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The Toxicologist - Society of Toxicology

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egulated targets were selected for analysis in the hippocampus. Several genes related<br />

to vascular density (VegfC, vWF) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis<br />

function (Gr, Pomc) were altered by prenatal treatments. No changes were observed<br />

in several serotonin receptor subtypes or TrkB. <strong>The</strong>se results show that alterations in<br />

the in utero environment modeled on maternal depression and its treatment may<br />

result in long-term effects on the gene expression in adult <strong>of</strong>fspring. Studies are underway<br />

to investigate the importance <strong>of</strong> these observations.<br />

1640 FACIAL ANOMALIES IN A RAT MODEL WITH<br />

ETHANOL: ANIMAL FRIENDLY MARKERS FOR FETAL<br />

ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS).<br />

R. Slieker, L. vd Horst, R. Nederl<strong>of</strong>, M. Otto and D. De Groot. TNO Quality<br />

<strong>of</strong> Life, Zeist, Netherlands. Sponsor: R. Woutersen.<br />

Background. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the teratogenic consequence <strong>of</strong> excessive<br />

maternal consumption <strong>of</strong> alcohol during pregnancy. In addition to neurocognitive<br />

and behavioural disabilities children with FAS show facial anomalies including<br />

short palpebral fissures, a hypoplastic philtrum and a thin upper lip. <strong>The</strong>se<br />

anomalies are used for the diagnosis <strong>of</strong> FAS in children. Goal. Three questions were<br />

raised: 1. Are similar facial anomalies present in a rat model <strong>of</strong> prenatal exposure to<br />

ethanol? 2. Can facial anomalies be derived and quantified from photographs,<br />

taken straightforward from the rat’s snout? 3. Can facial anomalies thus serve as animal<br />

friendly markers for normal development and development <strong>of</strong> FAS in a rat<br />

model thereby reducing or even replacing conventional daily testing <strong>of</strong> senses and<br />

reflexes <strong>of</strong> rat pups during the preweaning period, or testing <strong>of</strong> cognition and motor<br />

performance during adolescence and adulthood? Strategy. A recently developed<br />

protocol for an Extended One Generation Reproduction <strong>Toxicology</strong> Study (OECD<br />

EOGRTS) was performed in rats, exposing them daily to ethanol via drinking<br />

water (0, 1.5, 4.0, 6.5, 9.0, 11.5, 14%) from 2 weeks pre-mating to postnatal day<br />

(PND) 70 <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>fspring. For the purpose <strong>of</strong> this research, the <strong>of</strong>fspring was photographed<br />

with a high resolution camera on PND8, PND37, PND61 and PND70.<br />

A number <strong>of</strong> parameters was selected analogues to analysis in man, i.e. height <strong>of</strong> the<br />

philtrum, width and height <strong>of</strong> the nose and the width <strong>of</strong> the lower lips. Parameters<br />

were measured digitally with correction for the magnification used. Conventional<br />

daily testing <strong>of</strong> senses and reflexes <strong>of</strong> the rat pups, testing <strong>of</strong> cognition and motor<br />

performance at later test age was performed as well. Results / Conclusions. Facial<br />

anomalies, similar to children with FAS, were observed in ethanol exposed rats<br />

showing ethanol induced retardation in conventional guideline testing, i.e. significant<br />

reduction in height <strong>of</strong> the philtrum and changes in width / height <strong>of</strong> the nose,<br />

thus <strong>of</strong>fering early and animal friendly markers for FAS in a rat model with ethanol.<br />

1641 DEVELOPMENTAL ARSENIC EXPOSURE INCREASES<br />

PERINATAL MORTALITY AND CAUSES LIVER<br />

INFLAMMATION IN FEMALE MICE.<br />

M. W. Carmody, A. R. King, A. E. Hill and R. J. Sommer. Biology Department,<br />

Bates College, Lewiston, ME.<br />

Recently, more attention is being paid to the risks <strong>of</strong> early life exposure to arsenic.<br />

In our laboratory, developmental exposure <strong>of</strong> C57BL/6 mice to 50 or 500 ppb<br />

sodium arsenite (given in maternal drinking water 1 week prior to mating until<br />

PND 21) decreased the average number <strong>of</strong> live pups per litter on PND 2 (7.1 ± 0.4<br />

to 4.7 ± 0.9 and 4.7 ± 1.1 neonates/litter, mean ± SEM, for the 0, 50, 500 ppb<br />

groups, respectively, N=9-10). Small decreases in uterine implantation sites (8.7 ±<br />

