Detection and half-life of bromobenzene-3,4-oxide in blood

Bromobenzene-3,4-oxide can be detected in venous blood of rats by trapping it as the corresponding 35[S]glutathione conjugates. More bromobenzene-3,4-oxide is detected in venous blood of rats treated with phenobarbital and diethyl maleate than in venous blood of rats treated with phenobarbital alone. The half-life of bromobenzene-3,4-oxide in venous blood was about 13.5 s. Bromobenzene-3,4-oxide may contribute to the extrahepatic covalent binding and presumably the toxicity observed after bromobenzene administration. The present technique may be used to determine in blood, the presence or absence of other reactive metabolites that form glutathione conjugates.