Urinary metabolites of N-nitrosodibutylamine in the rat: identification of N-acetyl-S-butyl-L-cysteine derivatives.

N-Acetyl-S-(butyl, 3-oxobutyl and 3-hydroxybutyl)-L-cysteines have been isolated and identified (as their methyl esters) from the urine of rats given N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA), N-nitrodibutylamine (NTDBA) and their corresponding alpha-acetoxy derivatives, N-nitroso-N-butyl(1-acetoxybutyl)amine and N-nitro-N-butyl(1-acetoxybutyl)amine, respectively. Greater amounts of these L-cysteine derivatives were detected in urine after administration of NDBA than of NTDBA. This suggests that the markedly different biological activities of NDBA and NTDBA might be due, in part, to a difference in their alkylating abilities in vivo.