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Experimental Therapeutics, Preclinical Pharmacology |
Department of Radiation Oncology, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland/Ireland Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-6068 [T. J. K., J. E. S., T. W. D., S. E. B., H-S. H.]; Clinical Pharmacology Section, Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 [K. W., F. B.]; Argus Research Laboratories, Inc., Horsham, Pennsylvania 19044 [J. B.]; and SuperGen Pharmaceuticals, San Ramon, California 94583 [H. S.]
| ABSTRACT |
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1 h after p.o. IPdR. Athymic mice tolerated oral
IPdR at up to 1500 mg/kg/day given four times per day for 614 days
without significant systemic toxicities. In anticipation of an
investigational new drug application for the first clinical Phase I and
pharmacology study of oral IPdR in humans, we studied the drug
pharmacokinetics and host toxicities in two non-rodent, animal species.
For the IPdR systemic toxicity and toxicology study, twenty-four male
or female ferrets were randomly assigned to four IPdR dosage groups
receiving 0, 15, 150, and 1500 mg/kg/day by oral gavage x 14 days
prior to sacrifice on study day 15. All ferrets survived the 14-day
treatment. Ferrets receiving 1500 mg/kg/day showed observable systemic
toxicities with diarrhea, emesis, weight loss, and decreased motor
activity beginning at days 58 of the 14-day schedule. Overall, both
male and female ferrets receiving IPdR at 1500 mg/kg/day experienced
significant weight loss (9 and 19%, respectively) compared with
controls after the 14-day treatment. No weight loss or other systemic
toxicities were observed in other IPdR dosage groups. Grossly, no
anatomical lesions were noted at complete necropsy, although liver
weights were increased in both male and female ferrets in the two
higher IPdR dosage groups. Histologically, IPdR-treated animals showed
dose-dependent microscopic changes in liver consisting of minimal to
moderate cytoplasmic vacuolation of hepatocytes, which either occurred
in the periportal area (high dosage group) or diffusely throughout the
liver (lower dosage groups). Female ferrets in the highest IPdR
dose group also showed decreased kidney and uterus weights at autopsy
without any associated histological changes. No histological changes
were found in central nervous system tissues. No significant
abnormalities in blood cell counts, liver function tests, kidney
function tests, or urinalysis were noted. Hepatic aldehyde oxidase
activity was decreased to approximately 50 and 30% of control ferrets
in the two higher IPdR dosage groups, respectively, after the 14-day
treatment period. The % IUdR-DNA incorporation in ferret bone marrow
at the completion of IPdR treatment was
0.05% in the two lower
dosage groups and
2% in the 1500 mg/kg/day dosage group. The %
IUdR-DNA in normal liver was
0.05% in all IPdR dosage groups.
In a pharmacokinetic study in four Rhesus monkeys, we determined the
plasma concentrations of IPdR after a single i.v. bolus of 50 mg/kg
over 20 min. Using a two-compartment model to fit the plasma
pharmacokinetic data, we found that IPdR was cleared in these non-human
primates in a biexponential manner with an initial rapid distributive
phase (mean T1/2
= 6.5 min),
followed by an elimination phase with a mean
T1/2ß of 63 min. The mean maximum plasma
concentration of IPdR was 124 ± 43 µM with a mean
total body clearance of 1.75 ± 0.95 l/h/kg. IPdR was below
detection (<0.5 µM) in the cerebrospinal fluid.
We conclude that there are dose-limiting systemic toxicities to a 14-day schedule of p.o. IPdR at 1500 mg/kg/day in ferrets that were not found previously in athymic mice. However, no significant hematological, biochemical, or histopathological changes were found. Hepatic aldehyde oxidase activity was reduced in a dose-dependent in ferret liver, suggesting partial enzyme saturation by this IPdR schedule. The plasma pharmacokinetic profile in Rhesus monkeys showing biexponential clearance is similar to our published data in athymic mice. These data are being applied to the design of an initial clinical Phase I study of p.o. IPdR as a radiosensitizer.
