title: Vinylphenylmercapturic acids in human urine as biomarkers of styrene ring oxidation.
abstract: New metabolites of styrene, three isomeric vinylphenylmercapturic acids (2-, 3-, and 4-VPMA), were recently identified by LC-ESI-MS in the urine of mice. In this study, 4-VPMA together with traces of 2- and 3-VPMA were found also in the urine of hand-lamination workers, which were exposed to styrene vapours at concentrations ranging from 23 to 244mg/m(3). Concentrations of 4-VPMA in these end-of-shift samples were 4.59±3.64ng/mL (mean±S.D.; n=10), those found next morning after the work-shift were 2.14±2.07ng/mL (mean±S.D.; n=10). Strong correlation (R=0.959) was found in the next-morning samples between concentrations of 4-VPMA and phenylglyoxylic acid, whereas correlations found between 4-VPMA and mandelic acid in both end-of-shift and next-morning samples were much weaker. The excretion of 4-VPMA accounted for only about 3.5×10(-4)% of the absorbed dose of styrene. Despite very low metabolic yield, formation of VPMAs clearly indicates occurrence and extent of styrene ring oxidation considered to be a toxicologically relevant metabolic pathway.
authors: Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Department of Organic Chemistry, Technická 1905, Prague, CZ-166 28, Czech Republic. linharti@vscht.cz
authors: Igor
authors: I
authors: Linhart
authors: Jaroslav
authors: J
authors: Mráz
authors: Ludmila
authors: L
authors: Dabrowská
authors: Milan
authors: M
authors: Mališ
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Krouželka
authors: Marek
authors: M
authors: Kořínek
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D002617:Chemical Industry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010969:Plastics; D020058:Styrene / Q000378:metabolism*; D014753:Vinyl Compounds / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010969:Plastics; D014753:Vinyl Compounds; D020058:Styrene; D000111:Acetylcysteine