Toxicology
Letters,
5 (1980)
o Elsevier/North-Holland
309-317
309
Biomedical Press
PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE VALIDITY OF IN VITRO MEASUREMENT OF DRUG TOXICITY USING HeLa CELLS II. DRUG TOXICITY IN THE MIT-24 SYSTEM COMPARED WITH MOUSE AND HUMAN LETHAL DOSAGE OF 52 DRUGS
BJ6RN EKWALL Department of Human Anatomy, S-75123, Uppsala (Sweden)
University
of Uppsala,
Biomedical
Centre,
Box
571,
(Received April 17th, 1979) (Revision received December 12th, 1979) (Accepted December 20th, 1979)
SUMMARY
By a comparison of the 50% inhibitory concentration to HeLa cells in the microtitre Metabolic Inhibition Test supplemented by microscopy of cells after 24 h incubation (the MIT-24 test), of 52 drugs with their mouse i.v. LD50 and available approximate human lethal dosage, 7 were found to have a human LD considerably lower than HeLa IC50, indicating a lethal action to specialized functions of the human body not found in vitro, while 39 were found to have a gross similarity between the human LD and HeLa IC50. INTRODUCTION
The MIT-24 test has been used to test combined toxicity to HeLa cells in vitro of 75 drug pairs combined at random from 37 common drugs [l, 21. The methods have been proposed for screening [ 21. At present, little is known of the relevance of in vitro toxicity to human toxicity of drugs [3]. Since the value of the combined tests [l, 21 depends entirely on such a relevance, this series of papers tries to examine the correlation between in vitro and in vivo toxicity. Previously [ 41 the MIT-24 toxicity to HeLa cells of 13 combined [ 1, 21 and 15 other drugs has been compared with the in vitro toxicity of the same drugs to various other cells. A similarity of the toxicity to all cell types was found, indicating a similar basal cytotoxic action to all cells irrespective of their degree of differentiation, In the present paper, the MIT-24 toxicity to HeLa cells of the 37 combined drugs [l, 21 and the 15 other drugs [4] is compared with mouse i.v. LD50 and with available approximations of human lethal dosage. The need for a systematic comparison of in vitro and in vivo toxic dosage
310
for a varied drug choice is emphasized by the scarcity of previous studies [3]. Two studies have reported a good correspondence between in vitro cytotoxicity and mouse or human systemic toxicity for small groups of related anesthetic drugs [ 5, 61. Smith et al. [ 71 compared KB cell toxicity and i.p. LD50 for mice of 37 antibiotics and miscellaneous chemicals, and found a weak positive correlation between the variables. Variation of the relation between in vitro and in vivo toxic dosage was not, however, related to different systemic drug toxicity. METHODS
In Tables I and II several categories of data thought to be relevant for comparison of HeLa toxicity with systemic mouse and human toxicity of 52 drugs have been listed. Table I presents such data for the combined 37 drugs [l, 21. The selection is biased in respect to human cytotoxic drug action, since some of the drugs were once included in the combined tests because of a suspected or known cytotoxicity (drugs Nos. 1,2,18,19,21,23, and 37). Table II presents data for 15 drugs which were analysed on their comparative in vitro cytotoxicity in the foregoing study [4] . Together, the 52 drugs are a fairly random sample. The 50% inhibitory drug concentrations (IC50) to HeLa cells in the MIT24 system derive (see note b, Tables I and II) from published IClOO [l, 2, 41. IC50 is clearly a concentration, but may also be considered to be a drug dose (pg/g) to the MIT-24 system. Based on the imprecise peroral human lethal dosage and the mouse p.o./i.v. ratio, an approximated human i.v. LD was calculated, and from it a calculated i.u. lethal concen t&ion (c.i.v. LC) was derived by dividing the i.v. LD by the volume of distribution (Vd) of 0.15 l/kg for a drug distributed in human extracellular water (10.5 1). The c.i.v. LC may be correct for drugs dispersed in ECV (0 and Oe in TAcolumn, Tables I and II), but is for other drugs rather a dose of the drug to ECV and its cellular contents. To supplement the c.i.v.LC, actual lethal blood and liver concentrations from the practice of forensic medicine have been included. These often derive from a small number of cases and include deaths from unknown, variable or