both sexes by nose-only inhalation to either air (controls), or to 1 of 2 levels of 239PuO2 (500 or 100 Bq 239Pu) or beryllium (Be) metal (60 or 15 micrograms). Additional wild-type p53+/+ mice were exposed by inhalation to either 500 Bq of 239PuO2 or 60 micrograms of Be metal. These carcinogens were selected because they operate by differing mechanisms and because of their use in other pulmonary carcinogenesis studies in our laboratory. Four or 5 of the 15 mice per sex from each group were sacrificed 6 mo after exposure, and only 2 pulmonary neoplasms were observed. The remainder of the mice were held for life-span observation and euthanasia as they became moribund. Survival of the p53+/- knockout mice was reduced compared to the p53+/+ wild-type mice. No lung neoplasms were observed in p53+/- mice exposed to air alone. Eleven of the p53+/- mice inhaling 239PuO2 developed pulmonary neoplasms. Seven p53+/+ mice exposed to 239PuO2 also developed pulmonary neoplasms, but the latency period for pulmonary neoplasia was significantly shorter in the p53+/ mice. Four pulmonary neoplasms were observed in p53+/- mice exposed to the higher dose of Be, whereas none were observed in the wild-type mice or in the heterozygous mice exposed to the lower dose of Be. Thus, both p53+/- and p53+/+ mice were susceptible to 239Pu-induced carcinogenesis, whereas the p53+/- but not the p53+/+ mice were susceptible to Be-induced carcinogenesis. However, only 2 pulmonary neoplasms (1 in each of the 239PuO2 exposure groups) were observed in the 59 p53+/ mice that were sacrificed or euthanatized within 9 mo after exposure, indicating that the p53+/- knockout mouse might not be appropriate for a 6-mo model of carcinogenesis for these inhaled carcinogens.

Inhaled beryllium (Be) can induce a range of adverse pulmonary responses in animals and humans including acute pneumonitis, chronic granulomatous lung disease, and cancer. To facilitate comparisons with our previous data describing Be toxicity in rats, we evaluated the toxic effects of inhaled Be metal in mice. Groups of 34 strain C3H/HeJ mice were acutely exposed by the nose-only route to aerosolized Be metal to achieve measured initial lung burdens of 0, 1.7, 2.6, 12, or 34 microg. All mice received aerosolized 85 Sr-labeled fused aluminosilicate particles (85 Sr-FAPs) immediately before their Be exposure so that the influence of Be on lung retention of these poorly soluble tracer particles could be externally quantitated. Groups of mice were euthanized at 8, 15, 40, 90, 210, and 350 days after exposure for evaluation of histopathological changes and for cytologic and biochemical indicators of lung damage measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Clearance of 85 Sr-FAP tracer particles through 196 days after exposure was delayed in mice receiving the 12 and 34 microg Be lung burdens, but not the 1.7 or 2.6 microg lung burdens. Increased total cell numbers, increased percentage of neutrophils, and elevated levels of total protein and the activities of beta-glucuronidase and lactate dehydrogenase in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were observed in the two highest Be lung burden groups compared with controls. Lung lesions included particle-containing macrophages, granulomatous pneumonia, lymphocytic interstitial aggregates, and mononuclear interstitial infiltrates. These lesions were occasionally seen in mice receiving the 2.6 microg lung burden, were present in most of the mice receiving 12 or 34 microg lung burdens, and were generally increased in severity with time and lung burden. Thus, we have demonstrated that a single, acute inhalation exposure to Be metal can chronically retard particle clearance and induce lung damage in mice. The initial lung burdens used caused responses ranging from no apparent effects to significant Be-induced responses. A comparison of these data with our previous data from rats indicates that the mass of Be metal required to induce lung damage in mice is similar to that needed for rats. When expressed on a lung weight-normalized basis, mice appeared to be more resistant to the toxic effects of inhaled Be than rats.

