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A methodology for assessing carcinogenic hazards of chemicals.

Assessment of carcinogenic hazards of substances involves evaluation and classification of qualitative and quantitative data, including the attendant uncertainty. Recently proposed EPA guidelines represent a significant step towards a uniform carcinogenic risk assessment procedure and its appropriate use. The Methodology for Assessing Carcinogenic Hazards of Chemicals proposed here shares common characteristics with the EPA guidelines but it also focuses on other aspects of carcinogen assessment, not addressed by the guidelines, such as: folding together quantitative and qualitative data into a combined hazard index; classification of limited, incomplete or flawed qualitative data; utilization of quantitative risk estimates based on weak qualitative evidence. The elements are used to assess carcinogenic hazards of chemicals, qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative assessment consists of stratification into one of five categories of weight-of-evidence, whereas quantitative assessment consists of stratification into one of four potency categories on the basis of carcinogenic unit risk estimate. Carcinogenic hazard index, codified in letters A to E, is derived from the quantitative and qualitative elements of assessment in a two-dimensional matrix. The matrix is designed so that weaker evidence for carcinogenicity requires a correspondingly higher unit risk value for a given score. Assessment of 100 chemicals using our methodology shows a good distribution of scores from A to E. Group B, which can be described as moderately hazardous, is most frequently represented. The methodology represents a mixture of two possible approaches to assessing hazards of carcinogens: one which gives the highest rank to those likely to produce the greatest risk, the other which ranks highest those most likely to produce cancer in humans. By using this combined approach, it is ensured that a chemical hazardous on either count is not missed. The methodology also makes maximum use of all available data without over-interpreting some highly uncertain procedures such as quantitative risk estimation or extrapolation of animal response to humans.

Animals↗

Construction and evaluation of an independently generated transgenic mouse model carrying mutated human HRAS genes for short-term carcinogenicity assessment.

The study aimed to construct and evaluate an independently generated transgenic mouse model applied to the short-term carcinogenicity assessment. Mutated human HRAS fragment containing an intron point-mutation was inserted into C57BL/6JGpt mice via bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic technology, eventually generating BALB/c;B6J-Tg(hHRAS)16/Gpt mice, abbreviated as HRAS mice. The inserted human HRAS fragment in HRAS mice was characterized, revealing five tandem copies at chromosome 19. Baseline profiles, including biochemical, hematological, immunophenotypic, survival, and carcinogenic data of HRAS mice, were collected. To evaluate the tumor susceptibility in HRAS mice, we applied N-Nitroso-N-methylurea (MNU) to HRAS mice in a short-term carcinogenicity assessment conducted according to Good Laboratory Practice. The genetic characteristics of HRAS mice include five tandem arrays of mutated human HRAS fragments located in genomic coordinate 7,755,606 on chromosome 19 and the duplication of a 9-kilobase genome sequence (genomic coordinate 7,755,606-7,746,509) located on chromosome 19. HRAS mice showed a relatively lower incidence and range of spontaneous tumor formation during long-term observation compared to CByB6F1-Tg(HRAS)2Jic (Tg.rasH2) transgenic mice. The short-term carcinogenicity assessment showed a strong tumor response to MNU, with high incidences of lymphoma (≥ 90%) and stomach squamous cell papilloma (≥ 90%) in both male and female HRAS mice. The HRAS mice showed susceptibility to MNU and exhibited baseline characteristics distinct from those of Tg.rasH2 mice. The co-expression of HRAS and MKI67 at the cellular localization level was found in neoplasms of HRAS mice. These findings preliminarily evaluated the feasibility of HRAS mice applied to the short-term carcinogenicity assessment.

Animals↗

Carcinogenic risk assessment.

Carcinogenic risk assessment involves a mixture of statistical, scientific, and public policy considerations. Concepts in current use, such as "no observed effect levels" and "virtual safety," and the problems in implementing them by means of dose-response models, particularly the probit-log dose and linear models are reviewed. The upper limits to risk provided by some conservative procedures are inconsistent with coherent balancing of risks and benefits. A common basis to the dose-response curves describing both carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic effects is to be found in deactivating reactions. A simplified model in which a toxic substance is activated and deactivated in separate and simultaneous reactions is presented and the dose response curve implied by the model is deduced. This curve has the general form of a hockey stick, with the striking part flat or nearly flat until the dose administered saturates the deactivation system, after which the probability of a response rises rapidly. Such a curve describes the Bryan-Shimkin methylcholanthrene-tumor incidence dose response curve as well as the probit log-dose model. The concept of a saturation dose is relevant to risk assessments for carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic substances alike.

Carcinogens↗

Respiratory carcinogenicity assessment of soluble nickel compounds.

