title: In vivo distribution of chromium from chromium picolinate in rats and implications for the safety of the dietary supplement.
abstract: Chromium picolinate, [Cr(pic)(3)], is the second most popular nutritional supplement after calcium supplements. However, the supplement, unlike simple inorganic Cr(III) salts, has been shown in the presence of biological reducing agents in vitro to catalytically generate appreciable quantities of hydroxyl radicals, resulting in DNA damage. The complex has also been shown to be remarkably stable in vitro at neutral, basic, or weakly acidic pHs. Thus, the significance of this ability to generate hydroxyl radicals depends on whether the complex is absorbed by cells intact along with the stability and concentration of the complex in cells. Consequently, male Sprague Dawley rats have been injected with (51)Cr- and (3)H-labeled [Cr(pic)(3)]. The tissue distribution, urinary and fecal loss, and subcellular hepatocyte distribution and concentration of the labels suggest that [Cr(pic)(3)] has a lifetime of less than 1 day in vivo, minimizing the potential threat from the supplement itself.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Coalition for Biomolecular Products, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0336, USA.
authors.forename: Dion D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Hepburn
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Vincent
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D002860:Chromium Radioisotopes; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D010848:Picolinic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D002860:Chromium Radioisotopes; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D010848:Picolinic Acids; D014316:Tritium; C030614:picolinic acid