Sulfur body burden

Benson et al. (2011) exposed F344 rats via a transorally placed tracheal catheter to ca. 250 mg m of C-sulfur mustard for 10 min, after which the radioactivity was measured in various tissues at several time points up to 7 days after ending the exposure. By exposing the animals in this way the absorption of sulfur mustard in the upper airways was circumvented. At 2 h after ending the exposure, more than 70% of the inhaled body burden was located in the carcass, pelt and intestines. The remainder of radioactivity was located in the liver, lungs and blood. Radioactivity in these tissues decreased with time, whereas that in the kidney increased up to 7 days after exposure. Since only radioactivity was measured and the identity of the radioactive species was not elucidated, it is unknown to what extent the distribution of intact sulfur mustard and/or its C-retaining metabolites was measured. 

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