The gastrointestinal absorption of organically bound forms of plutonium in fed and fasted hamsters.
Values of about 0.005-0.01 per cent were obtained for the absorption in fed hamsters of plutonium ingested as Pu4+ citrate, isocitrate, phytate and malate complexes and Pu3+ ascorbate compared with about 0.003-0.004 per cent for Pu4+ nitrate. Replacing drinking water with tea did not affect the result for Pu4+ nitrate. Fasting hamsters for 8 h before the administration of plutonium citrate increased absorption to 0.1-0.2 per cent. An extra period of fasting for 4 h after administration did not lead to a further increase in absorption. Similar values were also obtained when plutonium citrate was administered after a 24 h fast, followed either by immediate access to food or a further 4 h fast. In hamsters fasted for 24 h before administration of either Pu3+ ascorbate or Pu4+ nitrate, about 6-7 per cent of the ingested plutonium was retained in the gastrointestinal tract after one week. At three weeks after ingestion of Pu3+ ascorbate, gastrointestinal retention had fallen 100-fold without an increase in absorption.
D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D001822:Body Burden; D002951:Citrates / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010833:Phytic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D011005:Plutonium / Q000378:metabolism*
D002951:Citrates; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011005:Plutonium; D010833:Phytic Acid; C036636:plutonium phytate; D001205:Ascorbic Acid