| INTRODUCTION |
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Because IUdR is rapidly metabolized by hepatic and extrahepatic routes when given by bolus infusion (plasma T1/2 <5 min) in both rodents and humans (1) , a prolonged continuous or intermittent i.v. schedule is necessary to maximize the proportion of tumor cells that incorporate IUdR during S-phase. Using a human colon cancer xenograft model, we found that 9599% of the tumor cells incorporated IUdR into DNA after a continuous exposure for approximately five times the potential tumor doubling time (Tpot; Ref. 13 ), which is measured to be in the range of 28 days for many human tumors (1) . Recent Phase I and II clinical trials using prolonged continuous or repeated intermittent i.v. infusions of IUdR or the related analogue 5-bromo-2'-deoxuridine in clinically radioresistant human tumors including high-grade brain tumors, locally advanced squamous cell cancers of the cervix or head and neck, locally advanced sarcomas, and colorectal liver metastases suggest a therapeutic gain in clinical radiosensitization using these dThd analogues (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) . However, systemic toxicity to rapidly proliferating normal tissues (principally bone marrow and intestine) can limit the duration and dose rate of the drug infusion and consequently may limit the extent of human tumor radiosensitization by the halogenated dThd analogues (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) .
The use of p.o. administered IPdR as a prodrug for IUdR-mediated tumor
radiosensitization is an experimental approach under development by our
group over the last 5 years (22, 23, 24)
. The original
strategy for development of pyrimidinone nucleosides like IPdR by
Efange et al. (25)
was based on the hypothesis
that nucleosides without an amino group or oxygen at position 4 would
be used as substrates by viral thymidine kinase but not by mammalian
cellular nucleoside kinases. While screening several 5-substituted
2-pyrimidinone-2'-deoxyribonucleoside analogues for anti-herpes simplex
virus activity in HeLa cell cultures, IPdR was found to be most
effective (26)
. Importantly, IPdR was also found to have
significant activity in herpes simplex-infected mice, even with oral
(p.o.) administration, and was associated with no significant host
toxicities (26)
. Although these initial studies suggested
that p.o. IPdR did not require metabolism to IUdR for antiviral
activity, follow-up studies by these same investigators found an
aldehyde oxidase present in both mouse and rat liver that efficiently
converts IPdR to IUdR (27)
. Other normal rodent tissues
including intestine, bone marrow, lung, brain, and kidney showed
1
log less activity of this IPdR-aldehyde oxidase.
In three recent publications, we have documented an improved
therapeutic gain for in vivo human tumor xenograft
radiosensitization in athymic mice using daily p.o. dosing of IPdR x 614 days compared with either daily p.o. or continuous infusion
IUdR for similar time periods using MTD schedules of IUdR
(22, 23, 24)
. Using two different human colon cancer cell
lines (HT-29 and HCT 116) and one human glioblastoma cell line (U251)
as s.c. xenografts in athymic mice, we found
2-fold increases
in % IUdR-DNA tumor cell incorporation and
2-fold decreases in %
IUdR-DNA incorporation in proliferating dose-limiting normal tissues
(bone marrow and intestine) after p.o. IPdR compared with either p.o.
or continuous infusion IUdR. Pharmacokinetic analyses in mice of p.o.
IPdR showed efficient metabolism of IPdR to IUdR by hepatic IPdR
aldehyde oxidase with peak plasma levels of the prodrug (IPdR) and
active drug (IUdR) noted within 15 min of p.o. IPdR administration and
measurable IPdR and IUdR plasma levels for up to 90120 min (22
, 23)
. Using cytosolic extracts from normal human liver specimens,
we also found rapid in vitro conversion of IPdR to IUdR,
suggesting that normal human liver has significant IPdR-aldehyde
oxidase activity. This human hepatic enzyme activity was protein
dependent and inhibited by low concentrations of menadione and
isovanillin (selective inhibitors for aldehyde oxidase) but not with
allopurinol (a selective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase; Ref.
23
). In contrast to human liver, normal human small
intestine was found to have significantly lower (>1 log) IPdR-aldehyde
oxidase activity, similar to our mouse data (22
, 23)
.
IPdR-aldehyde oxidase activity was not detectable in cytosolic extracts
from two specimens of human colorectal cancer and from the two human
colorectal tumor xenografts (23)
. Finally, using a tumor
regrowth assay to assess IR response, we found a 1.31.5-fold
enhancement (time to regrow to 300% initial tumor volume) with IPdR
(qd x 614 days) plus fractionated IR (2 Gy/day x 4 days)
in both human colorectal and glioblastoma xenografts compared with
fractionated IR alone (22
, 24)
. Less (
1.1) enhancement
of the IR response was found using continuous infusion IUdR x
614 days plus fractionated IR in these human tumor xenografts (23
, 24)
.
