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During the development of new materials demonstrating biological activity, prediction and identification of reactive intermediates generated in the course of drug metabolism in the human liver is of great importance. We present a rapid and purely instrumental method for the structure elucidation of possible phase I metabolites. With electrochemical (EC) conversion adopting the oxidative function of liver-inherent enzymes and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy enabling structure elucidation, comprehensive knowledge on potential metabolites can be gained. Paracetamol (APAP) has been known to induce hepatotoxicity when exceeding therapeutic doses and was therefore selected as the test compound. The reactive metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine has long been proven to be responsible for the toxic side effects of APAP and can easily be generated by EC. EC coupled online to NMR is a straightforward technique for structure elucidation of reactive drug intermediates at an early stage in drug discovery.

We propose a new analytical approach, based on liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS), using a Direct-EI interface, for dermal absorption evaluation studies. Penetration through the skin of a given compound is evaluated by means of in vitro assays using diffusion cells. Currently, the most popular approach for the analysis of skin and fluid samples is LC coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). However, this technique is largely affected by sample matrix interferences that heavily affect quantitative evaluation. LC-Direct-EI-MS is not affected by matrix interference and produces accurate quantitative data in a wide range of concentrations. Trans-cinnamaldehyde was chosen as test substance and applied in a suitable dosing vehicle on dermatomed human skin sections. This compound was then quantified in aliquots of receptor solution, skin extract, cell wash, skin wash, carbon filter extract, cotton swab extract, and tape strip digest. On column limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.1 and 0.5 ng/μL, respectively, were achieved. Calibration showed satisfactory linearity and precision for the concentration range of interest. Matrix effects (ME) were evaluated for all sample types, demonstrating the absence of both signal enhancement and signal suppression. The Direct-EI absorption profile was compared with that obtained with liquid scintillation counting (LSC), a recognized ME free approach. A good correlation was found with all samples and for the overall recovery of the dosed substance.

Glutathione (GSH) is the most prominent antioxidant in cells and the co-factor of an important set of enzymes involved in the skin metabolic clearance system, glutathione S-transferases (GST). Here, we describe an LC-MS (liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy) method to measure GSH and its disulfide form (GSSG) in HaCaT cells and a 3D Reconstructed Human Epidermis (RHE) model. In our assay, the basal level of GSH in both systems was in the low nmol/mg soluble protein range, while the level of GSSG was systematically below our limit of quantification (0.1 μM). We found that 2,4-dinitrohalobenzenes deplete the GSH present in HaCaT cells within the first hour of exposure, in a dose dependent manner. The level of GSH in HaCaT cells treated with a single non-toxic dose of 10 μM of dinitrohalobenzene was also shown to increase after two hours. While cells treated with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB) and 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNFB) repleted GSH to levels similar to untreated control cells within 24h, 1-bromo-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNBB) seemed to prevent such a repletion and appeared to be the most toxic compound in all assays. A mathematical modelling of experimental results was performed to further rationalise the differences observed between test chemicals. For this purpose the biological phenomena observed were simplified into two sequential events: the initial depletion of the GSH stock after chemical treatment followed by the repletion of the GSH once the chemical was cleared. Activation of the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway was observed with all compounds within two hours, and at concentrations less than 10 μM. These data show that GSH depletion and repletion occur rapidly in skin cells and emphasize the importance of conducting kinetic studies when performing in vitro experiments exploring skin sensitization.

As documented in the recent OECD report 'the adverse outcome pathway for skin sensitisation initiated by covalent binding to proteins' (OECD, 2012), the chemical and biological events driving the induction of human skin sensitisation have been investigated for many years and are now well understood. Several non-animal test methods have been developed to predict sensitiser potential by measuring the impact of chemical sensitisers on these key events (Adler et al., 2011; Maxwell et al., 2011); however our ability to use these non-animal datasets for risk assessment decision-making (i.e. to establish a safe level of human exposure for a sensitising chemical) remains limited and a more mechanistic approach to data integration is required to address this challenge. Informed by our previous efforts to model the induction of skin sensitisation (Maxwell and MacKay, 2008) we are now developing two mathematical models ('total haptenated protein' model and 'CD8(+) T cell response' model) that will be linked to provide predictions of the human CD8(+) T cell response for a defined skin exposure to a sensitising chemical. Mathematical model development is underpinned by focussed clinical or human-relevant research activities designed to inform/challenge model predictions whilst also increasing our fundamental understanding of human skin sensitisation. With this approach, we aim to quantify the relationship between the dose of sensitiser applied to the skin and the extent of the hapten-specific T cell response that would result. Furthermore, by benchmarking our mathematical model predictions against clinical datasets (e.g. human diagnostic patch test data), instead of animal test data, we propose that this approach could represent a new paradigm for mechanistic toxicology.

GAVIN MAXWELL, CATHERINE CLAPP, RICHARD CUBBERLEY, SERAYA DHADRA, NIKKI GELLATLY, STEPHEN GLAVIN, SARAH HADFIELD, SANDRINE JACQUOILLEOT, AMELIA JARMAN, IAN JOWSEY, SUE LOVELL, JACK MAYNE, CRAIG MOORE, RUTH PENDLINGTON, JULIETTE PICKLES, JOE REYNOLDS. OUARDA SAIB, DAVID SHEFFIELD, RICHARD STARK, WENDY SIMPSON, VICKI SUMMERFIELD. DAWEI TANG, SAM WINDEBANK & CAMERON MACKAY SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL ASSURANCE CENTRE (SEAC), UNILEVER R&D