Uptake, tissue distribution, and excretion of brevetoxin 3 administered to rats by intratracheal instillation.

Brevetoxins are cyclic polyether neurotoxins produced by the marine dinoflagellate Ptychodiscus brevis. Blooms of P. brevis (red tides) are toxic to fish, marine mammals, and humans. Humans exposed to seaspray aerosols containing brevetoxins may experience respiratory tract irritation. Because a major route of human exposure to brevetoxins is via the respiratory tract, the objective of this study was to examine the toxicokinetics of brevetoxin 3 (PbTx-3) administered to the lung by intratracheal instillation. Twenty-one male F344/Crl BR rats, 12 wk of age, were administered 3H-PbTx-3 (1 microCi, 6.6 microg PbTx-3/kg) by intratracheal instillation. Groups of 3 rats were sacrificed at 0.5, 3, 6, 24, 48, and 96 h after exposure, and tissues were collected. Three additional rats were placed in glass metabolism cages for collection of urine and feces over a 7-d period. PbTx-3-associated activity was cleared rapidly from the lung and distributed throughout the body, chiefly to the carcass, intestines, and liver. Blood, brain, and fat contained the lowest percentages of the administered dose. Although a majority of the PbTx-3 was cleared rapidly from lung, liver, and kidneys, approximately 20% of the initial concentration present in each organ was retained for 7 d. Concentrations of PbTx-3 in brain and fat were low, but remained relatively constant over time. Approximately twice as much PbTx-3-associated activity was excreted in feces than in urine, with the majority of excretion occurring within 48 h after instillation. The results of this study indicate that over 80% of the PbTx-3 is rapidly absorbed from the lung to the blood and distributed to all tissues. The tissues containing the greatest amount of PbTx-3-associated activity reflect the compound's site of deposition, storage compartment, and major route of metabolism and excretion. These results illustrate that brevetoxin exposure by the respiratory route results in systemic distribution of brevetoxin and suggest that the initial respiratory irritation and bronchoconstriction may only be a part of the overall toxicological consequences associated with brevetoxin inhalation.