On the basis of these promising in vivo data using human tumor xenografts in athymic mice (22, 23, 24) , we extend our preclinical evaluation of oral IPdR to include toxicology and drug metabolism studies in two non-rodent animal species and summarize the data in this report. Collectively, the rodent and non-rodent data will allow us to design the initial clinical Phase I and pharmacology study of p.o. IPdR as a radiosensitizer.
| MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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Animals.
The Marshall Farms ferret (North Rose, NY) was selected as a non-rodent
species for IPdR systemic toxicity and toxicology testing. Twelve male
and 12 female ferrets, ages 46 months, and weighing 1.11.5 kg
(male) or 0.70.9 kg (female) were randomly assigned to four IPdR
dosage groups including three ferrets per sex per group. The ferrets
were individually housed in stainless steel cages and provided
75 g
of Marshall Premium Ferret Diet (Marshall Farms, North Rose, NY) each
day and water ad libitum with chlorine added as a
bacteriostatic. The IPdR toxicity study in these ferrets was conducted
in compliance with Good Laboratory Practice regulations of the Food and
Drug Administration (28)
and the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (29)
.
Four adult male Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), weighing 11.412.4 kg, were used for the plasma and CSF pharmacokinetics studies of a single i.v. dosing of IPdR. The monkeys were fed Purina Monkey Chow and water ad libitum and were group housed in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (30) . Blood samples were drawn through a catheter placed in either the femoral or the saphenous vein contralateral to the site of i.v. IPdR administration. CSF samples were drawn from a s.c. Ommaya reservoir attached to an in-dwelling Pudenz catheter with its tip located in the fourth ventricle, as described previously (31) . This study was approved by the NIH Animal Care and Use Committee.
Drug Dosage.
The four IPdR dosage groups in the ferret toxicity study included 0,
15, 150, and 1500 mg/kg/day (groups IIV, respectively) with the same
dosage volume of 10 ml/kg by oral gavage given once daily for 14
consecutive days. Dosages were adjusted daily for body weight changes
and given at approximately the same time each day. The dosage range and
schedule of dosing were based on prior preclinical studies of IPdR in
athymic mice (22, 23, 24)
. The oral route was selected for the
systemic toxicity and toxicology study because it is the proposed route
for clinical use.
For the plasma and CSF pharmacokinetic studies of IPdR in Rhesus monkeys, each animal received 50 mg/kg IPdR prepared in 17% 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (Sigma) to a total volume of 50 ml and infused i.v. over 20 min. Plasma samples were collected prior to infusion of IPdR; at the end of infusion; and 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, and 90 min and 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 24 h after the end of the infusion. CSF samples were collected prior to infusion; at the end of infusion; and 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 24 h after the end of infusion. Plasma and CSF were frozen at -70°C until analysis.
Assessment of Systemic Toxicities during the 14-Day IPdR Treatment
Schedule in Ferrets.
Body weights were recorded three times prior to IPdR treatment, daily
during the 2-week IPdR dosage period, and on the day of sacrifice
(study day 15). Feed consumption values were recorded daily x 1
week prior to IPdR treatment, daily during the 2-week IPdR dosage
period, and on study day 15 prior to sacrifice. All ferrets were
observed for viability at least twice daily during treatment, typically
prior to the daily gavage and 1 h after drug administration.
Blood samples were collected prior to study and prior to sacrifice (day 15) after the 14-day IPdR treatment. Approximately 2 ml of blood was collected via the jugular vein from each study ferret on both days of sample collection. Prior to sample collection, the ferrets were anesthetized by an i.m. injection of xylazine (3.2 mg/kg; the Butler Co., Columbus, OH) and ketamine (25 mg/kg; Fort Dodge Animal Health, Fort Dodge, IA). Approximately 1 ml of blood was collected into EDTA-coated tubes for analysis of the following hematological parameters: RBC, Hgb, Hct, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, MCHC, WBC, differential leukocyte count, platelet count, mean platelet volume, and cell morphology. Approximately 1 ml of blood was collected into serum separator tubes and centrifuged. The resulting sera samples were analyzed for the following: Na+, K+, Cl-, Ca2+ PO4-, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase.
Prior to the start of the study and prior to necropsy (study day 15),
urinalysis was conducted on all ferrets. Ferrets were hydrated by oral
gavage with 100 ml of deionized water prior to the start of the urine
collection period and deprived of feed and water during the collection
period. Urine was collected in aluminum foil trays for
6 h or until
an adequate urine sample was obtained for evaluation but for no longer
than 12 h. The following parameters were measured or calculated
from the urine sample: color, pH, specific gravity, glucose, ketones,
bilirubin, urobilinogen, nitrite, leukocytes, RBC, and microscopic
examination of the sediment.