excessive dosage, with a varied time lag between intake and analysis [17]. Available information on human tissue accumulation and blood protein binding is presented, since these factors probably influence the comparability of in vitro with in vivo dosage. The MIT-24 is a static, one-compartment system, in which a medium containing 5% serum holds less than a promille cells/water volume [l, 21. If a drug is not metabolized by the few cells or otherwise broken down (hydrolysis), drug action lasts 24 h or 7 days. The human body is a dynamic, multicompartmental system, in which an extracellular water containing more than 20% serum holds about 50% cells/water volume. Drug action in the human
311
body is not constant, since drugs may be eliminated, redistributed, and metabolized to less or more toxic compounds by the considerable number of cells (including transformations of drugs by liver cells probably not operating efficiently in HeLa cells). Of these incongruencies between the systems, differential cell density may be the most important. An equivalent toxicity of a drug dose accumulating in cells ought to be accentuated in the MIT-24 system by its lesser cell density compared to the human body. Also the smaller extracellular protein content of the MIT-24 system ought to accentuate otherwise equivalent toxicity of drugs preferentially binding to extracellular protein. RESULTS
Human LD and the calculated human i.v. lethal concentration are considerably lower than the 24 h and 7 days’ HeLa IC50 for 7 (Nos. 14, 20, 25, 38, 40, 46 and 48) of the 52 compared drugs (Tables I and II). Drugs Nos. 20, 38, 40, 46 and 48 also have a low mouse LD50 compared with their HeLa IC50. For the remaining 39 drugs with a reported human lethal dosage, there is a statistically significant (r = 0.46, P < 0.01) positive correlation between the human LD and the 7 days’ HeLa IC50, seen by the roughly parallel decrease of both variables in Tables I and II. While the human i.v. LD is generally 5-10 times smaller than HeLa IC50, the calculated human i.v. LC has about the same magnitude as HeLa IC50. For 47 drugs the mouse i.v. LD shows a good correspondence to HeLa IC50, including the 6 drugs without a reported human LD. Thus the comparison of in vitro and in vivo dosage separates two drug groups: One small group with a clear discrepancy of compared dosage, and one large group with a gross similarity of dosage. DISCUSSION
A good correspondence between increasing HeLa toxicity and increasing tissue accr_mulation (t,T, and TT) as well as blood protein binding (p,P and PP) is seen for most drugs, the exceptions being Nos. 22, 31, 47, and 52 in the case of tissue accumulation, and Nos. 12, 13, 19, 37, and 52 in the case of protein binding. This indicates that these factors influence or even cause cytotoxicity, perhaps by an intracellular protein denaturation. For the 45 drugs with a crude similarity between in vitro and in vivo dosage the successive increase of the HeLa toxicity, proportional to drug tissue accumulation and protein binding, is not exactly parallelled by the increase of mouse and/or human toxicity. Instead, a gradual increase of human LD compared to the HeLa IC50, proportional to increased toxicity and drug accumulation, is seen, which is probably an effect of the higher cell density of the human body compared with the MIT-24 system.
I
Tripelennamine
Phenformin
Methyldopa
Colistimethate
Thiotepa
Strychnine
Na fluoride
Methampyrone
Quinidine
Dihydralazine
Methadone
Noscapine
Verapamil
Alprenolol
Amitriptyline
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
21
28
29
Methoxamine
14
15
Chlordiazepoxide
Papaverine
Procaine
11
13
TheophyIIine
12
Phenobarbital
9
10
Nikethamide
6
Sulfisoxazole
Hexobarbital
5
PriIocaine
Methimazole
4
a
Methyprylon
3
1
Lithium
Alcohol
name*
THEIR
1
Drug
FOR
INHIBITION
2
NO.
TESTED
DRUG
TABLE
HeLa
for
23
45
45
60
89
100
45
180
180
180
200
200
200
200
200
280
310
320
350
440
540
1300
1600
1600
1800
2200
3400
3100
3700
24 h
-
in pg/mlb
IC50
HeLa
37
45
89
40
89
74
13
81
130
130
8.0
89
89
200
200
180
110
480
670
170
540
890
120
1900
400
660
3400
1100
2000
7 days
cells
TO
COMPARED
TOXICITY
CELLS
COMBINED
OF
TO CELLS
MOUSE
for
0.40
l.OE
31
26R
8.0
83
16
170E
69
500E
40E
650
1900
1OOE
23
30E
33
95
45
200E
200E
62
2500R
150E
145
400E
280
2000
500E
/Jg/gc
mice,
i.v.
