Metabolic conversion of 1- and 2-nitronaphthalene to 1- and 2-naphthylamine in the rat,

Abstract

1- and 2-Naphthylamine ([alpha]- and [beta]-naphthylamine) were isolated as urinary metabolites of 1- and 2-nitronaphthalene, respectively, in the rat. Isolation and identification were accomplished using preparative thin-layer chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectral analysis. The evidence that metabolism of nitronaphthalenes leads to formation of the corresponding amines, one of which ([beta]-naphthylamine) is a known carcinogen, suggests that human exposure to this nitro compound should be minimal. It also points out the important role of metabolic studies in the evaluation of potential chemical toxicity and suggests a critical reevaluation of compounds whose metabolism by known pathways could lead to the in vivo formation of carcinogenic compounds.