METABOLISM AND DISTRIBUTION OF [2,3-C-14]ACROLEIN IN SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS

The metabolism and disposition of [2,3-C-14]acrolein was studied in Sp rague-Dawley rats after oral or intravenous dosing. Four groups of ten rats (five male and five female) were dosed with radiolabeled acrolei n intravenously at 2.5 mg kg(-1) (Group 2), orally by gavage at 2.5 mg kg(-1), either as a single dose (Group 3) or after 14 daily doses of unlabeled acrolein (Group 4), or orally by gavage at 15 mg kg(-1) (Gro up 5). Urine, feces, expired air and organic volatiles were collected for 7 days, after which the animals were sacrificed and tissues collec ted. All samples were analyzed for total radioactivity. After 7 days, the excretory patterns of male and female rats were almost identical. Urinary excretion was highest in the intravenously dosed animals (66-6 9%) and lowest in the Group 5 animals (36-40%), whereas the reverse wa s true for feces (<2% for i.v. Group 2 animals and 28-30% for the Grou p 5 animals). Carbon dioxide expiration was comparable (26-31%) across all groups. Tissue concentrations of radioactivity were minimal in al l groups (<1.2%), but concentrations of radioactivity were highest in the intravenous Group 2 animals. The time course of excretion for all groups was similar with the exception of the high-dose animal group, w hich showed a pronounced delay in excretion during the first 12 h.