title: Acute toxicology of butyl nitrites and butyl alcohols.
abstract: Commercially available isobutyl nitrite (iBN), n-butyl nitrite (nBN), sec-butyl nitrite (sBN) and tert-butyl nitrite (tBN) were found to be 63%, 79%, 44% and 96% pure, respectively, by GLC analysis. Pure samples of each compound were synthesized by the action of nitrous acid on each of the corresponding butyl alcohols; GLC analysis indicated greater than 99% purity for each nitrite. In determining LD50 values (mice, i.p.) for each compound, no deaths were observed after 30 min post-administration of sBN or tBN. Gross post-mortem examination suggests the delayed lethality may be due to liver damage. Administration of isobutyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl or tert-butyl alcohols to mice produced similar hepatotoxicity, suggesting that butyl alcohols may play a role in the hepatotoxicity observed after sBN or tBN administration.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000440:Butanols / Q000633:toxicity*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009573:Nitrites / Q000633:toxicity*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000440:Butanols; D009573:Nitrites