Gross Necropsy Study in Ferrets.
All ferrets were sacrificed on study day 15 using an i.v. injection of
pentobarbital sodium (
1 ml/ferret), following induction of
anesthesia with an i.m. injection of xylazine/ketamine, as described
previously. At necropsy, gross lesions were retained in neutral
buffered 10% formalin and examined histologically.
Gross necropsy included an initial physical exam of external surfaces and all orifices as well as an internal examination of tissues and organs in situ. The following were examined: external and internal portions of all hollow organs; the external surfaces of the brain and spinal column, the nasal cavity and neck, with associated organs and tissues; the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities, with associated organs and tissues; and the musculoskeletal carcass. The lungs were perfused with neutral buffered 10% formalin. The following organs were weighed prior to fixation: kidneys, liver, adrenal glands, uterus, ovaries, testes, and brain, with the paired organs weighed as pairs. The following tissues or representative samples were collected from all male and/or female ferrets at necropsy and retained in neutral buffered 10% formalin: adrenal glands, testes, ovaries, aorta (thoracic and abdominal), oviducts, bone marrow (femur), pancreas, gallbladder, large intestine (cecum, colon, and rectum), small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum), liver, stomach, spleen, uterus, cervix/vagina, kidneys, urinary bladder, prostate, epididymides, lymph nodes (mesenteric and mediastinal), mammary glands (one right and one left abdominal), lungs, heart, trachea, larynx/pharynx, thyroid and parathyroid, thymus, esophagus, tongue, salivary gland (submaxillary), pituitary, brain, spinal cord (mid-thoracic), sciatic nerve, skeletal muscle (quadriceps and femurs), skin (abdominal), and femur (including articular surface).
Histological examinations were performed in selected tissues from
control (group I) ferrets and from ferrets in the three IPdR dosage
groups (groups IIIV). The following organs or representative samples
were submitted for histological evaluation: gross lesions, lung, heart,
liver, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, kidney, uterus,
ovaries, testes, brain, and spinal cord. Additionally, representative
samples of bone marrow (entire femur) and liver (
2 g)were immediately
frozen after sacrifice in all ferrets to determine the % IUdR-DNA
incorporation (bone marrow and liver) and the IPdR-aldehyde oxidase
activity (liver) after the 14-day treatment period.
Measurement of % IUdR-DNA Incorporation in Ferret Bone Marrow and
Liver.
Approximately 500 mg of frozen ferret liver were chipped from each
frozen organ with a mortar and pestle on dry ice. The samples were
thawed on ice in 400 µl of PBS. Liver tissue was minced briefly with
scissors and then sonicated on ice for 10 s three times with 10-s
rests between pulses. Approximately 500 mg of bone marrow were taken
from frozen femurs and processed similarly to liver tissue. DNA was
extracted and digested by the method of Belanger et al.
(32)
. The digestion mixture was incubated overnight at
34°C. Four-hundred-µl samples were ultra-filtered using Millipore
ultrafree-MC units (Millipore Corp., Bedford, MA).
HPLC analysis of IUdR replacement of dThd in DNA from ferret liver and
bone marrow samples were performed with the use of a Waters 600 E
solvent delivery system on a 3.9 x 300-mm µBondapak
reverse-phase column (Waters Corp., Milford, MA). Peak elution was
monitored using a Waters 490 E UV detector. The system was controlled,
and data were analyzed using Millenium Chromatography Manager, Version
2.10. Using the method of Belanger et al. (32)
,
the mobile phase consisted of 100 mM sodium
acetate buffer (pH 5.45) plus 7% (v/v) acetonitrile. dThd and IUdR
were detected at 290 nm. Peak identification and quantitation were
performed against authentic nucleoside standards (Sigma). Enzymes for
DNA digestion were also obtained from Sigma. The % IUdR-DNA
incorporation was calculated as:
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Measurement of Hepatic IPdR-Aldehyde Oxidase
Activity in Ferrets.
At necropsy, liver tissue was immediately harvested and frozen until
analysis of IPdR-aldehyde oxidase activity from all four ferret
IPdR-dosage groups. Liver cytosols were prepared from frozen ferret
liver samples (
1 g) by chipping frozen pieces of liver from the
whole frozen organ with a mortar and pestle on dry ice. Samples were
thawed on ice in 400 µl of homogenization buffer consisting of 50
mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), 1 mM
ATP-MgCl2, and 10% glycerol. Samples were minced
briefly with scissors before sonicating on ice three times for 10-s
pulses with 10-s rests between pulses. Samples were centrifuged at
10,000 x g for 20 min, the supernatant was removed to
a fresh tube, and protein determinations were done by a standard
biochemical assay.
