Metabolism of naphthalene in roosters

1. The metabolism of naphthalene in roosters was similar to that in rats. At least 45% of the dose was isolated from the urine as metabolites that could be formed from arene oxide precursors. 2. Urine was the major route for excretion (79%) of 14C-naphthalene from colostomized roosters. Roosters with cannulated bile ducts excreted about 24% of the dose in bile. 3. Roosters excreted tetrahydrotrihydroxy mercapturic acids of naphthalene as major urinary metabolites which indicates either the formation of diepoxide intermediates or sequential epoxidation-conjugation processes. 4. The major biliary metabolites in rooster bile were characterized as cysteine and cysteinylglycine conjugates of tetrahydrotrihydroxynaphthalenes.