Ethylene oxide in blood of ethylene-exposed B6C3F1 mice, Fischer 344 rats, and humans.

The gaseous olefin ethylene (ET) is metabolized in mammals to the carcinogenic epoxide ethylene oxide (EO). Although ET is the largest volume organic chemical worldwide, the EO burden in ET-exposed humans is still uncertain, and only limited data are available on the EO burden in ET-exposed rodents. Therefore, EO was quantified in blood of mice, rats, or 4 volunteers that were exposed once to constant atmospheric ET concentrations of between 1 and 10 000 ppm (rodents) or 5 and 50 ppm (humans).

Propylene oxide in blood and soluble nonprotein thiols in nasal mucosa and other tissues of male Fischer 344/N rats exposed to propylene oxide vapors--relevance of glutathione depletion for propylene oxide-induced rat nasal tumors.

High concentrations of propylene oxide (PO) induced inflammation in the respiratory nasal mucosa (RNM) of rodents. Concentrations > or =300 ppm caused nasal tumors. In order to investigate if glutathione depletion could be relevant for these effects, we determined in PO exposed male Fischer 344/N rats PO in blood and soluble nonprotein SH-groups (NPSH) in RNM and other tissues.