Abstract

Acyl glucuronides are reactive electrophilic metabolites implicated in the toxicity of carboxylic acid drugs. Valproyl 1-O-β-acyl glucuronide (VPA-G), which is a major metabolite of valproic acid (VPA), has been linked to the development of oxidative stress in VPA-treated rats. However, relatively little is known about the toxicity of in situ generated VPA-G and its contribution to VPA hepatotoxicity. Therefore, we investigated the effects of modulating the in situ formation of VPA-G on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release (a marker of necrosis), BODIPY 558/568 C₁₂ accumulation (a marker of steatosis), and cellular glutathione (GSH) content in VPA-treated sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes. VPA increased LDH release and BODIPY 558/568 C₁₂ accumulation, whereas it had little or no effect on total GSH content. Among the various uridine 5′-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase inducers evaluated, β-naphthoflavone produced the greatest increase in VPA-G formation. This was accompanied by an attenuation of the increase in BODIPY 558/568 C₁₂ accumulation, but did not affect the change in LDH release or total GSH content in VPA-treated hepatocytes. Inhibition of in situ formation of VPA-G by borneol was not accompanied by substantive changes in the effects of VPA on any of the toxicity markers. In a comparative study, in situ generated diclofenac glucuronide was not toxic to rat hepatocytes, as assessed using the same chemical modulators, thereby demonstrating the utility of the sandwich-cultured rat hepatocyte model. Overall, in situ generated VPA-G was not toxic to sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes, suggesting that VPA glucuronidation per se is not expected to be a contributing mechanism for VPA hepatotoxicity.