Exploring How Diethylene Glycol Poisons the Kidney and the Combined Effects of St. John's Wort and Acetaminophen on the Liver

To better understand the mass poisonings from pharmaceuticals to which diethylene glycol was mistakenly added, toxicologists examined how the metabolite diglycolic acid accumulates in kidney cells and specifically what role, if any, sodium dicarboxylate transporters play. The results of that study are a ToxSpotlight article, “Role of Plasma Membrane Dicarboxylate Transporters in the Uptake and Toxicity of Diglycolic Acid, a Metabolite of Diethylene Glycol, in Human Proximal Tubule Cells,” in the November 2022 issue of Toxicological Sciences (ToxSci).

The other November 2022 ToxSpotlight article, “St. John’s Wort Exacerbates Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury by Activation of PXR and CYP-Mediated Bioactivation,” investigates how St. John’s wort interacts with high levels of acetaminophen to determine whether St. John’s wort may temper or exacerbate the severe hepatotoxicity caused be excessive use of acetaminophen.

Both ToxSpotlight articles are free to read for nonsubscribers and appear alongside six other research papers:

• “Exposure to the Organophosphate Pesticide Fenitrothion Directly Induced Defects in Mouse Embryonic External Genitalia” (topic category: developmental and reproductive toxicology)
• “Gestational Benzo[a]pyrene Exposure Destroys F1 Ovarian Germ Cells Through Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway and Diminishes Surviving Oocyte Quality” (topic category: developmental and reproductive toxicology)
• “Caveolin-1 and Its Functional Peptide CSP7 Affect Silica-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis by Regulating Fibroblast Glutaminolysis” (topic category: environmental toxicology)
• “LncRNA HOTAIRM1 Involved in Nano NiO-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis via Regulating PRKCB DNA Methylation-Mediated JNK/c-Jun Pathway” (topic category: nanotoxicology)
• “Arsenic Induces GSK3β-Dependent p-Tau, Neuronal Apoptosis, and Cognitive Impairment via an Interdependent Hippocampal ERα and IL-1/IL-1R1 Mechanism in Female Rats” (topic category: neurotoxicology)
• “Validation of Risk-Stratification Method for the Chronic Atrioventricular Block Cynomolgus Monkey Model and Its Mechanistic Interpretation Using 6 Drugs With Pharmacologically Distinct Profile” (topic category: regulatory science, risk assessment, and decision-making)

ToxSci Volume 190, Issue #1, as well as all past issues, is available on the ToxSci website.

Remember that electronic access to ToxSci articles is a benefit for Full and Associate members—use your SOT credentials to log in and view ToxSci articles. Other membership types can request discounted access to ToxSci at any time.

About Toxicological Sciences The mission of Toxicological Sciences, the official journal of the Society of Toxicology, is to publish a broad spectrum of impactful research in the field of toxicology. The journal’s primary focus is on original research articles, but it also provides expert insight via contemporary, in-depth, and systematic reviews, as well as forum articles and editorial content that addresses important topics in the field.

About the Society of Toxicology (SOT) Founded in 1961, SOT is a professional and scholarly organization of scientists from academic institutions, government, and industry representing the great variety of scientists who practice toxicology around the world. The Society’s mission is to create a safer and healthier world by advancing the science and increasing the impact of toxicology.