Serum and tissue distribution of benzol[a]pyrene from intravenously injected chylomicrons in rat in vivo.

Rats were injected intravenously with chylomicrons (CM) containing benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbon. The disappearance of B[a]P paralleled the removal of CM, both having a rapid initial decay and a secondary slow decay. After 5 min, at the end of the rapid phase, blood contained 19% of the total injected B[a]P, with 6% in blood cells and 13% in serum. At 60 min, serum contained 5% and blood cells 6% of the total B[a]P. During the slow phase, further distribution of B[a]P within serum albumin and various lipoproteins occurred, most of the label being in low density and very low density lipoproteins. Highest tissue specific activities of [3H]B[a]P were in the lung, liver and kidney tissues. These results suggest that in the rat, distribution of ingested polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in vivo tends to be primarily determined by the catabolism of chylomicrons.