LD50
HeLa
7
7
20
10E
4
2
9
6E
2
5E
2
8R
5
6SE
10
6
2E
4
3E
4
3E
3
5
2E
p.0.li.v. d ratio
AND
in
10E
PO 2.0
PO 10E
po 4.OER
PO 10E
PO 0.10
PO 12
PO 20
PO 4.5
PO 0.12
iv 0.30E
iv 10E
-
po
PO 3.5
SC 0.60
PO 10E
iv 6.OE
iv 2.0
PO 5.0
iv 5. OE
PO 60E
PO 10E
PO 3.0
PO 15
PO 300
PO 60E
ge
dose
Total
Approximate
APPROXIMATE
4.1
20
2.7
14
0.36
19
48
32
0.34
4.3
140
18
10
1.4
24
86
29
37
71
210
48
11
71
860
430
!Jg/gf
1.~. dose
human
HUMAN
210
2.4
27
140
19
95
130
320
2.3
29
950
120
67
9.5
160
570
190
240
480
1400
320
71
480
5700
2900
/.lg/m1g
DOSAGE
9.0c
0.6CR
1.0
45c
2.0
26
3.0
1oc
26P
150CR
100
78C
500E
30R
!Jg/mlh
cont.
Blood
dosage
1.~. cont.
lethal
LETHAL
31
5.5R
3.4
250
220
80
83
1OP
123
5000
MP/P’
cont.
Liver
OF
T
P
P
T
P
P
P
P
P
0
0
PR
PP
P
P
P
P
P
0
0
PBk
P
and
PREVIOUSLY
T
TR
T
t
t
0
eB
T
t
e
Oe
OL
t
Oe
Oe
t
e
e
0
e
Oe
e
e
TAj
binding
protein
Tissue
DRUGS,
21 n
20
11
19
m
14
Ref.’
z
0
20
ProPran
Benztropine
Imipramine
Chlorpromazine
Metbotrimeprazine
32
33
34
35
36
37
50
column.
handbooks
of a peroral s.c., subcutaneous
for rats or rabbits. dosage.
unknown
dose compared
A dash denotes
S, a subcutaneous
extrapolated
[17,
iFrom
corresponds
dosage.
from Ciba Co., Easel.
from H&de Co., Gothenburg.
“Report
by R are only found in literature
mReport
1Data marked
indicated
drug dose. 0, no or slight binding
[16],
TA, tissue of cells or no penetra-
l/kg. e, even distribu-
binding (30-70%).
in bone.
to a vd between B, accumulation P, moderate
p.o./i.v. E. lethal corm.
and 0.6 l/kg. t, moderate corresponding
0.15
in liver only. (O-30%).
L, accumulation
of less than 0.15 Oe, slight penetration
(vd) by vd between
I/kg).
volumes
ratio. and the mouse
in Drug Treatment
column.
1.2 and 8.0 l/kg. T, high tissue accumulation,
column.
in this column.
R, see Reference
binding of a therapeutic
PP. 99% binding.
PB, blood protein
binding (70-98%).
[14-161.
column.
handbooks
P, pronounced
kFrom
R, see reference
0.6 l/kg (0.15-1.2
by distribution
to a vd of 10 l/kg or more.
by vd between
R, see References
A on drug data information
for some drugs indicated
by vd around
(membrane).
corresponding
for some drugs indicated
3.0 and 10 I/kg. TT, very high tissue accumulation,
cellular (tissue) accumulation,
surface
is Appendix
for some drugs indicated
for some drugs indicated
to cellular
water,
1, or a P.O. total dose divided by 10.5 to a dose.
to iv.
not
E, lethal dosage extrapolated
of the average total lethal dose. P, drug plus metabolites.
P. drug plus metabolites.
reference
to tbe blood cont.
column.
to an intake
R, see Reference
0, no cell penetration,
of 10.5
this ~oncentration~corresponds
of which the most common
with some binding
cells and extraceullular
tion of cells combined
tion between
dosage.
of therapeutic
12, 14-161,
The liver cont.
accumulation
Ill,
a survey I171.
handbooks
iFrom
volumes,
C, a corm. corresponding
in different
concentration.
181.
distribute
from a highly toxic
two survey articles
extrapolated
hFrom
ratio. Since the drugs actually
water volume
____
with an iv. dose. R. see reference
in the special
extracellular
column.
i.v., intravenous;
E, a similar ratio
of administration,
R, note of the reference
the maximal
body weight of 70 kg, or a p.o. total dose divided by 70 and the mouse p.o/i.v.
R, see reference
P.o., peroral,
LD50.
drugs, rat dosage.
mouse dosage from other routes
or for isolated
lethal dosage,
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
23, while IC50 in Table II
TT
TT
TT
TT
T
gThe iv. total dose in mg, divided by the average human
dosage.
[8, 11-171.
to an i.v. mouse
minimal
of administration,
based on mouse
58
317
155
OL
T
mean value between
to HeLa cells [l,
as a geometrical
141. X, may be less.
1.6
3oc
7.0
24 h HeLa cytotoxicity.
