Melamine in prenatal and postnatal organs in rats.
Melamine can be transferred to fetus in utero through placenta and to infant ex utero by breast feeding. In this study, we characterized the pharmacokinetics of melamine in prenatal and postnatal organs in rats. Single bolus of melamine was administered to pregnant rats at different gestational stages and to infants at different postnatal stages. Distribution of melamine in maternal serum was about 30% higher in late pregnancy than that in early pregnancy; and it was 2 folds higher in postnatal serum in early infants in young adulthood. Distribution of melamine in all postnatal organs was higher than that in prenatal organs. Postnatal kidneys in early infants had the highest maximum concentration and the lowest clearance of melamine than the other postnatal organs. It may relate to the high vulnerability to the toxicity of melamine in this population.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hong Kong. nina_chu@cuhk.edu.hk
Ching Yan
CY
Chu
Kai On
KO
Chu
Chung Shun
CS
Ho
Sung Shing
SS
Kwok
Ho Ming
HM
Chan
Kwok Pui
KP
Fung
Chi Chiu
CC
Wang
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D059022:Food Safety; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012117:Resins, Synthetic / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014227:Triazines / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
D012117:Resins, Synthetic; D014227:Triazines; C011907:melamine