Activation and detoxification of bromobenzene in extrahepatic tissues.

Bromobenzene causes hepatic and extrahepatic toxicity in rats. Toxicity is related to the presence of covalently bound material in these tissues. A major bromobenzene metabolite, p-bromophenol, has been shown to give rise to covalently bound material in liver, lung and kidney in vivo, but is not toxic. p-Bromophenol is formed from bromobenzene in liver, lung and kidney microsomes and is subsequently metabolized to 4-bromocatechol and covalently bound material. Bromobenzene-3,4-oxide generated in situ by liver microsomes, is detoxified by kidney, liver and lung cytosol. The results suggest that the kidney toxicity caused by bromobenzene is probably not mediated by either bromobenzene-3,4-oxide or the reactive metabolites of p-bromophenol. In contrast, bromobenzene-3, 4-oxide may play a role in the lung toxicity observed after bromobenzene administration. However, the covalently bound material found in extrahepatic tissues may be derived from both bromobenzene-3,4-oxide or the reactive metabolites of p-bromophenol, which may be formed directly by these tissues or transported there from the liver.