[Excretion of porphyrin and porphyrin precursor during ethylene oxide inhalation]

The effect of chronic inhalation of ethylene oxide on urinary coproporphyrin and delta-aminolevulinic acid were studied. When Wistar male rats were exposed to 500 ppm ethylene oxide three times a week, daily urine volume was increased by 200-300% from the first week to the fifth week of the experimental period. After exposure, daily coproporphyrin excretion and urinary coproporphyrin per mg of creatinine increased by 250% and 141%, respectively. On the other hand, daily excretion of delta-aminolevulinic acid in urine tended to increase but did not increase significantly by creatinine-correction. We think this is the first report of ethylene oxide induced experimental porphyria.