Dosimetry of styrene 7,8-oxide in styrene- and styrene oxide-exposed mice and rats by quantification of haemoglobin adducts.

Rats (Sprague Dawley) and mice (NMRI) were administered nonlabelled or labelled styrene and styrene oxide by i.p. injection. Blood samples were collected 6 and 24 h after treatment for studies of dose-response and 6 h to 32 days after treatment for studies of adduct stability. Haemoglobin (Hb) and plasma protein adduct levels were determined by radioactivity measurements or, in the case of adducts to N-terminal valine in Hb, by the so-called N-alkyl Edman procedure. Adducts to N-terminal valine were found to be chemically stable during the life-span of the erythrocytes, whereas adducts to carboxylic acid residues showed a reduced stability. The Hb-adduct levels found after styrene oxide treatment were compatible with a linear dose-response at low doses (< or = 0.4 mmol/kg body weight). At higher doses the detoxification of styrene oxide was overloaded resulting in a higher than proportional increase in adduct levels. Saturation of detoxification of styrene oxide could also explain the non-linear dose-response relationship observed in the mouse following treatment with styrene. Styrene oxide gave 4-7 times higher adduct levels than styrene when administered to the animals at equimolar low concentration. For both compounds, the levels of adducts to N-terminal valine were 2-3 times higher in the mouse than in the rat. A comparison of Hb-adduct levels in the styrene-exposed animals with adduct levels in styrene-exposed reinforced plastics workers (Christakopoulos et al., Scand. J. Work Environ. Health, 19(4) (1993) 255-263) suggests that styrene is less effective in humans than in mice and rats.

Monitoring occupational exposure to styrene from hemoglobin adducts and metabolites in blood.

Monitoring occupational exposure to styrene was achieved through quantification of adducts of styrene 7,8-oxide to N-terminal valine in hemoglobin (Hb) on the basis of the enrichment of adducted globin chains by ion-exchange chromatography and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis by the use of the N-alkyl Edman method. Application to blood samples from reinforced plastics workers exposed to styrene and from referents showed Hb adduct levels correlating with the blood styrene glycol and urinary mandelic acid concentrations. The blood styrene glycol and styrene 7,8-oxide levels of the exposed workers averaged 2.5 mumol.l-1 (17 subjects) and 0.09 mumol.l-1 (7 subjects), respectively. The blood styrene glycol and urinary mandelic acid content (mean 9.5 mmol.l-1, 17 subjects) suggested a styrene concentration of about 300 mg.m-3 (75 ppm) in the workplace air. The Hb adduct levels were low (mean 28 pmol.g-1), indicating rapid detoxification of styrene 7,8-oxide in humans.

Cellular metabolism of arsenocholine.

The biotransformation of arsenocholine and arsenobetaine, which are organic arsenic compounds present in certain aquatic organisms, has been studied in vitro using synthetic reference substances. Incubation of arsenocholine with different liver cell fractions showed arsenocholine to be biotransformed only in presence of the mitochondrial fraction. The biotransformation products were arsenobetaine aldehyde, arsenobetaine, trimethylarsine oxide and trimethylarsine. Arsenobetaine was the major metabolite and it was formed via arsenobetaine aldehyde. Trimethylarsine oxide was formed via a side reaction from arsenobetaine aldehyde. Further reduction of trimethylarsine oxide, produced trimethylarsine. In vitro studies of arsenobetaine, did not show any formation of trimethylarsine oxide or trimethylarsine. Furthermore, cytotoxicity of arsenobetaine or arsenocholine in isolated hepatocytes was not observed.

Quantitative determination of arsenocholine and acetylarsenocholine in aquatic organisms using pyrolysis and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

A method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of trace amounts of quaternary organoarsenicals such as arsenocholine and acetylarsenocholine has been developed. The method is based on pyrolysis, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and use of deuterium-labelled internal standards. Arsenocholine and acetylarsenocholine have been estimated in fish from arsenic-polluted brackish water and compared with the same species of fish from unpolluted water. The investigation also includes some fish and crustacea from marine water. The presence of arsenocholine and acetylarsenocholine in different aquatic organisms indicate the existence of a general metabolic pathway for these compounds in aquatic ecosystems.

Biotransformation of dimethylarsinic acid in mouse, hamster and man.

The metabolism of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) a common pesticide and the main metabolite of inorganic arsenic in mammals, has been studied in mice, hamsters and man. Mice and hamsters were administered a single dose of 74As-DMA (40 mg As/kg body weight) orally, while a human subject ingested DMA corresponding to 0.1 mg As/kg body weight. Ion exchange chromatography, paper electrophoresis, thin layer chromatography as well as arsine generation--gas chromatography combined with atomic absorption spectrophotometry or mass spectrometry were used to characterize the arsenic metabolites in urine and feces collected over 48 hours after treatment. In mice and hamsters 3.5% and 6.4% of the dose, respectively, were excreted in urine in the form of trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO). No TMAO was found in feces. A DMA-complex was detected in urine and feces. It amounted to about 13% of the dose in mice and 15% in hamsters. About 80-85% of the dose was eliminated in urine and feces in the form of unmetabolized DMA. No demethylation of DMA to inorganic arsenic was observed. In man, about 4% of the dose was excreted in urine as TMAO and about 80% as DMA.

Identification and quantification of arsenocholine and acetylarsenocholine in trace amounts in biological material by use of pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

An analytical method, based on a selective extraction and pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry assay of arsenocholine and acetylarsenocholine in aquatic organisms, is described. Characteristic fragmentation patterns were obtained from pyrolytically demethylated compounds. The molecules were rearranged in unique pathways which differed from those of corresponding nitrogen analogues. Qualitative determination of arsenocholine and acetylarsenocholine was achieved by gas chromatographic as well as mass spectrometric analysis of the thermal degradation products (trimethylarsine, dimethylvinylarsine and the demethylated arsenocholine or acetylarsenocholine). Arsenocholine and acetylarsenocholine in fish from industrially polluted water were isolated and identified. Massfragmentographic quantification of the arsenic compounds in fish was carried out by use of deuterium labelled analogues of arsenocholine and acetylarsenocholine as internal standards. The method showed a high sensitivity.

Acetylarsenocholine: a cholinergic agonist.

The pharmacological properties of acetylarsenocholine, an arsenic analogue of acetylcholine, were investigated. Acetylarsenocholine behaved as a cholinergic ligand both in the central and peripheral nervous system. It bound to nicotinic receptors in rat medulla-pons with a KD of 15 microM and to muscarinic receptors in rat cerebral cortex with a KD of 10 microM. It behaved also as an agonist at presynaptic muscarinic receptors in guinea pig ileum myenteric plexus preparation. Arsenocholine is an alternative substrate for choline acetyltransferase and acetylarsenocholine is an alternative substrate for acetylcholinesterase.