We have reported that dogs exposed twice to aerosols of beryllium oxide (BeO) developed Be-specific immune responses within the lung, along with granulomatous and fibrotic lung lesions. To evaluate the specificity of the immune response, lymphocytes from lungs and blood of BeO-exposed dogs were co-cultured over an irradiated blood monocyte layer, alternately with interleukin 2 and BeSO4. Resultant cell lines were then tested for their response to different metal cations, common canine recall antigens, and BeSO4 in an in vitro cell proliferation assay. The cell lines responded to BeSO4 in a dose-dependent fashion, with mean stimulation indices of 7, 58, 119, and 112 at concentrations of 0.01, 1.0, 10, and 100 microM BeSO4 respectively. Cells not proliferate when incubated with ZnSO4 or NiSO4, or with canine distemper, leptospira, adenovirus 2, parvovirus, or parainfluenza antigens. Lymphocytes from normal vaccinated dogs proliferated markedly when cultured with these antigens. Cells from the cultured cell lines (91%) stained with Thy-1 (a pan T-cell marker) and 96% stained with DT2 (a helper T-cell marker). Furthermore, the Be-induced proliferative response was restricted by major histocompatibility (MHC) class II antigens. These data reinforce the premise that inhalation exposure of dogs to BeO produces lung lesions and MHC class II restricted immunologic responses mediated by Be-specific, helper T-Cells. These data further confirm the hypothesis that antigen localized to the lung results in the recruitment of T-cells to the lung, followed by localized antigen-specific, cell-mediated immune responses.

Efforts to assess the quantify deleterious effects from toxicants are directed mainly towards single agents, whereas real world environmental and occupational exposures to natural and anthropogenic agents quite often entail the concomitant presence of several toxicants. These combined exposures may lead to health risks that differ from those expected from simple addition of the individual risks. For example, combined exposures to physical and chemical agents such as radon and smoking or asbestos and smoking produce over-additive effects at exposure levels typical for earlier workplaces. In tumour therapy, the modulation of radiation effects by cytotoxic drugs is widely used to enhance the therapeutic gain. Whether interactions occurring at high exposure levels are important at the low exposure levels set for the public and for modern workplaces is difficult to answer. A scientifically sound extrapolation from these high to low-dose levels should be based on dose-effect relationships of the relevant agents alone and in combination. In general this information is not available. The existing data base on combined effects is rudimentary, mainly descriptive and rarely covers exposure ranges large enough to make direct inferences to present day low-dose exposure situations. In view of the multitude of possible interactions between the large number of potentially harmful agents in the human environment, descriptive approaches will have to be supplemented by the use of mechanistic models for critical health endpoints such as cancer. To generalise and predict the outcome of combined exposures, agents will have to be grouped depending on their physical or chemical mode of action on the molecular and cellular level. Such a grouping must be guided by specific mechanistic studies designed to examine the underlying hypothesis regarding how various classes of agents interact.

Activation of the K-ras protooncogene and inactivation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene are events common to many types of human cancers. Molecular epidemiology studies have associated mutational profiles in these genes with specific exposures. The purpose of this paper is to review investigations that have examined the role of the K-ras and p53 genes in lung tumors induced in the F344 rat by mutagenic and nonmutagenic exposures. Mutation profiles within the K-ras and p53 genes, if present in rat lung tumors, would help to define some of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer induction by various environmental agents. Pulmonary adenocarcinomas or squamous cell carcinomas were induced by tetranitromethane (TNM), 4-methylnitrosamino-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), beryllium metal, plutonium-239, X-ray, diesel exhaust, or carbon black. These agents were chosen because the tumors they produced could arise via different types of DNA damage. Mutation of the K-ras gene was determined by approaches that included DNA transfection, direct sequencing, mismatch hybridization, and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The frequency for mutation of the K-ras gene was exposure dependent. Only two agents, TNM and plutonium, led to mutation frequencies of > 10%. In both cases, the transition mutations formed could have been derived from deamination of cytosine. The identification of non-ras transforming genes in rat lung tumors induced by mutagenic and nonmutagenic exposures such as NNK and beryllium would help define some of the mechanisms underlying cancer induction by different types of DNA damage. Alteration in the p53 gene was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis for p53 protein and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of exons 4 to 9. None of the 93 adenocarcinomas examined was immunoreactive toward the anti-p53 antibody CM1. In contrast, 14 to 71 squamous cell carcinomas exhibited nuclear p53 immunoreactivity with no correlation to type of exposure. However, SSCP analysis only detected mutations in 2 of 14 squamous cell tumors that were immunoreactive, suggesting that protein stabilization did not stem from mutations within the p53 gene. Thus, the p53 gene does not appear to be involved in the genesis of most rat lung tumors.

