Fate of perfluorochemicals in animals after intravenous injection or hemodilution with their emulsions.

Abstract

The tissue distribution and excretion of perfluorochemicals (PFC) in the mixed PFC emulsion, a mixture of 7 parts perfluorodecalin (FDC) and 3 parts perfluorotripropylamine (FTPA), were studied in rats and dogs hemodiluted to a hematocrit of 5% and monkeys to 1%. The half life of both PFC in rats given 4 g/kg body wt were calculated from their expiratory excretion rate to be about 7 days for FDC and 63 days for FTPA. Both PFC in the mixed PFC emulsion were excreted according to respective excretion rate, indicating no mutual effect of combined use on respective excretion rate. Both PFC were taken up into the liver, spleen and bone marrow in the majority and eliminated through expiration as the main route and bile as the minor route, the maximum deposition occurring in 4 days after infusion. FDC localized in the tissues was rapidly eliminated and not detected in dogs at 6 mo. after hemodilution and in monkeys at 4 mo. FTPA was rapidly eliminated from the tissues, but at a slower rate, and a small amount was retained only in the liver and spleen in dogs at 6 mo. and monkeys at 4 mo. The absence of excess fluoride ion in urine and the coincidence of mass spectra of FDC and FTPA retained in the liver with those of the standard suggest that both were not catabolized in vivo.