Four hundred µg of each ferret liver extract sample were incubated in a total of 100 µl of reaction buffer consisting of 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0), 1 mM EDTA, and 0.2 mM K3Fe (CN)6, with 0.2 mM IPdR as substrate. Incubations were done at 37° for 1 h before stopping the reaction with 300 µl of methanol (100%). Samples were spun through ultra-free MC filters at 5000 x g for 40 min to remove protein and then evaporated to dryness. Samples were resuspended in 100 µl of HPLC running buffer, 100 mM ammonium acetate buffer (pH 6.8), with 6% acetonitrile. Eighty µl of each sample were analyzed by HPLC for IPdR-aldehyde oxidase activity. HPLC analyses of samples were conducted on a Waters system as described above. Samples were eluted with 100 mM ammonium acetate buffer (pH 6.8), which was filtered through a Whatman 0.2 µM nylon membrane filter before adding 6% acetonitrile. The absorbance of the eluate was monitored at 230 nM, with a flow rate of 2 ml/min. The exact molar concentrations of IPdR and IUdR were determined by making 10-fold dilutions of each and measuring the absorbance of the 100-fold dilution at Amax and dividing by the extinction coefficient for each separate compound. IPdR-aldehyde oxidase activity in ferret liver was expressed as the pmol of IUdR generated per hour per 300 µg of protein. Samples were quantified with standard curves for IUdR. All incubations were done in duplicate for each IPdR dosage group (0, 15, 150, and 1500 mg/kg/day x 14 days), based on gender.
Measurement of IPdR Plasma and CSF Levels in Rhesus Monkeys.
IPdR concentrations in plasma and CSF were measured with a
reverse-phase HPLC assay. Plasma samples and IPdR plasma standards
underwent solid-phase extraction using Varian Bond Elut 3 ml
C18 solid-phase extraction cartridges (Varian,
Harbor City, CA). The extraction cartridges were wetted with 4 ml of
methanol and washed with 4 ml of 50:50 (v/v) 50 mM ammonium
acetate:50 mM acetic acid prior to application of the
plasma standard or sample. After the plasma standard or sample was
applied to the cartridge, it was washed with 2 ml of the 50:50 50
mM ammonium acetate:50 mM acetic acid buffer,
and IPdR was eluted with 2 ml of methanol. The cartridge eluant was
evaporated to dryness under a stream of nitrogen and reconstituted in
100 µl of the HPLC mobile phase. CSF samples were directly injected
onto the column.
Extracted standards and samples were injected onto a µBondapak C18
column (Waters Corp.) with a µBondapak C18 guard column (Waters
Corp.). The mobile phase consisted of 94:6 (v/v) 100 mM
ammonium acetate:acetonitrile (pH 6.8), run isocratically at a flow
rate of 1.5 ml/min. The HPLC system consisted of a Waters UltraWISP 715
sample processor, a Waters 510 pump, and a Waters 996 photodiode array
detector. The column eluant was monitored at 232 and 288 nm. Analysis
of the chromatograms was performed with Millenium software (Waters
Corp.). For CSF, the limit of detection was 0.1 µM, and
the coefficient of variation was
5%. For plasma, the lower limit of
detection and the lower limit of quantification were 1.0
µM. The coefficient of variation was
12% for plasma
concentrations
5 µM and 17.8% for the 1
µM concentration.
Pharmacokinetic Analysis of IPdR in Rhesus Monkeys.
A two-compartment model, described by the following equations, was fit
to the plasma concentration-time data using the mathematical modeling
software program, MLAB (Civilized Software, Bethesda, MD):
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and
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where Cc is the concentration of drug in the central compartment at time, t; Xp is the amount of drug in the peripheral compartment; ko is the drug infusion rate; Vc is the volume of the central compartment; kcel is the elimination rate constant; and kcp and kpc are the rate constants for exchange of drug between the central and peripheral compartments. Plasma AUC, total body clearance, and volume of distribution at steady state (Vss) were derived from the model parameters.
