Biochemical studies of toxic agents. The metabolic formation of 1- and 2-menaphthylmercapturic acid.

1. Various derivatives of 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene, of the type C(10)H(7).CH(2)X, were administered to rats and the urines of the dosed animals were examined for the presence of 1- and 2-menaphthylmercapturic acid by chromatographic and isolation procedures. A similar, but more limited, series of experiments was carried out with rabbits. 2. All the compounds were administered by subcutaneous injection with the exception of S-(1- and 2-menaphthyl)-l-cysteine, which were added to the food. 3. 1-Menaphthylmercapturic acid was isolated from the urine of rats after the administration of 1-menaphthyl chloride, bromide, alcohol, acetate and benzoate, S-(1-menaphthyl)-l-cysteine and S-(1-menaphthyl)glutathione. 4. 2-Menaphthylmercapturic acid was isolated from rat urine after administration of 2-menaphthyl chloride, S-(2-menaphthyl)-l-cysteine and S-(2-menaphthyl)-glutathione, and was detected chromatographically after injecting 2-menaphthyl bromide. 5. The corresponding mercapturic acids were isolated after administering 1- and 2-menaphthyl chloride and 1-menaphthyl acetate to rabbits, but not after giving 1- and 2-menaphthyl bromide and 1-menaphthyl alcohol, although chromatographic evidence of mercapturic acid excretion was obtained after injecting these compounds.