Rat Tissue and Blood Partition Coefficients for n-Alkanes (C8 to C12)

In Vitro Rat Hepatic Metabolism of n-Alkanes: Nonane, Decane, and Tetradecane

Jet propellant 8 (JP-8) jet fuel is a complex mixture of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. The aim of this study was to determine in vitro metabolic rate constants for semivolatile n-alkanes, nonane (C9), decane (C10), and tetradecane (C14), by rat liver microsomal oxidation. The metabolism was assessed by measuring the disappearance of parent compound by gas chromatography. Various concentrations of n-alkanes were incubated with liver microsomes from adult male F-344 rats. Nonlinear kinetic constants for nonane and decane were Vmax(nmol/mg protein/min) = 7.26 ± 0.20 and 2.80 ± 0.35, respectively, and KM( μM) = 294.83 ± 68.67 and 398.70 ± 42.70, respectively. Metabolic capacity as assessed by intrinsic clearance ( Vmax/ KM) was ~four-fold higher for nonane (0.03 ± 0.005) than for decane (0.007 ± 0.001). There was no appreciable metabolism of tetradecane even with higher microsomal protein concentration and longer incubation time. These results show a negative correlation between metabolic clearance and chain length of n-alkanes. These metabolic rate constants will be used to update existing physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models for nonane and decane as part of developing a PBPK model for JP-8.

Physiochemical basis of human degenerative disease

The onset of human degenerative diseases in humans, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, neurodevelopmental disease and neurodegenerative disease has been shown to be related to exposures to persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls, chlorinated pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and others, as well as to polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, bisphenol-A and other aromatic lipophilic species. The onset of these diseases has also been related to exposures to transition metal ions. A physiochemical mechanism for the onset of degenerative environmental disease dependent upon exposure to a combination of lipophilic aromatic hydrocarbons and transition metal ions is proposed here. The findings reported here also, for the first time, explain why aromatic hydrocarbons exhibit greater toxicity than aliphatic hydrocarbons of equal carbon numbers.

Clinical breath analysis: discriminating between human endogenous compounds and exogenous (environmental) chemical confounders

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath originate from current or previous environmental exposures (exogenous compounds) and internal metabolic (anabolic and catabolic) production (endogenous compounds). The origins of certain VOCs in breath presumed to be endogenous have been proposed to be useful as preclinical biomarkers of various undiagnosed diseases including lung cancer, breast cancer, and cardio-pulmonary disease. The usual approach is to develop difference algorithms comparing VOC profiles from nominally healthy controls to cohorts of patients presenting with a documented disease, and then to apply the resulting rules to breath profiles of subjects with unknown disease status. This approach to diagnosis has a progression of sophistication; at the most rudimentary level, all measurable VOCs are included in the model. The next level corrects exhaled VOC concentrations for current inspired air concentrations. At the highest level, VOCs exhibiting discriminatory value also require a plausible biochemical pathway for their production before inclusion. Although these approaches have all shown some level of success, there is concern that pattern recognition is prone to error from environmental contamination and between-subject variance. In this paper, we explore the underlying assumptions for the interpretation and assignment of endogenous compounds with probative value for assessing changes. Specifically, we investigate the influence of previous exposures, elimination mechanisms and partitioning of exogenous compounds as confounders of true endogenous compounds. We provide specific examples based on a simple classical pharmacokinetic approach to identify potential misinterpretations of breath data and propose some remedies.

Human Blood and Plasma Partition Coefficients for C4-C8 n-alkanes, Isoalkanes, and 1-alkenes

Human blood:air and plasma:air partition coefficients for C4-C8 n-alkanes, isoalkanes, and 1-alkenes were determined using multiple headspace extraction coupled with solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography. Mean blood:air partition coefficients expressed in the form of dimensionless blood-to-air concentration ratio (g/mLb/g/mLa) were 0.183, 0.416, 1.08, 2.71, and 5.77 for C4-C8 n-alkanes; 0.079, 0.184, 0.473, 1.3, and 3.18 for C4-C8 isoalkanes; and 0.304, 0.589, 1.32, 3.5, and 7.01 for C4-C8 1-alkenes, respectively (n = 8). The reported partition coefficient values increased exponentially with boiling points, molecular weights, and the carbon atoms in the particle. The solubility of 1-alkenes in blood was higher than in plasma, whereas the blood:air and plasma:air partition coefficients of n-alkanes and isoalkanes did not differ significantly. Consequently, additional interactions of 1-alkenes with whole blood seem to occur. The presented findings are expected to be particularly useful for assessing the uptake, distribution, and elimination of hydrocarbons in human organism.

