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The Urinary Excretion of Mercapturic Acids after Administration of Bromobenzene and 3,4-Benzpyrene^*

Helmut R. Gutmann and John L. Wood

(From the Department of Chemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Tennessee, Memphis)

Effects of bromobenzene, anthracene, and 3,4-benzpyrene on the metabolism of DL-methionine labeled with S³⁵ have been studied in the rat. Measurements of the distribution of the radioactive sulfur in the urine indicated the excretion of a mercapturic acid from bromobenzene and anthracene but not from benzpyrene. The available evidence suggests that bromobenzene interferes with the metabolism of methionine.

The contribution of tissue sulfur compounds to mercapturic acid formation was estimated after the sulfur-containing compounds of the body of the rat had been labeled by feeding radioactive methionine over a period of 15 days. The presence of appreciable amounts of "chloroform-extractable" sulfur in the urine following the ingestion of bromobenzene and anthracene confirms the view that these mercapturic acids are largely derived from tissue sulfur compounds. The data suggest the synthesis of phenanthrylmercapturic acid in vivo. No evidence could be found for the conjugation of 3,4-benzpyrene with tissue sulfur. 3,4-Benzpyrene did not interfere with the in vivo synthesis of bromophenylmercapturic acid.

^* This work was supported by a grant from the American Cancer Society upon recommendation by the Committee on Growth of the National Research Council, and by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.

Present address, Cancer Research Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville.

Received 6/22/50.