0.4, 7.9 ± 0.3, 7.7 ± 0.4, N=14-16) may have contributed to the smaller litter size<br />

on PND 2. However, no difference in maternal body weight gain during pregnancy,<br />

combined with no change in the percentage <strong>of</strong> the number <strong>of</strong> live fetuses per<br />

uterine implantation sites on gestation day (gd) 18, indicates that more pup lost occurred<br />

late in gestation or soon after birth. No additional pup mortality occurred<br />

after PND 2. On PND 21, all <strong>of</strong>fspring were weaned to cages with “clean” water<br />

(no arsenic). Thus, arsenic exposure in our study occurred only from the time <strong>of</strong><br />

conception until PND 21. At 4 months <strong>of</strong> age, females exposed to arsenic early in<br />

life had livers with many perivascular and lobular collections <strong>of</strong> leukocytes. Small<br />

collections <strong>of</strong> inflammatory cells were observed in control female livers but the<br />

number and size <strong>of</strong> inflammatory collections increased in females developmentally<br />

exposed to arsenic. Control females averaged 5.2 ± 1.8 small lesions/mm 2 (N=5),<br />

whereas 50 and 500 ppb females averaged 13.1 ± 3.7 (N=7) and 13.5 ± 5.6 (N=4)<br />

small to large lesions per mm 2 <strong>of</strong> liver. At 4 months <strong>of</strong> age, liver organ weight was<br />

decreased (1.12 ± 0.04, 1.19 ± 0.06, 0.93 ± 0.03 g, N=6-8) and the percentage <strong>of</strong><br />

hepatocytes with multiple nuclei were increased (46 ± 4, 47 ± 4, 64 ± 6 %, N=6-8)<br />

in female <strong>of</strong>fspring exposed to 500 ppb arsenic from conception to PND 21. In<br />

summary, developmental arsenic exposure caused a modest increase in perinatal<br />

mortality and caused liver toxicity in female mice in adulthood. Supported by NIH<br />

R15 ES019108 and Bates College.<br />

1642 MICRORNA EXPRESSION PROFILES AFTER<br />

DEVELOPMENTAL EXPOSURE OF ZEBRAFISH (DANIO<br />

RERIO) EMBRYOS TO TCDD.<br />

N. Aluru 1 , M. J. Jenny 1, 2 and M. E. Hahn 1 . 1 Biology Department, Woods Hole<br />

Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA and 2 Department <strong>of</strong> Biological Sciences,<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.<br />

MicroRNAs are an important group <strong>of</strong> small non-coding RNAs that regulate<br />

mRNA expression. MicroRNA roles in early embryonic development are well established,<br />

and their disruption during development can cause abnormalities.<br />

However, little is known about the effect <strong>of</strong> developmental toxicants on microRNA<br />

expression. We hypothesized that the developmental exposure <strong>of</strong> 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin<br />

(TCDD) alters microRNA expression patterns in embryos.<br />

In an initial experiment, zebrafish embryos were exposed to 5 nM TCDD or<br />

DMSO at 30 hr post-fertilization (hpf) for 1 hr and sampled at 36 and 60 hpf,<br />

prior to and at the onset <strong>of</strong> TCDD-induced phenotypic abnormalities, respectively.<br />

MicroRNA expression pr<strong>of</strong>iles were determined using microarrays (Agilent and<br />

Exiqon) and qRT-PCR. Microarray results revealed modest changes in microRNA<br />

expression. Exiqon microarray revealed altered expression <strong>of</strong> 8 and 14 microRNAs<br />

at 36 and 60 hpf, respectively; Agilent microarray revealed no changes at 36 hpf and<br />

8 microRNAs altered at 60 hpf. Both Exiqon and Agilent platforms showed similar<br />

patterns for miR-451, 23a, 23b, 24 and 27e. <strong>The</strong>se microRNAs are known to target<br />

genes involved in erythrocyte maturation (miR-451) and cardiac development<br />

(miRs-23a, 23b and 24). To characterize the temporal pr<strong>of</strong>iles <strong>of</strong> TCDD-induced<br />

changes in microRNA expression, we exposed embryos to 5 nM TCDD or DMSO<br />

for 1 hr at 4 hpf and sampled at 24, 48, 60, 72, and 96 hpf. <strong>The</strong> greatest changes<br />

occurred later in development (72 hpf). <strong>The</strong>se results suggest that TCDD exposure<br />

causes modest changes in expression <strong>of</strong> microRNAs, including some that are critical<br />

for hematopoiesis and cardiac development. Ongoing studies are evaluating effects<br />

