The toxicity of chloropropanes is attributed to the way in which the body metabolizes them. The most significant source of chloropropane metabolism is thought to be by the hepatic cytochrome P-450 system, which consists of oxidative enzymes in the liver. The P-450 system can be studied in vitro, in a test tube using fractions of rat liver cells, allowing researchers to study the effects of metabolism without performing them in living animals.
The oxidative metabolism of various types and concentrations of chloropropanes
was studied using a chloride-selective electrode. The oxidative metabolism
of all chloropropanes yields chloride ions as a metabolite, and the quantity
of chloride ions released directly reflects the amount of chloropropane
metabolized. One goal of this investigation was to develop a system in
which one can observe a detectable change in the amount of chloride present
in the system due to the metabolism of chloropropanes. Such an observable
change would provide many important clues about the nature and rate of
chloride metabolism, corresponding directly to the amount of chloropropane
metabolized. Results showed that measurements using a chloride-selective
electrode were inconclusive, and the oxidative metabolism of chloropropanes
should best be studied using an alternative method.