Inhalation of beryllium (Be) has been associated with 2 syndromes: an acute chemical pneumonitis and a granulomatous lung disease known as chronic beryllium disease (CBD). Key to the pathogenesis of CBD is a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction, in which Be most likely functions as a hapten and acts as a Class II-restricted antigen, stimulating local proliferation and accumulation in the lung of Be-specific CD4+ T cells. The purpose of this study was to establish a mouse model of CBD using the inhalation route of exposure. A/J (H-2a haplotype) and C3H/HeJ (H-2a) mice were exposed once for 90 min in nose-only exposure tubes to aerosols of Be metal. Six mo later, lung histopathologic responses were assessed. Further analyses defined the phenotypic profile of lymphocytes in pulmonary lesions and evaluated proliferation of lymphocytes in situ and in response to Be in vitro. Responses were similar in both strains of mice. The lungs of all Be-exposed mice had interstitial compact aggregates of lymphocytes, and granulomatous pneumonia characterized by vacuolated macrophages and giant cells in alveoli, neutrophils in alveoli and alveolar septa, multifocal interstitial granulomas, and interstitial infiltrates of lymphocytes, plasma cells, monocytes, and macrophages. Most Be-exposed mice had minimal to mild interstitial fibrosis. The majority of lymphocytes in interstitial infiltrates and in microgranulomas were CD4+ T cells. Interstitial compact aggregates of lymphocytes contained B cells centrally and CD4+ cells peripherally. Lymphocyte labeling indices, used to assess proliferation in situ, were significantly greater within microgranulomas compared to compact lymphocytic aggregates. Lymphocyte stimulation indices in response to BeSO4 in vitro were not positive in blood, spleen, or tracheobronchial lymph node samples. Be-specific immune responses and nonspecific inflammatory responses to toxic and foreign-body properties of Be may have contributed to the histopathology in both strains of mice. The interstitial mononuclear cell infiltrates, presence of microgranulomas, multinucleated foreign-body and Langhans' giant cells, interstitial fibrosis, and CD4+ T-cell predominance with local proliferation are features similar to CBD in humans. The chronic lung disease induced in these mice by inhaled Be can be used to investigate the importance of variables such as dose, exposure pattern, and physicochemical form of Be in producing this disease.

The inhalation Toxicology Research Institute (ITRI) is conducting research to improve the understanding of chronic beryllium disease (CBD) and beryllium-induced lung cancer. Initial animal studies examined beagle dogs that inhaled BeO calcined at either 500 or 1000 degrees C. At similar lung burdens, the 500 degrees C BeO induced more severe and extensive granulomatous pneumonia, lymphocytic infiltration into the lung, and positive Be-specific lymphocyte proliferative responses in vitro than the 1000 degrees C BeO. However, the progressive nature of human CBD was not duplicated. More recently, Strains A/J and C3H/Hej mice were exposed to Be metal by inhalation. This produced a marked granulomatous pneumonia, diffuse infiltrates, and multifocal aggregates of interstitial lymphocytes with a pronounced T helper component and pulmonary in situ lymphocyte proliferation. With respect to lung cancer, at a mean lung burden as low as 17 micrograms Be/g lung, inhaled Be metal induced benign and/or malignant lung tumors in over 50% of male and female F344 rats surviving > or = 1 year on study. Substantial tumor multiplicity was found, but K-ras and p53 gene mutations were virtually absent. In mice, however, a lung burden of approximately 60 micrograms (-300 micrograms Be/g lung) caused only a slight increase in crude lung tumor incidence and multiplicity over controls in strain A/J mice and no elevated incidence in strain C3H mice. Taken together, this research program constitutes a coordinated effort to understand beryllium-induced lung disease in experimental animal models.