0.48
75
drug toxicity
was calculated
on combined
IC50
0.071
11
29 48
7.1
24
38
190
4.3
3.6
5.7
28
in order of decreasing
iv 0.005
PO 4.0
PO 10
PO 3.0
PO l.OE
PO 8.0
previously
[4].
PO 10 -
fThe i.v. total dose in mg, divided by the average human
from highly toxic
eFrom
column.
dRatio
reference
E, estimates
corm., as described
with rat dosage for all routes
18-101.
5
20
10
4
20
from reports
in vitro cytotoxicity
100% inhibitory
study of comparative
and the minimal
handbooks
cont.
dosage by a comparison
‘From
injurious
derives from a previous
5 3
Drugs arranged
5.OE [ 1, 2.41.
corm. ICBO-values in Table I derive.
bIC50
reports
to usage ln previous
aDrug names according
= 50% inhibitory
0.018
0.04
Ouabain
75
16
36
24
22
220E
8.9
13
22
18
18
4.8
8.9
9.5
17
18
18
20
Ethacrynie
31
acid
Prometbazine
30
g
w
4500
2800
Gallamine
Benzylpenicillin
Tubocurarine
Benzyl alcohol
38
39
40
41
120
Phenol
Nicotine
Phenylbutazone
Epinephrine
Quinine
Hydroxyzine
Chloroquine
Methotrexate
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
For fobtnotes see Table I.
300
Chloramphenicol
44
8.5 x
10
40
60
400
490
850
1300
43
1700
Lidocaine
Caffeine
42
6400
40000
24 h
5.7x
8.0
95
40
36
58
890
490
400
120
900
4200
2200
580
27000
I days
10E
40
80E
68R
1.8
120
7.1
130
250
68
22
480
0.18
430E
4.3
wgc
mice,
LD50 i.v. for
DNgnmlea
IC50 for HeLa cells
5
10
6
7
5
4
2
10
9
3
ratio d
P.0.li.v.
LETHAL
DOSES FOR 15 DRUGS
8.0
PO 2.OE
PO
PO 7.0
PO 12
PO 20 iv 0.020
PO 0.010
PO 4.0
PO 42
PO 15
iv 3.OE
iv 0.020
iv 40E
iv 0.20
in ge
dose
Total
5.1
11
17
24
57 0.29
0.25
29
60
24
43
0.29
570
2.9
&vgf
1.~. dose
38
76
110
160
380 1.9
1.7
190
400
160
290
1.9
3800
19
pg/mlg
47R
12c
400
29
70R
68 106C
pg/mIh
cont.
I.v. cone. Blood
Approximate human lethal dosage
TO MOUSE AND HUMAN
in pg/mlb
TO HeLa CELLS COMPARED
NO.
DRUG INHIBITION -.._
TABLE II
Liver
308R
220
250
57 116
@g/gi
COIIC.
eR
TT
tR
t
t
0
tR
t
e
t eR
0
Oe
0
TAj
binding
PR
P
pR
P
P
PP
P 0
P
P OR
P
P
PBk
Tissue and protein
..--
21
26
25
5
24
23
22
Ref.’
315
The practical consequence of the comparative accentuation of the MIT-24 toxicity for accumulating drugs is that a similarity of in vitro and in vivo dosage is more valid for drugs not accumulating in cells (0, Oe, and e) than for those that do. Another way to express the same thing is to say that the calculated i.v. concentrations are truly comparable with the HeLa IC50 only for drugs actually confined to ECV (0, Oe), while drugs distributing in total body water or accumulating in cells (e,t,T, and TT) reach a smaller concentration (comparable to HeLa IC50) obtainable by division of their i.v. LD by their actual distribution volume. Since distribution volumes (V,-J for the tissue binding drugs vary between 1 and 20 l/kg (note k, Tables I and II), and since heavily accumulating drugs have a high LD compared with the HeLa IC50, this correction will not appreciably change the found crude (l--10 times) similarity of in vitro and in vivo dosage for a large drug group. It might be concluded, that 7 of the drugs (Nos. 14, 20, 25, 38, 40, 46, and 48) on grounds of a much lower dosage in vivo would be expected to cause human death by other mechanisms than their HeLa toxicity. The remaining 39 drugs with a gross similarity of human and HeLa inhibitory dosage may because of this similarity cause human death by an equivalent interference with basic cellular structures and functions of human target cells and HeLa cells [4], and thus also may have a MIT-24 toxicity relevant to human lethal action. For 47 drugs the similarity between mouse and HeLa inhibitory dosage indicates a possible similarity of lethal drug action to both mice and HeLa cells. These conclusions are consistent with the known human lethal action of the drugs [ ll--161 : 6 of the 7 drugs with clear dose discrepancy, i.e. methoxamine, methadone, gallamine, tubocurarine, nicotine, and epinephrine, interfere therapeutically with highly specialized neuroreceptors, and probably cause human death by interference with them. On the other hand, the 39 drugs with a gross similarity of in vitro and in vivo dosage, with exception of benztropine (No. 33), are known or suspected to cause human death by interference with relatively nonspecific receptors in brain cells or other cells (Nos. 