Biotransformation of 2-fluoroaniline in rats studied by in vivo 19F NMR

The present study describes results from an in vivo 19F NMR study on rats exposed to the xenobiotic compound 2-fluoroaniline. Qualitative pharmacokinetics and the biotransformation of 2-fluoroaniline were studied after exposure to 50 mg/kg body wt 2-fluoroaniline. Accumulation and elimination of the parent compound in and from the liver of exposed animals were readily observed. Metabolites formed in the liver were shown to be efficiently excreted from the liver, as the amount of metabolites in this organ was always less than 10% of the maximum amount of the parent compound observed. In the bladder, rapid accumulation of 2-fluoroaniline-derived metabolites was detected. The metabolite pattern was shown to change in time, with the parent compound being dominantly present during the first hours of exposure. N-acetylated products (4-acetamido-3-fluorophenyl sulphate and 4-acetamido-3-fluorophenyl glucuronide) were observed to accumulate more slowly in the bladder than the non-acetylated products (4-amino-3-fluorophenyl sulphate and 4-amino-3-fluorophenyl glucuronide). Urine metabolite patterns obtained from the bladder in vivo were compared to those obtained during metabolic cage experiments.