A six-month bioassay in A/J mice was conducted to test the hypothesis that chronically inhaled mainstream cigarette smoke would either induce lung cancer or promote lung carcinogenicity induced by the tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Groups of 20 female A/J mice were exposed to filtered air (FA) or cigarette smoke (CS), injected with NNK, or exposed to both CS and NNK. At 7 weeks of age, mice were injected once with NNK; 3 days later, they were exposed to CS for 6 h/day, 5 days/week, for 26 weeks at a mean 248 mg total particulate matter/m3 concentration. Animals were sacrificed 5 weeks after exposures ended for gross and histological evaluation of lung lesions. No significant differences in survival between exposure groups was observed. A biologically significant level of CS exposure was achieved as indicated by CS-induced body weight reductions, lung weight increases, and carboxyhemoglobin levels in blood of about 17%. Crude tumor incidences, as determined from gross observation of lung nodules, were similar between the CS-exposed and FA groups, and the NNK and CS + NNK groups. Incidences in either of these latter groups were greater than either the CS or FA groups. Furthermore, tumor multiplicity in tumor-bearing animals was not significantly different among any of the three groups (FA, NNK, CS + NNK) in which tumors were observed. Thus, CS exposure neither induced lung tumors nor promoted NNK-induced tumors. Because the CS exposure concentration was probably near the maximally tolerable level, longer exposures should be evaluated to potentially establish a CS-induced model of lung carcinogenesis in the A/J mouse.

This study was designed to determine the effects of mainstream cigarette smoke (MCS) on stored intraepithelial mucosubstances (IM) and DNA synthesis within the nasal respiratory epithelium of F344 rats and whether such effects persist after cessation of exposure. Rats were exposed to filtered air or diluted MCS for 9 days over a 2-week period. Two hours prior to termination rats were injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label cells synthesizing DNA 1 or 14 days after the last exposure. Sections of nasal tissue blocks taken from a region immediately posterior to the incisor teeth were processed for light microscopy and histochemically stained to detect acidic and neutral IM and immunochemically stained to detect BrdU-labeled cells. The nasal septum was divided into three measurement zones (dorsal, mid-, and ventral) for morphometric quantitation of the volume density of IM and the unit length labeling index (ULLI). MCS-exposed rats terminated 1 day after the last exposure had 270% more IM in the dorsal septum, 58% less IM in the midseptum (due to regions of squamous metaplasia), and amounts of IM in the ventral septum similar to controls. MCS-exposed rats sacrificed 14 days after exposure still had increased amounts of IM in the dorsal septal region, but no regions of squamous metaplasia or amounts of IM in the mid- and ventral septal regions that were different from air-exposed controls. MCS exposure resulted in a significant increase in the ULLI 1 day but not 14 days after exposure in the ventral and midseptal regions only. The results of this study indicate that MCS exposure induces transient alterations in the mucous-producing apparatus in the rat anterior nasal cavity that are resolved following 2 weeks of recovery. However, the type and magnitude of the initial epithelial responses are dependent on the intranasal location of the airway epithelium examined.

Cigarette smoking can influence the pulmonary disposition of other inhaled materials in humans and laboratory animals. This study was undertaken to investigate the influence of cigarette smoke exposures of rats on the pulmonary clearance of inhaled, relatively insoluble radioactive tracer particles. Following 13 weeks of whole-body exposure to air or mainstream cigarette smoke for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week at concentrations of 0, 100, or 250 mg total particulate matter (TPM)/m3, rats were acutely exposed pernasally to 85Sr-labeled fused aluminosilicate (85Sr-FAP) tracer particles, then air or smoke exposures were resumed. A separate group of rats was exposed to the 85Sr-FAP then serially euthanized through 6 months after exposure to confirm the relative insolubility of the tracer particles. We observed decreased tracer particle clearance from the lungs that was smoke concentration-dependent. By 180 days after exposure to the tracer aerosol, about 14, 20, and 40% of the initial activity of tracer was present in control, 100 mg TPM/m3, and 250 mg TPM/m3 groups, respectively. Body weight gains were less in smoke-exposed rats than in controls. Smoke exposure produced lung lesions which included increased numbers of pigmented alveolar macrophages distributed throughout the parenchyma and focal collections of enlarged alveolar macrophages with concomitant alveolar epithelial hyperplasia and neutrophilic alveolitis. The severity of the lesions increased with smoke exposure duration and concentration to include interstitial aggregates of pigmented macrophages and interstitial fibrosis. Our data confirm previous findings that exposure to cigarette smoke decreases the ability of the lungs to clear inhaled materials. We further demonstrate an exposure-concentration related magnitude of effect, suggesting that the cigarette smoke-exposed rat constitutes a useful model for studies of the effects of cigarette smoke on the disposition of inhaled particles.

