Rat liver microsomal transformation of ethene to oxirane in vitro

Rat liver microsomal monooxygenases transform ethene to oxirane. Compared with 1,3-butadiene, which is metabolized to vinyl oxirane, this transformation proceeds more slowly. Also, oxirane has a distinctly lower alkylating potency than vinyloxirane towards the test reagent (p-nitrobenzyl)-pyridine. This may suggest a lower toxicity of ethene, compared with butadiene.