Acute toxicity analysis of an inhibitor of BCL2, Disarib, in rats

Apoptosis or programmed cell death is a highly regulated process, which eliminates unwanted and damaged cells. Inhibition of apoptosis is a hallmark of cancer cells. BCL2 family proteins are known to play a vital role in the regulation of apoptosis. Overexpression of BCL2, an antiapoptotic protein, provides the advantage of prolonged survival to cancer cells. Over the years, several BCL2 inhibitors have been investigated extensively for their anticancer potential. However, most of them were abolished before clinical use due to their side effects. Previously, we had identified and characterized a novel BCL2 inhibitor, Disarib, with the potential to eliminate tumor cells in a BCL2 specific manner leading to reduction in tumor burden in multiple mouse models. Notably, a head-to-head comparison of Disarib to ABT199, the only FDA approved BCL2 inhibitor revealed that Disarib is as potent as ABT199. Recent studies using mice revealed that Disarib did not invoke significant side effects in mice. In the present study, we have investigated the acute toxicity of Disarib in Wistar rats. The bioavailability studies following exposure of Disarib in Wistar rats revealed its maximum availability in serum at 24 h following oral administration. Acute toxicity analysis revealed that even a dose as high as 2000 mg/kg of Disarib did not cause significant toxicity in rats. There was no significant variation in blood parameters or kidney and liver functions following administration of Disarib. Histological analysis of different tissues from Disarib treated groups revealed standard architecture with no observable cellular damage. Importantly, exposure to Diasrib did not result in genotoxicity as determined by micronucleus assay. Further, solubility assays revealed that besides DMSO, Disarib is also soluble in alcohol. While the high acidic condition can increase the solubility of Disarib, even a lower percentage of alcohol with acidic conditions can improve its solubility. Thus, the toxicological profile in the current study revealed no significant side effects when Disarib was administered orally to rats.