Inhalation of beryllium (Be) may result in an immune-mediated, chronic granulomatous pulmonary disorder known as chronic beryllium disease (CBD). The physicochemical form of Be may affect the incidence and severity of CBD. We exposed cynomolgus monkeys, by bronchoscopic, intrabronchiolar instillation, to either beryllium oxide (BeO; heat-treated at 500 degrees C) or Be metal at concentrations selected to achieve equimolar concentrations of available Be2+ ions dissolving from the particles. Monkeys underwent bronchoalveolar lavage of the right and left diaphragmatic lobes at 14, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days post exposure (dpe). Monkeys were sacrificed at 80 and 180 dpe for evaluation of histopathological pulmonary changes. Numbers of lymphocytes from lung lobes of Be metal-exposed, but not BeO-exposed, monkeys were increased at 14, 30 and 90 dpe. Lung lymphocytes were increased for BeO exposed monkeys only at 60 dpe. In vitro, Be-specific, lung lymphocyte proliferation occurred at 14, 60, and 90 dpe for lymphocytes from Be metal-exposed lung lobes only. At no time were values from BeO-exposed lung lobes different from values from control lobes. Lung lesions in Be metal-exposed monkeys were characterized by focally intense, interstitial fibrosis, marked Type II cell hyperplasia, and variable lymphocyte infiltration. Some Be-metal-exposed monkeys had discrete immune granulomas consisting of tightly organized lymphocytic cuffs surrounding nodular aggregates of epithelioid macrophages. Lesions were rarely present in BeO-exposed monkeys and were much less severe. These data suggest that Be metal produces more severe pulmonary lesions than does BeO and that these lesions are accompanied by Be-specific immune responses.

Beryllium (Be) metal and several of its analogues have been shown to be carcinogenic in rats. In addition, workers employed at Be processing plants have been shown to have a slight excess of lung cancer. In this study, a single inhalation exposure to Be metal produced a 64% incidence of lung tumors in the F344/N rat. The most frequent tumor type observed was adenocarcinoma. These Be metal-induced lung carcinomas were examined for genetic alterations in the K-ras, p53, and c-raf-1 genes. DNA isolated from lung neoplasms was analyzed by PCR amplification and direct DNA sequence analysis, immunohistochemical analysis and Southern blot analysis. No K-ras codon 12, 13 or 61 mutations were detected in 24 lung tumors by direct sequencing. Using a more sensitive K-ras codon 12 mutation selection assay, K-ras codon 12 GGT-GTT transversions were detected in two of 12 adenocarcinomas. These results suggest that activation of the K-ras protooncogene is both a rare and late event, possibly stemming from genomic instability during the progression of some Be-induced rat adenocarcinomas of the lung. No mutant p53 nuclear immunoreactivity was observed in any Be-induced tumor. Because immunohistochemical analysis of the p53 protein only detects missense mutations, exons 5-8 of this gene were also analyzed by direct DNA sequencing. In order to perform the p53 sequence analysis, it was necessary to first characterize and sequence the p53 intron sequences flanking exons 5-8 and their splice sites. Details of this expanded intron DNA sequence information are given here. No mutations were detected within exons 5-8 of the p53 gene. No rearrangement of the c-raf-1 protooncogene was detected by Southern blot analysis. These results indicate that the mechanisms underlying the development of Be-induced lung cancer in rats do not involve gene dysfunctions commonly associated with human non-small-cell lung cancer.

