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Distribution of benzo[ a ]pyrene in pregnant rats following inhalation exposure and a comparison with similar data obtained with pyrene
Author(s) -
Withey J. R.,
Shedden J.,
Law F. C. P.,
Abedini S.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of applied toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.784
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1099-1263
pISSN - 0260-437X
DOI - 10.1002/jat.2550130310
Subject(s) - benzo(a)pyrene , pyrene , inhalation , inhalation exposure , environmental chemistry , toxicology , distribution (mathematics) , chemistry , medicine , anesthesia , biology , organic chemistry , mathematics , mathematical analysis
Eight pregnant rats were exposed, on the 17th day of gestation, for 95 min to a microcondensation aerosol of benzo[ a ]pyrene at five different atmospheric concentrations between 200 and 800 mg m −3 in a ‘head‐only’ inhalation chamber. Five rats were killed immediately following the exposure and three were killed at 6 h post‐dosing. Concentrations of the radiolabel and ‘free’ benzo[ a ]pyrene were measured in the individual fetuses and in the maternal blood, fat, kidney, liver and lung. Distribution to the fetus did not appear to be related to its position on the uterine horn and the uptake of benzo[ a ]pyrene was non‐linear with increasing exposure concentrations, which was similar to the observations previously reported for pyrene. The levels of benzo[ a ]pyrene were much higher in the fetus and, especially, the lung than those observed in the pyrene study; so also were the levels of total metabolites in these tissues, which might, in part, account for the carcinogenic potency of benzo[ a ]pyrene.