The many chemical forms of nickel differ in physicochemical properties and biological effects. Health assessments for each main category of nickel species are needed. The carcinogenicity assessment of water-soluble nickel compounds has proven particularly difficult. Epidemiologic evidence indicates an association between inhalation exposures to nickel refinery dust containing soluble nickel compounds and increased risk of respiratory cancers. However, the nature of this association is unclear because of limitations of the exposure data, inconsistent results across cohorts, and the presence of mixed exposures to water-insoluble nickel compounds and other confounders that are known or suspected carcinogens. Moreover, well-conducted animal inhalation studies, where exposures were solely to soluble nickel, failed to demonstrate a carcinogenic potential. Similar negative results were seen in animal oral studies. A model exists that relates respiratory carcinogenic potential to the bioavailability of nickel ion at nuclear sites within respiratory target cells. This model helps reconcile human, animal, and mechanistic data for soluble nickel compounds. For inhalation exposures, the predicted lack of bioavailability of nickel ion at target sites suggests that water-soluble nickel compounds, by themselves, will not be complete human carcinogens. However, if inhaled at concentrations high enough to induce chronic lung inflammation, these compounds may enhance carcinogenic risks associated with inhalation exposure to other substances. Overall, the weight of evidence indicates that inhalation exposure to soluble nickel alone will not cause cancer; moreover, if exposures are kept below levels that cause chronic respiratory toxicity, any possible tumor-enhancing effects (particularly in smokers) would be avoided.

Animals↗

Background and framework for ILSI's collaborative evaluation program on alternative models for carcinogenicity assessment. International Life Sciences Institute.

The willingness of the agencies involved in the regulation of pharmaceuticals to accept data from newly proposed models for carcinogenicity testing (eg, transgenic animals, neonatal rodent models, initiation-promotion models) has stimulated international interest in gaining experience and a greater understanding of the strengths and limitations of the specific models. Over a 4-year period, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Health and Environmental Science Institute (HESI) has coordinated a large-scale collaborative research program to help to better characterize the responsiveness of several models proposed for use in carcinogenicity assessment. The overall objective of this partnership among industry, government, and academic scientists was to evaluate the ability of these new models to provide useful information for human cancer risk assessment. This research program reflected a commitment of nearly US$35 million by over 50 industrial, govemment, and academic laboratories from the United States, Europe, and Japan. Evaluation of the models required the development of standardized protocols to allow reproducibility and comparability of data obtained across multiple laboratories. Test compounds were selected on the basis of mechanistically meaningful carcinogenic activity or noncarcinogenicity in the rodent bioassay as well as humans. Criteria were established for dose selection, pathology review, quality control, and for evaluation of study outcome. The database from these studies represents an important contribution to the future application of new models for human cancer risk assessment. Beyond the data, the collaborative process by which the models were evaluated may also represent a prototype for assessing new methods in the future.

Academies and Institutes↗

A unifying concept for carcinogenic risk assessments.

Carcinogens influence both the initiation of abnormal cells and the subsequent promotion of such cells into neoplasia. Certain other insults seem limited to the stimulation of cellular proliferation and of carcinogenic potentiation. Common examples include surgical, mechanical, chemical, and temperature wounding of tissue followed by healing. In addition, certain hyperplastic growth induced by some chemicals may also enhance tumorigenesis. We propose that the quantification of carcinogenic potentiation may derive from a common-index-quantity estimated according to enhanced cell proliferation resulting from cytotoxicity or toxic hyperplasia induced by a specific exposure. At this time, it is not possible to define, in a restrictive sense, the molecular events which are critical to potentiation but the processes of cell proliferation resulting from cytotoxicity/hyperplasia seem to serve as indices which contain the necessary (and perhaps several secondary) biological responses. The unique advantage is that cell-culture, animal, and human-level studies can be used to evaluate certain parameters of the mathematical model for an untested treatment protocol or chemical insult suspected to be a cofactor in tumorigenesis. The main thrust of this paper is to propose that tumorigenesis should be studied in terms of cellular-population kinetics in response to a biological challenge rather than according to chemical or energetic parameters of that challenge. This approach leads to mathematical equations which can serve as a unifying concept for carcinogenic risk assessments. Sample results, to illustrate the utility of this model, are given for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, trace metals, ionizing radiations, CO, NO, SO2, O3, and NO2. Treatment, here, is for acute exposure conditions, but because the model is mechanistic, other exposure protocols can be addressed by simply adjusting some of the mathematical parameters according to factors estimated from a relative potency comparison of in vitro and in vivo studies best suited to the particular application of interest.

Animals↗

[Problems in assessing carcinogenic risk of exposure to chemical pollution of the environment].