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 30, 35, 37, 42, 44, 45, 47,49, 51, and 52) or to have an essentially unknown human lethal action mechanism. Another 6 drugs without a known human dosage, but with equivalent mouse and HeLa inhibitory dosage, have an essentially unknown mode of human lethal action. Since 34 of the 37 combined [l, 21 drugs belong to the group of 45 drugs with a similar mouse and/or human and HeLa dosage combined with an unknown or nonspecific human lethal action mechanism, a provisional relevance may be claimed for most of the combined test results. Thus the clinically well known hexobarbital-alcohol potentiative toxicity was recorded by us in vitro [l] . Since 45 of 52 randomly selected common drugs seem to belong to a category with a possible relevance of MIT-24 toxicity, methods to screen combined human systemic toxicity in vitro [ 1, 21 ought to be a realistic
316
supplement to whole animal tests. Drugs would probably be included in these tests only on grounds of a provisionally relevant MIT-24 toxicity, since potentiative synergisms or antagonisms have to be confirmed by whole animal testing [2]. The results of this study suggest that drug interference with basic functions of specialized cells may be a common cause of drug-induced human death. Some of the present lack of knowledge of precise modes of toxic drug action may therefore be elucidated by the use of tissue culture. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am indebted to Dr. Birgitta Werner, Stockholm, Dr. Johan Hogberg, Stockholm, and Dr. Anders Blomqvist, Uppsala, for valuable discussions. REFERENCES 1 B. Ekwall and B. Sandstrom, Combined toxicity to HeLa cells of 30 drug pairs, studied by a two-dimensional microtitre method, Toxicol. Lett., 2 (1978) 285-292. 2 B. Ekwall and B. Sandstrom, Improved use of the Metabolic Inhibition Test to screen combined drug toxicity to HeLa cells - preliminary study of 61 drug pairs, Toxicol. Lett., 2 (1978) 293-298. 3 R.M. Nardone, Toxicity testing in vitro, in G.H. Rothblat and V.J. Cristofalo (Eds.), Growth, Nutrition, and Metabolism of Cells in Culture, Vol. III, Academic Press, New York, 1977. 4 B. Ekwall and A. Johansson, Preliminary studies on the validity of in vitro measurement of drug toxicity using HeLa cells, I. Comparative in vitro cytotoxicity of 27 drugs, Toxicol. Lett., 5 (1980) 297-305. 5 J.L. Schmidt, F.C. McIntire, D.L. Martin, M. Anita Hawthorne, and R.K. Richards, The relationship among different in vivo properties of local anesthetics and toxicity to cell cultures in vitro, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., 1 (1959) 454-461. 6 Y. Goto, C.A. Dujovne, D.W. Shoeman, and K. Arakawa, Liver cell culture toxicity of general anesthetics, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., 36 (1976) 121-130. 7 C.G. Smith, J.E. Grady, and J.I. Northam, Relationship between cytotoxicity in vitro and whole animal toxicity, Cancer Chemother. Rept., 30 (1963) 9-12. 8 NIOSH registry of toxic effects of chemical substances, Rockville, Maryland, 1976. 9 C.D. Barnes and L.C. Eltherington, Drug Dosage in Laboratory Animals, University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 1973. 10 The Merck Index, Merck, Rahway, NJ, 1968. 11 P. Cooper, Poisoning by drugs and chemicals, plants and animals - An index of toxic effects and their treatment, Alchemist, London, 1974. 12 R.H. Dreisbach (Ed.), Handbook of Poisoning, Lange, Los Altos, CA, 1977. 13 F. Sandberg, Overdosering av hikemedel (Overdosing of drugs), in FASS 1979, Almqvist and Wiksell, Uppsala, 1979. 14 L.S. Goodman and A. Gilman, The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, McMillan, London, 1971. 15 Ainly Wade (Ed.), Martindale’s Extra Pharmacopoeia, Pharmaceutical Press, London, 1977. 16 G.S. Avery (Ed.), Drug Treatment - Principles and Practice of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2nd ed., Adis Press, Sydney, 1979.
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