We have shown previously that dogs exposed once to aerosols of beryllium oxide (BeO) calcined at 500 or 1000 degrees C developed granulomatous lung lesions as well as Be-specific immune responses in the blood and lung. In this report, we investigate the immunopathologic consequences of exposing dogs twice to aerosols of BeO. Dogs previously exposed to aerosols of 500 or 1000 degrees C calcined BeO to achieve an initial lung burden (ILB) of either 50 or 17 micrograms/kg body wt were exposed a second time to BeO calcined at 500 degrees C, 2.5 years after the first exposure, to achieve an ILB of about 50 micrograms/kg body wt. Immune responses of peripheral blood and lung lymphocytes were measured at 0, 14, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 165, 180, and 210 days postexposure (dpe), and dogs were euthanized at 210 dpe. Be-specific immune responses occurred in blood at 30 dpe and again at 150 to 210 dpe. Only sporadic positive responses were seen among lung lymphocytes when cells were cultured in 10% fetal bovine serum. In contrast, samples collected at 165, 180, and 210 dpe and incubated with 10% dog serum showed a large number of positive responses in both blood and lung. Histologic lesions were characterized by perivascular and interstitial infiltrates of lymphocytes and macrophages with progression to patchy granulomatous pneumonia accompanied by focal septal fibrosis. We conclude that Be-induced granulomatous and fibrotic lung lesions are accompanied by Be-specific immune responses within the lung but these changes do not appear to be cumulative if enough time has elapsed between exposures.

This study was designed to determine the dosimetry within macrophages of beryllium compounds administered at sublethal doses. Information on the dosimetry of beryllium within macrophages is required to guide further efforts to isolate and characterize beryllium-containing haptens. Inhalation of beryllium aerosols can cause chronic berylliosis, a progressive, granulomatous fibrosis of the lung. Studies in laboratory animals indicate that alveolar macrophages take up beryllium compounds and participate in a hypersensitivity immune response to beryllium-containing antigen. Beagle dog macrophage cultures were incubated with 7BeSO4 in solution or with suspensions of 7BeO particles that had been calcined at 500 or 1000 degrees C. Beryllium-7 was measured in fractions collected from cultures after successive centrifugation and filtration steps at 2, 6, 20, and 48 h after addition. An insignificant percentage of BeSO4 was taken up by the cells and did not cause cytotoxicity. Maximum BeO uptake occurred within 6 h, was 60 +/- 6% of added BeO, and was independent of BeO calcination temperature or specific surface area. Approximately 22% of 500 degrees C BeO dissolved within 48 h after addition to cell culture, concurrent with 39% cell killing. Dissolved beryllium remained associated with cells until a cytotoxic concentration was reached (2.2 x 10(-5) M, 15 nmol Be/10(6) cells), when the beryllium was released into the medium. There was no significant dissolution of the 1000 degrees C BeO within 48 h, and no significant cell killing. The results indicate that beryllium dissolved from phagocytized BeO was more cytotoxic than soluble beryllium added extracellularly. The data support an interactive mechanism in which phagocytized BeO particles were dissolved, and dissolved beryllium remained associated with the macrophage until a cytotoxic concentration accumulated, whereupon the beryllium was released to the medium and not appreciably taken up by viable cells.

The physicochemical properties of particles influence their in vivo toxicity following deposition in the respiratory tract. To evaluate the relative contributions of mass and surface area to particle-induced toxicity, rat pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) were exposed to four types of particles in vitro. We used three beryllium metal samples: relatively large (Be-II) and relatively small (Be-V) sized fractions of beryllium metal obtained from an aerosol cyclone, and a beryllium metal aerosol generated by laser vaporization of bulk beryllium metal in an argon atmosphere (Be-L). We also used glass beads (GB) as a negative control particle. End points examined included cell viability, determined by trypan blue dye exclusion, and changes in phagocytic ability, measured by counting the number of sheep red blood cells internalized by the PAM. Phagocytic ability was inhibited by exposure to beryllium particles at concentrations that did not cause appreciable cell death. Results describing effects based on the mass concentration of particles in culture medium were transformed by the amount of specific surface area of the particles to permit the expression of toxicity relative to the amount of particle surface per unit volume of culture medium. On a mass basis, the order of particle-related cytotoxicity was Be-L greater than Be-V greater than Be-II greater than GB, and for inhibition of phagocytosis, the order was Be-L approximately Be-V greater than Be-II greater than GB. When analyzed on a specific surface area basis, the cytotoxicity of the different materials became more similar in a fashion that was largely predicted by the amount of surface of the particles administered. However, because differences in specific surface area among the beryllium particle samples did not entirely predict cytotoxicity, we concluded that factors in addition to specific surface area influenced the expression of toxic effects in cultures of PAM exposed to beryllium metal.

