Ethionine and methionine distribution and toxicity in the rat kidney.

Autoradiographic studies demonstrated that in the rat kidney radioactivity was localized mainly in the medulla in animals injected with [14C]ethionine, whereas it was distributed homogeneously throughout the whole parenchyma in rats given [14C]methionine. This difference of distribution was consistent with a difference in renal toxicity: a single i.p. dose (1 g/kg) of ethionine induced a slight but persistent (6 days) damage to kidney tubule cells evidenced by an increase of urinary GGT and slight disturbance of renal function, such damage was not observed with methionine.