Disposition and excretion of chlorendic acid in Fischer 344 rats

The absorption, distribution, and excretion of a highly chlorinated dicarboxylic acid, chlorendic acid, was studied in the male Fischer 344 rat. [14C]Chlorendic acid was absorbed after an oral dose of 7.7 mumol per kilogram of body weight. The distribution in various tissues was similar whether the treatment was by the oral or the intravenous route. The major site of [14C]chlorendic acid deposition was the liver, with smaller amounts found in the blood, muscle, skin, and kidneys. Chlorendic acid-derived radioactivity was excreted primarily through the bile and into the feces. The urine contained less than 6% of the total dose. Within 1 d, more than 75% of the total dose was excreted in the feces, primarily as metabolites. Radioactivity in the liver was also primarily metabolites of chlorendic acid. Thus, chlorendic acid was absorbed, metabolized, and excreted primarily in the feces as metabolites. The rapid metabolism and biliary excretion of chlorendic acid contrast with observations for the closely related lipophilic compounds aldrin and dieldrin.