<strong>of</strong> other teratogens on microRNA expression and are comparing deep sequencing<br />

(Illumina, SOLiD) and microarray approaches for measuring microRNA<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>iles. [Supported by R21ES017304]<br />

1643 MIRNAS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR BILE ACID<br />

HOMEOSTASIS DURING LIVER DEVELOPMENT.<br />

Y. J. Cui, J. Liu, Z. Fu, Y. Guo and C. D. Klaassen. Department <strong>of</strong> Pharmacology,<br />

<strong>Toxicology</strong> and <strong>The</strong>rapeutics, University <strong>of</strong> Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS.<br />

One critical pathway that is <strong>of</strong>ten compromised in many pediatric liver diseases is<br />

bile acid (BA) homeostasis, leading to cholestasis and malnutrition in children.<br />

Growing evidence suggests that miRNAs are implicated in a wide range <strong>of</strong> pathological<br />

processes in liver by regulating the mRNA stability and protein formation <strong>of</strong><br />

genes, but very little is known about miRNAs in normal liver development. <strong>The</strong><br />

purpose <strong>of</strong> the present study was to determine the roles <strong>of</strong> mRNAs in BA homeostasis<br />

during liver development. Mice with hepatocyte-specific depletion <strong>of</strong> Dicer,<br />

an essential enzyme in producing all mature miRNAs were engineered. Dicer depletion<br />

markedly increased BA concentrations from 20 to 45-days <strong>of</strong> age (UPLC-<br />

MS/MS), corresponding to pr<strong>of</strong>ound progressive hepatocyte degeneration and<br />

compensatory cell proliferation (H&E). Surprisingly, although BA concentrations<br />

were high, the mRNA <strong>of</strong> the rate-limiting BA-synthesizing enzyme, Cyp7a1, generally<br />

did not change in livers <strong>of</strong> Dicer-null mice (RT-PCR). Conversely, there was<br />

a marked decrease in the mRNAs <strong>of</strong> Sult1b1 and Ugt2b1 (enzymes for BA-detoxification),<br />

as well as Ugt1a1 (an enzyme for bilirubin-conjugation). For BA-transporters,<br />

there was a decrease in both the mRNAs and proteins <strong>of</strong> the BA-uptake<br />

transporters Ntcp and Oatp1b2, as well as an increase in the BA-efflux transporter<br />

Mrp4 in Dicer-null livers. However, the mRNA <strong>of</strong> the rate-limiting BA-efflux<br />

transporter Bsep did not change in Dicer-null livers during development, and in<br />

fact, the Bsep protein even decreased at 20-days <strong>of</strong> age (western blot), which correlated<br />

with a decrease in both mRNAs and proteins <strong>of</strong> the major BA-sensor, FXR. In<br />

conclusion, depletion <strong>of</strong> mature miRNAs produced cholestasis in developing livers<br />

corresponding to impaired compensatory regulation <strong>of</strong> many essential BA-processing<br />

genes, highlighting the importance <strong>of</strong> miRNAs in maintaining normal BA<br />

homeostasis during liver development. (Supported by NIH grants ES-07078, ES-<br />

09649, ES-09716, ES-013714, and ES-021940.)<br />

1644 AN INHALATION DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY<br />

STUDY OF N-ETHYL ACETAMIDE IN RATS.<br />

J. Domoradzki 1 , T. Edwards 2 and D. Kirkpatrick 2 . 1 Dow Corning Corporation,<br />

Auburn, MI and 2 WIL Research Laboratories, LLC, Ashland, OH.<br />

Developmental effects <strong>of</strong> alkylated acetamides have been reported in laboratory animals<br />

by various routes <strong>of</strong> administration. Since inhalation <strong>of</strong> N-ethyl acetamide<br />

(NEA) is a potential route <strong>of</strong> worker exposure, data from whole-body inhalation exposures<br />

<strong>of</strong> rats to NEA were relevant to health risk assessment. <strong>The</strong> objective was to<br />

SOT 2011 ANNUAL MEETING 353

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