| Title: | A study of the biological partitioning behavior of n-alkanes and n-alkanols in causing anesthetic effects |
| Author(s): | Hau KM; Connell DW; Richardson BJ; |
| Address: | "School of Public Health, Griffith University, Logan, Queensland, Australia. hokmhau@polyu.edu.hk" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0273-2300 (Print) 0273-2300 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "n-Alkanes and n-alkanols are two groups of common volatile organic compounds (VOCs) having potential anesthetic effects on workers and building occupants. A partition model based on the octanol-air partition coefficient was developed in this investigation to describe the biological partitioning of n-alkanes and n-alkanols in causing general anesthesia. Data on anesthetic potency (minimum alveolar concentration, MAC) for the test groups in rats were found to fit the model. The slight difference between the n-alkanes and n-alkanols in testing the model could be largely eliminated by correcting for the potential partial pressure gradients of the long-chain alkanes across the blood-brain barrier. The corrected MAC data for the two test groups fit well onto one common activity-partition regression line. This suggests that n-alkanes and n-alkanols may share a common biophase or mechanistic pathway for anesthesia. The present findings may provide some useful insight into setting anesthesia-based health standards for VOC mixtures" |
| Keywords: | "Air Pollutants/chemistry Alcohols/chemistry/*pharmacokinetics Alkanes/chemistry/*pharmacokinetics *Anesthetics Animals Blood-Brain Barrier Dose-Response Relationship, Drug Humans Models, Biological Octanols/chemistry Pulmonary Alveoli/metabolism Solubilit;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineHau, K M Connell, D W Richardson, B J eng Review Netherlands 2002/06/08 Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2002 Apr; 35(2 Pt 1):273-9. doi: 10.1006/rtph.2001.1531" |
