Identification and quantitation of a metabolite of anethol dithiolthione in rat and mouse urine using...

Urine samples from rats and mice fed anethol dithiolthione (ADT) [3-(p-methoxyphenyl)-1,2-dithiol-3-thione] were analyzed using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Urine was introduced directly on the liquid chromatograph which was modified by replacing the sample loop with a guard column. Highly polar urine components were washed off the guard column prior to chromatography. A major metabolite and the parent compound (ADT) were separated and detected using the chromatographic conditions described in this study. The metabolite was identified as desmethyl ADT. The identification was based on co-chromatography on two columns using two mobile phases and peak height ratios of the metabolite and the reference standard. Data pertaining to the pattern of excretion of ADT and desmethyl ADT in the animals studied are reported.