Comparative toxicokinetics of methanol in the female mouse and rat.

The toxicokinetics of methanol in female CD-1 mice and Sprague-Dawley rats were examined to explore the possibility of species differences in the disposition of the compound. Mice received a single dose of 2.5 g/kg methanol either po (by gavage) or i.v. (as a 1-min infusion). Rats received a single oral dose of 2.5 g/kg methanol. As expected, the disposition of methanol was nonlinear in both species. Data obtained after i.v. administration of methanol to mice were well described by a one-compartment model with Michaelis-Menten elimination. Blood methanol concentration--time data after oral administration could be described by a one-compartment (mice) or two-compartment (rats) model with Michaelis-Menten elimination from the central compartment and biphasic absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Kinetic parameters (Vmax for elimination, apparent volume of the central compartment [Vc], first-order rate constants for intercompartmental transfer [k12 and k21], and first-order absorption rate constants for fast [kAF] and slow [kAS] absorption processes) were compared between species. When normalized for body weight, mice evidenced a higher maximal elimination rate than rats (Vmax = 117 +/- 3 mg/hr/kg vs 60.7 +/- 1.4 mg/hr/kg for rats). The contribution of the fast absorption process to overall methanol absorption also was larger in the mouse than in the rat.

Toxicokinetics of intravenous methanol in the female rat.

The toxicokinetics of intravenously administered methanol were examined in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals received a single administration of 100, 500, or 2500 mg methanol/kg; the two lower doses were administered as a bolus, while the high dose was administered over 1.5 min. A small (approximately 3%) but statistically insignificant (p > 0.1) degree of transpulmonary methanol extraction, expressed as the fractional arterial-venous difference in concentration, was observed after administration of 250 mg methanol/kg. The elimination of methanol from the systemic circulation was markedly nonlinear, suggestive of a significant capacity-limited route of elimination. A single set of kinetic parameters (apparent distributional volume of the central compartment [Vc], intercompartmental transfer rate constants [k12 and k21], and Vmax and Km for elimination) described the blood methanol concentration-time data from rats receiving the 100 and 500 mg/kg doses. Blood methanol concentrations declined much more rapidly in animals receiving the 2500 mg/kg dose than would be predicted from the kinetic parameters derived from the other two experimental groups. The data from the 2500 mg/kg group could be described adequately by a kinetic model incorporating parallel first-order and saturable elimination processes. A portion of this apparent linear elimination pathway was due to renal excretion of the unchanged alcohol. The presence of both linear and nonlinear elimination pathways for methanol may have implications regarding high-dose to low-dose toxicologic extrapolations.

Enzyme-modified organic conducting salt microelectrode.

A miniaturized enzyme-modified electrode has been constructed and evaluated. The tip of a capillary-encased, carbon-fiber electrode is recessed, and tetrathiafulvalene-tetracyanoquinodimethane crystals are electrochemically deposited in the recessed tip. Flavoenzymes are placed in the recess by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The specific enzymes used are glucose oxidase to form a microbiosensor for glucose, and a combination of acetylcholine esterase and choline oxidase to form a microbiosensor for acetylcholine. The sensor is operated in an amperometric mode with Eapp = 150 mV versus a sodium saturated calomel electrode, and the response appears to be limited by the kinetics of the enzyme reaction. The effective maximum current density for the glucose electrode is greater than 600 microA/cm2. At low concentrations of glucose, oxygen provides a significant interference by attenuating the signal. The device is simple to prepare and has a rapid response time. Interference from ascorbate has been significantly reduced by the design and by addition of a layer of ascorbate oxidase. Although not yet suitable for use in tissue, the biosensors are suitable for detection in situations where oxygen concentrations do not frequently change.

Determination of methanol in whole blood by capillary gas chromatography with direct on-column injection.

A gas chromatographic procedure was developed for the determination of methanol in small-volume whole blood samples. Samples (100-200 microliters) were prepared by protein precipitation, with direct injection of the supernatant on a wide-bore capillary column. The recovery of methanol and acetonitrile (the internal standard) was approximately 90% and did not vary with sample volume. The assay was linear from 2 micrograms/ml (the limit of detection) through 1000 micrograms/ml and was highly reproducible (intra-day coefficient of variation less than 2.5%). Assay performance was assessed following exposure of rats to methanol. The results indicate that the present procedure is suitable for studies of methanol disposition in small rodent species.