| RESULTS |
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Body weight losses occurred in both male and female group IV ferrets
throughout the 14-day treatment period (Fig. 1)
. No significant weight changes
occurred in the two lower dosage IPdR groups (groups II and III)
compared with the controls (group I). Body weight loss in group IV
ferrets was more severe in females (19% at day 15; Fig. 1A
)
compared with males (9% at day 15; Fig. 1B
). Absolute
(g/day) and relative (g/kg/day) feed consumption values were reduced in
male and female group IV ferrets compared with controls and with the
two lower IPdR dosage groups. Feed consumption values were reduced in
group IV ferrets for both the entire study period and for each study
day comparison (complete data not shown). For example, the mean (± SD)
absolute feed consumption values (g/day) for control (group I) male and
female ferrets were 61.7 ± 6.9 and 56.1 ± 8.0 g/day for
days 114 of treatment compared with values of 53.4 ± 11.6 and
37.2 ± 14.1 g/day for group IV male and female ferrets,
respectively. The mean absolute feed consumption values for the two
lower IPdR dosage groups (groups II and III) were not different from
the control group. Thus, the observed body weight loss in group IV
animals (Fig. 1)
was correlated with a reduction in the absolute and
relative feed consumption values compared with control (group I) and
lower IPdR dosage groups (groups II and III).
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Urinalysis in the Ferret Systemic Toxicity Study.
A complete urinalysis, including color, pH, specific gravity, glucose,
ketones, urobilinogen, bilirubin, nitrates, RBCs, WBCs, and microscopic
examination of the sediment remained normal after IPdR (groups IIIV)
and vehicle control (group I) treatments.
Necropsy Findings in the Ferret Systemic Toxicity Study.
There were no gross lesions observed in any male or female ferret at
necropsy in this study. The terminal body weights were reduced in all
male and female group IV ferrets, in agreement with the observed body
weight loss in the 1500 mg/kg/day dosage (group IV) throughout the
14-day treatment period (Fig. 1)
. In both male and female ferrets, the
absolute liver weights were increased in a generally IPdR
dosage-dependent manner in all treated groups. Additionally, the uterus
weights were reduced in the 1500 mg/kg/day dosage group (group IV).
Finally, the paired kidney weights were reduced in high-dose (group IV)
female ferrets but not in male ferrets. The specific organ weights of
liver and kidneys in both male and female ferrets as well as the uterus
weights at necropsy in female ferrets for all four groups are presented
in Table 1
.
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Microscopic examination of the stomach also revealed possible
treatment-related effects to the pyloric mucosa. Again, using a
four-grade histopathological scoring system as above, the
histopathological change was predominantly a mild to moderate
superficial mucosal thinning with an associated mononuclear and
polymorphonuclear inflammatory cell infiltration of the mucosa and
submucosa. These changes occurred in all nine IPdR-treated male ferrets
and seven of nine IPdR-treated female ferrets, but again, none was
severe. No microscopic changes were found in the small and large
intestine specimens submitted for histopathological review.
Additionally, no microscopic changes occurred in the kidneys of group
IV male and female ferrets or the uterus of group IV female ferrets,
despite the observed lower organ weights at necropsy in these
IPdR-treated animals (Table 1)
. Finally, no significant gross or
microscopic changes were found in the central nervous system tissues at
necropsy to possibly explain the clinically observed decreased motor
activity noted in the high-dose IPdR group.
% IUdR-DNA Incorporation in Ferret Bone Marrow and Liver.
Using the bone marrow as a surrogate of a proliferating normal tissue
and liver as a surrogate of a nonproliferating normal tissue in
ferrets, we measured the % IUdR-DNA incorporation in both of these
normal tissues after the 14-day IPdR treatment. We were especially
interested in the % IUdR-DNA incorporation in ferret liver because
liver contains the highest levels of an aldehyde oxidase responsible
for the conversion of IPdR to IUdR, as determined previously in the
mouse and rat (22
, 27)
. The % IUdR-DNA incorporation in
ferret liver was very low and below detection (<0.05%) in
IPdR-treated male and female ferrets. However, the % IUdR-DNA
incorporation in ferret bone marrow increased in a dose-dependent
fashion for the three IPdR dosage groups (Fig. 2)
. The % IUdR-DNA incorporation in bone
marrow was not measurable in female ferrets and was only 0.06% in male
ferrets after the lowest IPdR dose (15 mg/kg/day x 14 days)
treatment. The % IUdR-DNA incorporation in bone marrow was also very
low in group III ferrets, being only 0.10.2% after 150
mg/kg/day x 14 days. The level of 2.1 ± 0.3% found after
IPdR treatment at 1500 mg/kg/day x 14 days is similar to the %
IUdR-DNA incorporation found in normal bone marrow in athymic mice
using the same dosage schedule (24)
. In both animal
species, no changes in peripheral blood counts were found after the
14-day treatment. In contrast, myelosuppression (both low WBC and
platelets) is one of the dose-limiting systemic toxicities in the
clinical trials of the active drug, IUdR, when given as a prolonged
continuous i.v. infusion for up to 14 days in humans (33)
.
