Metabolism of Benzene,Anthracene and Phenanthrene in Adult and Growing Dogs

Abstract

In view of similarity in the metabolism of bromobenzene and naphthalene in rabbits 1 and in adult and growing dogs, 2 it seemed of interest to extend the comparison of metabolism of aromatic hydrocarbons in dogs to benzene, anthracene and phenanthrene. Each substance was fed on 4 occasions to each of the 4 growing and 2 adult dogs in 1.0 gm. doses. The pups and dogs were maintained on a diet of constant composition and the urine collected every 24 hours. The diet, the general experimental procedure, methods of analysis of urine were the same as described by us elsewhere. 3 The pups were fed benzene, anthracene and phenanthrene at the age of 2, 3, 4, and 7 months at sufficiently large intervals (7-8 days) to allow the animals to return to the original nitrogen and sulfur balance. The analysis of urine collected after feeding the hydrocarbons to pups and dogs indicated the formation of ethereal sulfates from benzene and anthracene; benzene, in addition, and especially phenanthrene, raised the output of neutral sulfur. All 3 hydrocarbons increased the output of glycuronates in the urine.

Hele 4 on the basis of experiments with benzene, similar to those described here, suggested that benzene probably yields a mercapturic acid, although the latter could not be isolated by Baumann-Preusse method. 5 pending the isolation of detoxication products of benzene, anthracene and phenanthrene from the urine of dogs and pups, now in progress, it is assumed that benzene and phenanthrene are conjugated in the animal body to yield, perhaps, a mercapturic acid type product, similar to p-halogen-phenylmercapturic and 1-α-naphthalene mercapturic acids.