title: The high sensitivity of the rabbit to the teratogenic effects of 13-cis-retinoic acid (isotretinoin) is a consequence of prolonged exposure of the embryo to 13-cis-retinoic acid and 13-cis-4-oxo-retinoic acid, and not of isomerization to all-trans-retinoic acid.
abstract: Previous studies suggested that the rabbit is much more susceptible to the teratogenic action of 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) than the mouse or the rat, while the teratogenicity of all-trans-RA was comparable in these species. In the present study we investigated if pharmacokinetics can explain these species- and structure-related differences. The embryotoxic and teratogenic potential of all-trans-retinoic acid (all-trans-RA) and 13-cis-RA were evaluated in the Swiss hare rabbit after oral administration of daily doses of the two drugs throughout organogenesis, from gestation day (GD) 6 to 18 (plug day = GD 0). All-trans-RA was given at dose levels of 0.7, 2 or 6 mg/kg body weight per day and 13-cis-RA at 3, 7.5 or 10 mg/kg per day. The doses needed to elicit a minimum teratogenic response were found to be 6 mg/kg per day for all-trans-RA and 10 mg/kg per day for 13-cis-RA. Using these doses, transplacental pharmacokinetics of all-trans- and 13-cis-RA were performed. Pregnant rabbits were treated once daily from GD 7 to 12 and plasma and embryo samples were collected for HPLC analysis at various time intervals after the final dose. The main plasma metabolites of all-trans- and 13-cis-RA were all-trans-beta-glucuronide (all-trans-RAG) and 13-cis-4-oxo-RA, respectively. The elimination of 13-cis-RA and its metabolites from maternal plasma were much slower than of all-trans-RA resulting in accumulation of the 13-cis-isomers in plasma. Marked differences in the placental transfer of the two drugs and their metabolites were observed. All-trans-RA and all-trans-4-oxo-RA were efficiently transferred to the rabbit embryo, reaching concentrations similar to the plasma levels. On the contrary, the 13-cis-isomers reached the embryo to a lesser extent. Despite its limited placental transfer, a considerable embryonic exposure to 13-cis-RA and 13-cis-4-oxo-RA was noticed after treatment with isotretinoin, as indicated by their area-under-the-concentration-time-curve (AUC) values in the embryo, which were in the same range as the corresponding AUC value of all-trans-RA after treatment with the all-trans-isomer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Institut für Toxikologie und Embryopharmakologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tzimas
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bürgin
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hummler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007536:Isomerism; D015474:Isotretinoin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011817:Rabbits; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013723:Teratogens / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D013723:Teratogens; C002202:4-oxoretinoic acid; D014212:Tretinoin; D015474:Isotretinoin