Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors: in silico flux analysis and in vivo metabolomics investigations show no severe metabolic consequences for rats and humans

Succinate dehydrogenase complex II inhibitors (SDHIs) are widely used fungicides since the 1960s. Recently, based on published in vitro cell viability data, potential health effects via disruption of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and tricarboxylic acid cycle have been postulated in mammalian species. As primary metabolic impact of SDH inhibition, an increase in succinate, and compensatory ATP production via glycolysis resulting in excess lactate levels was hypothesized. To investigate these hypotheses, genome-scale metabolic models of Rattus norvegicus and Homo sapiens were used for an in silico analysis of mammalian metabolism. Moreover, plasma samples from 28-day studies with the SDHIs boscalid and fluxapyroxad were subjected to metabolome analyses, to assess in vivo metabolite changes induced by SDHIs. The outcome of in silico analyses indicated that mammalian metabolic networks are robust and able to compensate different types of metabolic perturbation, e.g., partial or complete SDH inhibition. Additionally, the in silico comparison of rat and human responses suggested no noticeable differences between both species, evidencing that the rat is an appropriate testing organism for toxicity of SDHIs. Since no succinate or lactate accumulation were found in rats, such an accumulation is also not expected in humans as a result of SDHI exposure.

Automated summary

SDHIs have been widely used as fungicides since the 1960s, and recent studies suggest that they may affect mammalian metabolism by disrupting the mitochondrial respiratory chain and tricarboxylic acid cycle. However, both rat and human metabolic networks are robust enough to compensate for such disturbances, indicating that rats are suitable for toxicity testing of SDHIs and suggesting that succinate and lactate accumulation is not expected in humans as a result of SDHI exposure.