Chemical-specific screening criteria for interpretation of biomonitoring data for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)--application of steady-state PBPK model solutions

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) generates population-representative biomonitoring data for many chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in blood. However, no health or risk-based screening values are available to evaluate these data from a health safety perspective or to use in prioritizing among chemicals for possible risk management actions. We gathered existing risk assessment-based chronic exposure reference values such as reference doses (RfDs), reference concentrations (RfCs), tolerable daily intakes (TDIs), cancer slope factors, etc. and key pharmacokinetic model parameters for 47 VOCs. Using steady-state solutions to a generic physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model structure, we estimated chemical-specific steady-state venous blood concentrations across chemicals associated with unit oral and inhalation exposure rates and with chronic exposure at the identified exposure reference values. The geometric means of the slopes relating modeled steady-state blood concentrations to steady-state exposure to a unit oral dose or unit inhalation concentration among 38 compounds with available pharmacokinetic parameters were 12.0 microg/L per mg/kg-d (geometric standard deviation [GSD] of 3.2) and 3.2 microg/L per mg/m(3) (GSD=1.7), respectively. Chemical-specific blood concentration screening values based on non-cancer reference values for both oral and inhalation exposure range from 0.0005 to 100 microg/L; blood concentrations associated with cancer risk-specific doses at the 1E-05 risk level ranged from 5E-06 to 6E-02 microg/L. The distribution of modeled steady-state blood concentrations associated with unit exposure levels across VOCs may provide a basis for estimating blood concentration screening values for VOCs that lack chemical-specific pharmacokinetic data. The screening blood concentrations presented here provide a tool for risk assessment-based evaluation of population biomonitoring data for VOCs and are most appropriately applied to central tendency estimates for such datasets.

A PBPK Modeling Assessment of the Competitive Metabolic Interactions of JP-8 Vapor with Two Constituents,m-Xylene and Ethylbenzene

Jet Propellant 8 (JP-8) is a kerosene-based jet fuel used in the military and is composed of hundreds of hydrocarbons. A PBPK model was developed to assess the metabolic interactions of JP-8 vapor on two prominent constituents of JP-8 vapor, m-xylene (XYL) and ethylbenzene (EBZ). A limited number of rats were exposed to JP-8 vapor in a Leach chamber for 4 h to 380, 1100, or 2700 mg/m3 (total hydrocarbon). Several individual hydrocarbons were monitored in the chamber atmosphere, including XYL, EBZ, and the total hydrocarbon concentration. Blood and liver were harvested and analyzed by a novel headspace SPME/GC-MS method that allowed for identification of individual hydrocarbons and low limits of detection. The PBPK model was able to describe the metabolic interactions between XYL, EBZ, and a lumped aromatic fraction of JP-8 vapor estimated to be 18 to 25% of the fuel vapor. Competitive inhibition of XYL and EBZ metabolism was observed for JP-8 vapor inhalation exposures of 1100 and 2700 mg/m3. Future inhalation studies with jet fuel include aerosol exposures and expansion of the PBPK models to include other hydrocarbons such as n-alkanes and upper respiratory tract dosimetry of aerosol droplets.