The main stages of and principles of methodology of assessment of a carcinogenic risk from exposure to environmental factors are considered. The carcinogenic risks of exposure to MAC of in the ambient air of the populated areas, in the reservoir water, and in the air of a working zone were calculated by using the carcinogenic potential. Analyzing the data obtained has indicated that a great variety of potential carcinogens presents a high risk even if the hygienic standards approved now are followed. The methodological and organization aspects of the use of the procedure for assessing carcinogenic risks in Russia are discussed.

Air Pollutants↗

Potential carcinogenicity assessment of alpha-aescin and phenbendasol.

Potential carcinogenic activity of alpha-aescin and phenbendasole made by "Polfa" (Poland) as well as phenbendasole produced by "Hoechst" (Germany) was studied using Salmonella/microsome test, DNA repair test and micronucleus assay. None of tested preparations were mutagenic or genotoxic what suggest that none of them possess potential carcinogenic activity. Besides, it was established that alpha-aescin exhibits strong and phenbendasol weak acute systemic toxicity for mice. Alpha-aescin and phenbendasole produced in Poland have been found to be toxic for bone marrow cells of mice but only when administered at a high dose of 80% LD50.

Animals↗

Carcinogenicity assessment of selected nickel compounds.

The early epidemiological data indicated different carcinogenic risks from inhalation of different nickel compounds, but it was not clear what characteristics governed the intrinsic carcinogenic hazard of the various nickel compounds. Based on the earlier results, all soluble and insoluble nickel compounds were assumed to have the same carcinogenic mechanism albeit different potencies. Recent in vivo and in vitro studies challenged this assumption. In this paper an attempt is made to integrate the most relevant human, animal, and in vitro data into a general model that can help understand the different carcinogenic potentials of the various nickel compounds. In this perspective, it is recognized that there are two main components that could contribute to the development of lung cancer via exposure to certain nickel compounds. The first component corresponds to the heritable changes (genetic or epigenetic) derived from the direct or indirect actions of nickel compounds. The second component may be the promotion of cell proliferation elicited by certain nickel compounds. The different contributions of three nickel compounds to these two components are presented. This paper emphasizes the importance of recognizing the individuality of the different nickel species in reaching regulatory decisions and the fact that different risk assessment considerations may apply for compounds that appear to produce immortality and cancer by genetic/epigenetic mechanisms (like nickel subsulfide), compounds that may present a threshold for the induction of tumors in rats (like high-temperature nickel oxide), or compounds that may only have an enhancing effect on carcinogenicity (like nickel sulfate).

Administration, Inhalation↗

Acute toxicity, genotoxicity, and dermal carcinogenicity assessment of isooctyl acrylate.

Isooctyl acrylate (IOA) monomer is a complex mixture comprised predominantly of isomeric, eight-carbon alkyl esters of acrylic acid. Limited evidence from animal studies suggests that certain acrylate esters may be carcinogenic by the dermal route of exposure. The following studies were performed with IOA monomer: acute oral toxicity limit test in rats, primary dermal and ocular irritancy in rabbits, Ames Salmonella microsome assay, Saccharomyces cerevisiae D3 recombinogenicity assay, L5178Y TK +/- mouse lymphoma cell assay, and C3H/10T1/2 mouse embryo cell transformation assay. Finally, a limited dermal carcinogenicity bioassay was performed in which aliquots (25 microliters) of IOA monomer (5% v/v in acetone), IOA polymer (19% w/v in 70:30 acetone/heptane), or acetone (vehicle control) were applied to the shaved backs of male C3H/HeJ mice three times per week for the animals' lifetimes. IOA monomer had an acute oral LD50 in rats greater than 5000 mg/kg, was slightly irritating to the eyes and skin of rabbits on single exposures, and exhibited no genotoxic or cell-transforming potential. In the dermal carcinogenicity bioassay, no significant difference in mean survival times was observed between either treatment group and the control group. Animals treated with IOA monomer exhibited moderate dermatitis, surface crusting, hyperkeratosis, epidermal hyperplasia, diffuse melanosis, and one benign melanoma at the treatment size. Animals treated with IOA polymer exhibited varying degrees of dermatitis, surface crusting, and hyperkeratosis. Neither IOA monomer nor IOA polymer was carcinogenic under the conditions of the study.

Acrylates↗

Carcinogenicity assessment of lonidamine by dietary administration to Sprague-Dawley rats.

Following chronic dietary administration of 20, 60 and 180 mg/kg per day of lonidamine for 2 years to groups of Sprague-Dawley rats, treatment-related non-tumour findings seen microscopically included the following: atrophy of the testis with associated changes in epididymis and pituitary at all dosages; neuropathy in the sciatic nerve accompanied by skeletal muscle atrophy which was dose-related, particularly in male animals. Neither the incidence of tumour-bearing animals, nor the spectrum of tumours seen, was significantly changed. In the females given 180 mg/kg per day an overall reduction in tumour incidence was noted, which was reflected in a significant reduction (P < 0.001) in mammary tumours.

Administration, Oral↗