Study on the metabolism of volatile hydrocarbons in mice--propane, n-butane, and iso-butane.

A study was conducted to establish whether volatile hydrocarbons, such as propane, n-butane and iso-butane, are metabolized in mice or not. In mice having inhaled these gases, isopropanol and acetone were yielded from propane, sec-butanol and methyl ethyl ketone from n-butane, and tert-butanol from iso-butane as the respective metabolites. In addition, liver microsomes were found to contain the enzymic system participating in these metabolisms. In vitro reactions with liver microsomes produced isopropanol from propane, sec-butanol from n-butane, and tert-butanol from iso-butane. It was assumed that hydrocarbons were first converted to (omega-1)-alcohols by microsomal enzyme system and then to corresponding ketones by alcohol dehydrogenase.