Picogram measurement of volatile n-alkanes (n-hexane through n-dodecane) in blood using solid-phase microextraction to assess nonoccupational petroleum-based fuel exposure

We describe here a new method for the analysis of alkanes ( n-hexane, n-heptane, n-octane, n-nonane, n-decane, n-undecane, and n-dodecane) in blood using headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. This method is used to measure picogram per milliliter levels of n-alkanes in blood that may result from nonoccupational exposure to alkanes and other volatile nonpolar compounds from common sources such as petroleum-based fuel. This alkane signature is useful in distinguishing typical fuel biomarkers (e.g., benzene and toluene) from other confounding exposure sources such as cigarette smoke. Development of this method required special attention to sample handling as alkanes are not highly soluble in aqueous matrixes and exist as ubiquitous compounds found in many laboratory materials and the environment. In particular, significant n-hexane contamination ( approximately 0.4 ng/mL) occurred from collecting blood samples in vacutainers. This residue was removed by boiling the vacutainer stoppers in methanol followed by vacuum baking. For all the alkanes, the calculated accuracy demonstrated for the water-based standards ranged from 3.3% to 17% as deduced from the difference of the lowest and middle standards from the curve fit. Quality control data among runs over a 10 month period were found to vary from 14% to -29%, with a few exceptions. The resulting quantification limits for n-hexane through n-decane ranged from 0.069 to 0.132 ng/mL. In the analysis of 1200 blood samples from people with no known occupational exposure, median blood levels for all n-alkanes were below these quantification limits. n-Hexane levels above the method detection limit were, however, found in 1.3% of the samples.

Methods for the characterization of Jet Propellent-8: vapor and aerosol

Jet Propellant-8 (JP-8) has been responsible for the majority of reported chemical exposures by the US Department of Defense. Concerns related to human exposure to JP-8 are relatively new; therefore, there is a lack of literature data. Additionally, health effects related to the composition of the exposure have only recently been considered. Two major questions exist: (1) what is the compositional difference between the aerosol and vapor portions of JP-8 under controlled conditions and (2) what is the most representative method to sample JP-8 aerosol and vapor? Thirty-seven standards, representing more than 40% of the mass of JP-8, were used for characterization of the neat fuel, vapor and aerosol portions. JP-8 vapor samples at a concentration of 1600 mg/m(3) were prepared in Tedlar bags. A portion of the vapor samples was adsorbed on charcoal, Tenax and custom mixed phase sorbents. These samples were then extracted using organic solvent and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The vapor samples extracted from the sorbent tubes were directly compared with a vapor bag. The samples collected using Tenax sorbent tubes were found to be most representative of the composition of the vapor bags. In another set of experiments, aerosolized JP-8 was generated using a collision nebulizer. Aerosol samples were collected and the chemical composition was characterized. The entire aerosol distribution was collected on a glass filter, extracted into solvent, and analyzed by GC-MS. Finally, the composition of the vapor and aerosol was compared. The vapor was found to represent the lower molecular weight components of JP-8, while the aerosol was composed of higher molecular weight components. Therefore, the vapor and aerosol should be treated as two discrete forms of exposure to JP-8.

Validation of a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method for the quantification of aerosolized Jet Propellant 8

Jet Propellant 8 (JP-8) jet fuel is a kerosene-based fuel containing hundreds of hydrocarbons used by the military in NATO countries. Previous rodent inhalation studies carried out with aerosolized JP-8 never evaluated the exposure chamber atmosphere. For this reason, our laboratory developed an analytical method, with an accuracy of better than 80% and precision of better than 20%, for JP-8 aerosol and vapor samples using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A method was developed for quantification of selected individual components of JP-8 and for the total amount of JP-8 in aerosolized fuel. A 34 component surrogate hydrocarbon mixture (SHM) was developed and used for simultaneous analysis of the individual components. Three separate runs containing a standard curve and five replicates each at the selected concentrations were analyzed for both the SHM and neat JP-8. The resulting interday accuracy (100-percent relative error) and precision (relative standard deviation) values for the SHM were 86.5% or better and 8.0% or better, respectively. The intraday accuracy and precision values ranged from 99.29% to 84.50% and 0.97% to 12.4%, respectively. For the total amount of JP-8 in aerosol and vapor, the interday accuracy was 83.7% or better and interday precision was 7.0% or better. The intraday accuracy and precision values ranged from 94.8% to 80.4% and 2.4% to 10.5%, respectively. We then used this method to analyze samples collected from an inhalation chamber. From the data obtained, we are able to account for approximately 40-44% of the mass of the aerosol portion and 68-70% of the mass of the vapor portion. The aerosol represented 6-10% of the total mass of the aerosolized JP-8 fuel with the remaining portion being the vapor. From these experiments individual components were identified for further in vivo and in vitro toxicological testing.