We exposed rats once by nose only for 50 min to a mean concentration of 800 micrograms/m3 of beryllium metal (initial lung burden, 625 micrograms) to characterize the acute toxic effects within the lung. Histological changes within the lung and enzyme changes within bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were evaluated at 3, 7, 10, 14, 31, 59, 115, and 171 days postexposure (dpe). Beryllium metal-exposed rats developed acute, necrotizing, hemorrhagic, exudative pneumonitis and intraalveolar fibrosis that peaked at 14 dpe. By 31 dpe, inflammatory lesions were replaced by minimal interstitial and intraalveolar fibrosis. Necrotizing inflammation was observed again at 59 dpe which progressed to chronic-active inflammation by 115 dpe. This inflammation worsened progressively, as did alveolar macrophage and epithelial hyperplasia, becoming severe at 171 dpe. Low numbers of diffusely distributed lymphocytes were also present but they were not associated with granulomas as is observed in beryllium-induced disease in man. Throughout the experiment, total numbers of cells were elevated within the BAL samples due primarily to increased numbers of neutrophils. Lymphocytes were not elevated in BAL samples collected from beryllium-exposed rats at any time after exposure. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), beta-glucuronidase, and protein levels were elevated in BAL fluid from 3 through 14 dpe but returned to near normal levels by 31 dpe. LDH increased once again at 59 dpe and remained elevated at 171 dpe. beta-Glucuronidase and protein levels were slightly, but not significantly, elevated from 31 through 171 dpe. Results indicate that inhalation of beryllium metal by rats results in severe, acute chemical pneumonitis that is followed by a quiescent period of minimal inflammation and mild fibrosis. Progressive, chronic-active, fibrosing pneumonitis is observed later. Chronic beryllium lung disease of man is an immunologically mediated granulomatous lung disease, whereas beryllium-induced lung lesions in rats appear to be due to direct chemical toxicity and foreign-body-type reactions.

Beagle dogs inhaled radiolabeled beryllium oxide (7BeO) particles that were calcined at either 500 or 1000 degrees C, resulting in either high (mean of 50 micrograms/kg body wt) or low (mean of 17 micrograms/kg body wt) initial lung burdens (ILBs) of both preparations of BeO. Levels of beryllium in whole body, tissue, and excreta were measured by external gamma-ray counting. Dogs were euthanized in pairs at 8, 32, 64, and 180 days after exposure to determine beryllium distribution in tissues. Beryllium oxide calcined at 1000 degrees C was retained more tenaciously in the lungs (62% of the ILB retained at 180 days after exposure) than BeO calcined at 500 degrees C (14% of the ILB retained at 180 days after exposure). Most of the beryllium that was cleared from the lungs and not excreted was translocated to the tracheobronchial lymph nodes, skeleton, liver, and blood. More beryllium was translocated to the skeleton and liver at 180 days after inhalation of BeO prepared at 500 degrees C than at 1000 degrees C. The predominant mode of excretion at early times after exposure was through the feces, with urinary excretion assuming predominance at later times. These data are important for interpreting the toxic effects of beryllium in the exposed dogs. Furthermore, because little is known concerning the retention and clearance of inhaled beryllium in man, these results provide information that may be used to understand the disposition of beryllium in accidentally exposed humans.

