14C-labeled pulegone and metabolites binding to alpha2u-globulin in kidneys of male F-344 rats.

Pulegone is a major constituent of pennyroyal oil and a minor component of peppermint oil. Pulegone is biotransformed to menthofuran and menthones (diastereomeric menthone and isomenthone) in pennyroyal and peppermint as well as in rodents. Pulegone and menthofuran are hepatotoxic to rodents, and menthones are less toxic. The metabolism and disposition of pulegone and menthofuran were previously studied in rodents, and higher concentrations of pulegone- and menthofuran-derived radioactivity were observed in male than female rat kidney. One explanation is the association of pulegone and metabolites with a male rat-specific protein, alpha2u-globulin. To test this hypothesis, male and female rats were dosed orally with 14C-labeled pulegone (80 mg/kg, 120 microCi/kg) or menthofuran (60 mg/kg, 120 microCi/kg) or menthones (80 mg/kg, 120 microCi/kg) in corn oil, and the kidney cytosol was prepared 24 h after dosing. An equilibrium dialysis experiment showed that in all three studies the radioactivity was associated with kidney cytosol proteins of male but not female rats. The chemicals present in the male rat kidney cytosol after dialysis were extracted with dichloromethane and characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All parent compounds were detected, and the metabolites characterized included piperitone from pulegone or menthones treatment, menthones and possibly 8-hydroxymenthones from pulegone treatment, and mintlactones (diastereomeric mintlactone and isomintlactone) and 7a-hydroxymintlactone from menthofuran treatment. Analysis of the male rat kidney cytosol by a gel filtration column demonstrated that the retention was due to reversible binding of these chemicals with the male rat-specific protein alpha2u-globulin. However, binding of pulegone and/or metabolites to alpha2u-globulin did not produce accumulation of this protein in the kidney.

Transcriptional profiling of the left and median liver lobes of male f344/n rats following exposure to acetaminophen.

The liver is a common organ for transcriptional profiling because of its role in xenobiotic metabolism and because hepatotoxicity is a common response to chemical exposure. To explore the impact that sampling different lobes may have on transcriptional profiling experiments we have examined and compared gene expression profiles of the left and median lobes of livers from male F344 rats exposed to toxic and nontoxic doses of acetaminophen. Transcript profiling using micorarrays revealed clear differences in the response of the left and median liver lobes of F344 rats to acetaminophen exposure both at low doses as well as doses that caused hepatotoxicity. Differences were found in the total number of differentially expressed genes in the left and median lobes, the number and identity of genes that were differentially expressed uniquely only in the left or median lobe, and in the patterns of gene expression. While it is not possible to generalize these results to compounds other than acetaminophen or other strains of rat, these results highlight the potential impact of sampling differences on the interpretation of gene expression profiles in the liver.

Disposition of 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5h)-furanone (mx) in b6c3f1 mice and f344 rats.

3-Chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX) is a mutagenic by-product of chlorination of drinking water, particularly where the water contains humic matter. MX has been estimated to account for 50% of the mutagenic activity in some drinking water. A bioassay in rats demonstrated an increased tumor incidence, primarily in liver and thyroid glands. This study was designed to provide disposition/metabolism information in mice to evaluate the necessity of a National Toxicology Program chronic bioassay and to provide data for female rats. Radioactivity was rapidly absorbed and excreted near equally in urine (42-54%) and feces (40-51%) 72 h following oral administration of (14)C-labeled MX at single doses from 0.2 to 20 mg/kg to male and female mice and female rats. A larger percentage (71-73%) of MX-derived radioactivity was excreted in urine after an iv dose (0.2 mg/kg) in both female rats and male mice. Most MX-derived radioactivity was excreted within the first 24 h postdosing. MX was transformed to urinary and biliary metabolites. A major extremely polar urinary metabolite was tentatively identified as 1-hydroxy-1,2,2-ethanetricarboxylic acid. This metabolite is likely transformed from the MX degradation product 2-hydroxy-3-formyl-4-oxo-2-butenoic acid. Oral administration produced highest tissue/blood ratios in the following order: forestomach (>100), glandular stomach, intestine, and kidney. Intravenous administration resulted in high, prolonged levels of radioactivity in blood compared to oral dosing. Therefore, MX disposition appears to be dominated by its chemical reactivity with highest concentrations of radioactivity being found at the site of administration.