In these clinical trials of continuous infusion IUdR, the % IUdR-DNA
incorporation in human peripheral granulocytes approached
10% at the
MTD (34)
.
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1 log higher in normal
liver compared with other normal tissues (e.g., intestine,
brain, lung, and kidney) in these rodents and humans. However,
aldehyde oxidase activity after IPdR treatment x 414 days has
not been determined in our prior preclinical mouse studies
(22, 23, 24)
. In this study, we determined the IPdR-aldehyde
oxidase activity in cytosolic extracts from ferret liver taken at
sacrifice on day 15 after the 14-day IPdR treatment. Enzyme activity
was determined by measuring the in vitro conversion of IPdR
to IUdR after a 1-h incubation of liver cytosolic extracts with IPdR
(Fig. 3)
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, 6.5 min), followed by an
elimination phase (mean T1/2ß, 63.0 min).
A two-compartment model adequately described the disposition of IPdR in
plasma in all four monkeys. The pharmacokinetic model parameters are
listed in Table 2
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| DISCUSSION |
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10% body
weight; Fig. 1
1500 mg/kg/day x 14
days in ferrets based on the measured weight loss and observed
gastrointestinal toxicities. Mild to moderate microscopic
histopathological changes were found in hepatocytes and in the
superficial gastric mucosa in an IPdR dose-dependent manner.
Additionally, although no gross anatomical lesions or other microscopic
changes were noted at complete necropsy after the 14-day treatment
period, there were increased liver weights in the two higher IPdR
dosage groups (Table 1)
Similar to our studies of p.o. IPdR in athymic mice, the % IUdR-DNA
cellular incorporation in normal bone marrow remained quite low (
2%;
Fig. 2
), and no myelosuppression was found in complete blood count
analyses after IPdR treatment in all ferret groups. The low % IUdR-DNA
bone marrow incorporation and no evidence of myelosuppression in both
mice and ferret species using IPdR presumably results, in part, from
1 log lower levels of aldehyde oxidase in normal bone marrow compared
with normal liver, as measured previously (27)
. As such,
we do not anticipate that bone marrow toxicity will be the principal
dose-limiting normal tissue in our proposed clinical trial of p.o.
IPdR, although myelosuppression will be carefully monitored and
peripheral circulating granulocytes will be collected for determination
of % IUdR-DNA incorporation as a surrogate for a proliferating normal
tissue (bone marrow), as used in our prior clinical studies of i.v.
IUdR (33
, 34)
. In the proposed Phase I study of p.o. IPdR,
we anticipate a delay of 710 days from the start of p.o. IPdR to
measure bone marrow effects (change in peripheral blood counts;
detection of % IUdR-DNA incorporation in circulating granulocytes) and
will monitor these effects for up to 4 weeks after the qd x
14-day schedule.
As part of this preclinical study of IPdR, we also analyzed IPdR
metabolism in both non-rodent species. In the ferret study, we measured
in vitro IPdR-aldehyde oxidase activity in cytosolic
extracts from normal liver after the 14-day p.o. IPdR treatment. We
found significant reduction in enzyme activity to 50 and 30% of normal
controls in the two higher IPdR dosage groups but no significant gender
differences (Fig. 3)
. These data suggest enzyme saturation with the
repeated daily IPdR dose schedule used. In a recent published study in
athymic mice, we found that a single p.o. dose of 1000 mg/kg IPdR
decreased hepatic IPdR-aldehyde oxidase recovery to
50% of control
at day 1 after drug administration with full recovery to normal enzyme
activity by day 2 (24)
. In the Rhesus monkey study, we
measured the plasma pharmacokinetics of IPdR using a single i.v.
administration of 50 mg/kg. Here, we found high (>100
µM) plasma concentrations at the end of the
20-min infusion with rapid biexponential clearance over 68
hours (Fig. 4)
. The plasma pharmacokinetic profile for IPdR is similar
to our prior studies in athymic mice (22
, 23)
. After a
single p.o. bolus administration of 250-1500 mg/kg IPdR in athymic
mice, we found peak IPdR plasma concentrations of up to 250
µM within 20 min with efficient conversion of
the prodrug, IPdR, to the active metabolite, IUdR, within 1520 min.