The effects and clearance of intratracheally instilled nickel subsulfide (Ni3S2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) were compared. Instilled Ni3S2 was acutely toxic to mice. Blood was recovered from the lungs during lavage, pulmonary polymorphonuclear leukocyte cell levels were increased, body weights decreased, and mice appeared clinically sick. These effects were in contrast to TiO2-instilled animals, which appeared similar to phosphate-buffered saline-instilled controls. The clearance of instilled particles from the lungs was examined for both Ni3S2- and TiO2-exposed mice. Particles were rapidly cleared to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract within 15 min; this clearance was nonspecific for Ni or Ti and appeared to be due to the coughing reflex. Significantly less Ni was present compared with TiO2 in mouse lungs at 3 and 7 days postexposure (P less than 0.05), with halflifes for the later clearance phase of 119 and 462 hr, respectively. Much of the early Ni lung burden was cleared to the GI tract, and Ni levels in the kidney and blood peaked at 1 hr. Longer-term Ni clearance rate constants were similar for lung, kidney, and blood and were consistent with the hypothesis that 63Ni was first solubilized in the lung then transported through the blood.

The surface of macrophages inhabiting the peritoneal and alveolar spaces is pleomorphic in structure. The internal structure of these cells has been widely described and is not discussed here. Although external cell morphology has been well characterized by many researchers, this subject has not been reviewed. This review, therefore, describes in detail the surface features of macrophages as well as factors affecting macrophage morphology. Morphological studies of human cells are emphasized. Functional studies are presented and, when possible, morphological parameters are correlated with cell function. Because cigarette smoking has been well studied, the effects of this pulmonary insult are described in detail.

Inflated frozen mouse lungs were examined using low-temperature scanning electron microscopy (LTSEM) following bulk fracture under vacuum. Various aspects of pulmonary architecture were identified and correlated with structures revealed by SEM following conventional fixation and preparation techniques. Surface etching of selected samples was performed by radiant heating, revealing characteristic cytoplasmic, nuclear and extracellular lattice patterns resulting from ice crystal formation during freezing. These patterns aided in distinguishing between intra- and extracellular spaces. Pulmonary fluids such as mucus and surfactant were identified. Iron oxide particles were introduced into the lungs of some animals by intratracheal instillation and were subsequently identified in frozen-hydrated lung tissue using characteristic X-ray identification and mapping techniques. Particles were observed both intra-and extracellularly and were commonly found in large deposits. These observations confirm the utility of LTSEM techniques for examination of particles within pulmonary tissue. Particle exposure by intratracheal instillation was found to result in a non-uniform distributional pattern.

Studies were conducted to determine the effects of BeSO4 or X rays, alone and in combination, on cell cycle kinetics, cell killing, and the production of chromosome aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The concentration of BeSO4 required to kill 50% of CHO cells exposed to BeSO4 for 20 h was determined to be 1.1 mM with 95% confidence intervals of 0.72 to 1.8 mM. During the last 2 h of the 20-h beryllium treatment (0.2 and 1.0 mM), cells were exposed to 0.0, 1.0, or 2.0 Gy of X rays. Exposure to either BeSO4 or X rays produced a change in cell cycle kinetics which resulted in an accumulation of cells in the G2/M stage of the cell cycle. However, combined exposure to both agents resulted in a block similar to that observed following exposure to X rays only. The background level of chromosome damage was 0.05 +/- 0.015 aberrations/cell in the CHO cells. Seven hours after the end of exposure to 0.2 and 1.0 mM beryllium, 0.03 +/- 0.003 and 0.09 +/- 0.02 aberrations/cell, respectively, were observed. The data for chromosome aberrations following X-ray exposure were fitted to a linear model with a coefficient of 0.14 +/- 0.01 aberrations/cell/Gy. When beryllium was combined with the X-ray exposure the interactive response was predicted by a multiplicative model and was significantly higher (P less than 0.05) than predicted by an additive model. The influence of time after radiation exposure on the interaction between beryllium and X rays was also determined. No interaction between beryllium and X-ray exposure in the induction of chromosome-type aberrations (P greater than 0.05) was detected. The frequency of chromatid-type exchanges and total aberrations was significantly higher (P less than 0.05) in the radiation plus beryllium-exposed cells when compared to cells exposed to X rays only, at both 9 and 12 h after X-ray exposure. These data suggest that the multiplicative interaction may be limited to cells in the S and G2 stages of the cell cycle.