Spectral evidence for 2,2,3-trichloro-oxirane formation during microsomal trichloroethylene oxidation

During aerobic incubation of trichloroethylene with rabbit liver microsomes and NADPH a difference absorption peak appears at 451-452 nm. Trichloroethylene does not form a ligand absorption spectrum with hepatic microsomes reduced by dithionite, or in anaerobic incubates in the presence of NADPH. Addition of trichloroethylene epoxide (2,2,3-trichloro-oxirane) to reduced suspensions of rabbit liver microsomes produces high difference absorption at 452 nm, the optical Ks being approximately 2 mM. Of all possible metabolites of trichloroethylene only trichloroethanol forms absorption in the vicinity of 480 nm, and the broad absorption band reveals relatively low absorption near 450 nm. Dichloroacetyl chloride is the main thermal rearrangement product of trichloroethylene epoxide, and also produces 452 nm absorption in reduced microsomes. However, the difference absorption is 5 times smaller than the absorption produced by the intermediate formed during incubation of trichloroethylene in metabolising liver microsomes. These observations include strong evidence for epoxide formation during microsomal oxidation of trichloroethylene. 14C-labelled trichloroethylene binds irreversibly to hepatic macromolecules in vivo and in vitro. Possible rearrangement pathways of 2,2,3-trichloro-oxirane and reactive intermediates are presented.