title: Whole-body distribution of plutonium in rats for different routes of exposure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare data on the whole-body distribution of plutonium-239 ((239)Pu(4+)) in rats following a single administration by intravenous injection (IV), inhalation, and wound (intramuscular injection [IM]).
  
  
  METHODS
  For each route of administration there were eight experimental groups, determined by the time of sacrifice following (239)Pu(4+) administration. The groups consisted of three male and three female F344 rats. Rats were placed in metabolism cages where urine and feces were collected daily. At sacrifice, rats underwent necropsy with tissues collected for radioactivity measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Skeleton had the largest fraction of (239)Pu(4+); for IV, 50% by 1 hour (h) post exposure, and for wound 40% by 6 days (d) post exposure; both routes followed the same retention pattern; however, for inhalation 0.4% of the activity was observed at the early time-points which slowly increased with time and by 28 d, 1% remained. Liver retained the second highest content. Following IV, 20% was observed at 2 d and for IM, 6% at 4 d. Following inhalation exposure, 0.5% was found in liver by the conclusion of the study, 28 d.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unperturbed rat models for these three routes of administration are the baseline for evaluating the efficacy of chelating agents.
authors.affiliation: Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute , Albuquerque, NM , USA.
authors.forename: Waylon
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doyle-Eisele
authors.forename: Dunstana R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Raymond A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Guilmette
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000528:radiation effects; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007668:Kidney / Q000528:radiation effects; D008099:Liver / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011005:Plutonium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013154:Spleen / Q000528:radiation effects; D014947:Wounds and Injuries
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D011005:Plutonium
keywords: Plutonium; biokinetic; contaminated wound; inhalation; internal exposure; rats