Petroleum hydrocarbons mammals

Frost KJ, Manen C-A, Wade TL (1994) Petroleum hydrocarbons in tissues of harbor seals from Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska. In Loughlin TR (ed) Marine Mammals and the Exxon Valdez. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 331-350. 

The MFO system is also known as the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) or drug-metabolizing system in mammals. In fish, as in mammals, most MFO activity is localized in the liver (2.404 /imoles of B[a]P hydroxylase = AHH) and in minor amounts in kidney (0.026) and heart (0.006) (Pederson etaL, 1974). Many studies have shown the presence of various oxygenases in fish (Bend etal, 1977 Stegeman, 1978). AHH is present in many marine fish species from different habitats and life stories (Payne, 1977). Several fish species including rainbow trout can hydroxylate benzo[a]pyrene and naphthalene. Quantitative data on AHH activity based on B[a]P hydroxylase activity, benzphetamine demethylase activity, 7-ethoxycoumarin deethylase activity, and cytochrome P-450 content in vertebrates, crustaceans, and bivalves are available in the literature (Vandermeulen and Penrose, 1978 Philpot etaL, 1976). Specific enzyme activities derived from single substrate measurements are limited in their application to complex mixtures of petroleum hydrocarbons (Malins, 1977a, b). MFO absence or activity could determine hydrocarbon retention in... 

Excretion of the electrophilic intermediates as conjugated derivatives has been well identified in terrestial mammals as well as in marine species. All marine species investigated are able to conjugate the oxide intermediates to GSH-derivatives (Bend etaL, 1977). Generally, invertebrates show lower activity than vertebrates. In addition, wide variation in glutathione-S-transferase activity has been observed beween species and substrates used. Reasonable experimental evidence now exists for the enzyme-mediated biotransformation of petroleum hydrocarbons in several marine fish and invertebrate species. 

Remarkably little is known concerning the nature and distribution of alkanes in mammals. Usually less than 1%, if any, of mammalian waxes are hydrocarbons (compared with up to 90% of insect cutin) and when alkanes do occur in waxes and in fats the pattern is very complex " . This may be the result of the accumulation in the fat tissues of alkanes from a variety of dietary sources. Egg, duck and chicken fat contain predominantly C20 to C23 alkanes whereas lard and meat fats generally include small amounts of the C25 to C31 compounds Bovine tissues (e.g. liver, heart) contain n-Ci2 to n-C3i alkanes and phytane " ". The surface lipids of human skin contain up to 1% alkanes in a range C15-C35 which shows widespread variations between subjects. C-dating for these alkanes showed an age ca 30,000 years consistent with contamination with petroleum products from the environment... 

The pyrethrins (7.5/), extracted with petroleum from Dalmatian Insect Flowers (a species of Chrysanthemum) resemble the chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides in being axonal blockers. They act on both central and sensory components of the nervous system. However, and this is quite unlike what happens with the chlorinated hydrocarbons, the insects merely fall down in a stupor. There are no useless movements and a high rate of recovery occurs. Mammals detoxify pyrethrins very quickly by both hydrolysis and oxidation, hence the selectivity of these agents, but... 

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