In athymic mice, peak plasma IUdR concentrations of 4075
µM were measured at 20 min, and IUdR plasma
concentrations persisted at >20 µM for up to
90 min (23)
. Unfortunately, in the Rhesus monkey study,
plasma IUdR concentration could not be determined because of a
conflicting HPLC peak. Surprisingly, no CSF penetration of the prodrug
was found in the Rhesus monkey model.
On the basis of these pharmacokinetic data in Rhesus monkeys and our
data published previously in athymic mice (22
, 23)
, we
conclude that oral or i.v. IPdR is rapidly cleared from plasma in a
biexponential fashion (Fig. 4)
. However, it is evident that IPdR
oxidase activity is saturable after high (>1000 mg/kg) single doses in
mice (23
, 24)
and after repeated daily doses over 2 weeks
in ferrets (Fig. 3)
. Collectively, these rodent and mammalian data of
IPdR indicate the need for a careful, human pharmacokinetic study of
p.o. IPdR as part of the initial Phase I clinical trial. We have
already determined that normal human liver has significant
IPdR-aldehyde oxidase activity (23)
. Human liver
IPdR-aldehyde oxidase is cytosolic, protein dependent, and cofactor
independent (23)
. It is inhibited by low concentrations of
menadione and isovanillin but not allopurinol (23)
.
Menadione and isovanillin are selective inhibitors for aldehyde
oxidase, whereas allopurinol is a selective inhibitor for xanthine
oxidase. Thus, our results indicate that a human hepatic aldehyde
oxidase but not a hepatic xanthine oxidase is involved in the
conversion of IPdR to IUdR. It is reported recently that kinetically
distinct forms of aldehyde oxidase exist in male and female rodent
liver that occur as a result of differences in redox state and not in
cDNA sequencing (35
, 36)
. However, a gender difference in
enzyme activity as defined by in vitro conversion of IPdR to
IUdR was not evident in ferrets (Fig. 2)
or in our prior studies in
athymic mice (24)
. A high degree of homology exists
between mouse and human aldehyde oxidase (37)
. It is also
recognized that differences in aldehyde oxidase activity are found
between cytosolic preparations of human and monkey liver
(38)
, which may limit the direct translation of our male
Rhesus monkey data to the human trial.
On the basis of the systemic toxicity data using 1500 mg/kg/day x
14 days in ferrets, we propose a starting p.o. IPdR dose of 85
mg/m2
qd x 14 days (
1/10 MTD) in humans
for the initial Phase I trial. We will compare the drug
pharmacokinetics using both an i.v. formulation and p.o.
formulation of IPdR to determine the absolute oral bioavailability. On
the basis of the observed gastrointestinal toxicity seen in the ferret
study and the higher % IUdR-DNA levels in normal intestine compared
with normal bone marrow found in our previously published IPdR studies
in athymic mice (22, 23, 24)
, we will carefully monitor
patients for gastrointestinal toxicity using the National Cancer
Institute common toxicity criteria. Again, we have already determined
that human small intestine has significantly lower IPdR oxidase
activity (
10-fold reduction) compared with normal human liver
(23)
. Similar to our Phase I studies using continuous i.v.
infusions of IUdR as a radiosensitizing drug (33)
, daily
p.o. IPdR will start at least 1 week prior to initiation of radiation
therapy to affect radiosensitization.
| FOOTNOTES |
|---|
1 Supported in part by NIH Grant RO-1 CA50595 (to
T. J. K., J. E. S., T. W. D., S. E. B., and H-S. H.) and NIH
Small Business Innovation Research Grant R44-CA76835 (to T. J. K.
and H. S.). ![]()
2 To whom requests for reprints should be
addressed, at Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospitals of
Cleveland/Ireland Cancer Center, LTR 6068, Room B-181, 11100 Euclid
Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-6068. Phone: (216) 844-2530; Fax:
(216) 844-4799. ![]()
3 The abbreviations used are: IUdR,
5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine; IPdR, 5-iodo-2-pyrimidine-2'-deoxyribose; CSF,
cerebrospinal fluid; dThd, thymidine; IR, ionizing radiation; MMR,
mismatch repair; MTD, maximum tolerated dose; AUC, area under the
curve; CMC, carboxymethyl cellulose; HPLC, high-performance liquid
chromatography; qd, four times per day. ![]()
Received 4/17/00; revised 6/13/00; accepted 6/13/00.
| REFERENCES |
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