Distribution and excretion of [14C]citrinin in rats.

The distribution and excretion of radioactivity from [14C]citrinin (3 mg/kg, i.v) was determined in male rats. At 0.5 h after administration maximum values of 14.7% and 5.6% of total radioactivity were observed in the liver and kidneys, respectively, and by 6 h decreased to 7.5% in the liver and 4.7% in the kidney. Plasma concentration of 14C decreased from 9.2% at 0.5 h to 4.7% at 6.0 h. 2 plasma elimination rates were observed, with half-lives of 2.6 and 14.9 h, respectively. Approximately 80% of the administered 14C activity was excreted in feces and urine by 24 h after administration. A second group of rats was pretreated with 50 mg/kg of citrinin, i.p., 4 days prior to administration of 3 mg/kg [14C]citrinin, i.v. 30% of the pretreated animals died and the remaining animals were divided into 2 groups on day 4 after pretreatment; rats which were "nephrotoxic" and rats which had "recovered" from the initial insult of citrinin. Proteinuria and glucosuria as well as enhanced urine output were observed in "nephrotoxic" rats 4 days after pretreatment. 24 h after [14C]citrinin, only 13% of 14C activity was detected in the urine of "nephrotoxic" rats. The plasma disappearance curve had 2 elimination rates, with half-lives of 0.6 and 14.1 h. "Nephrotoxic" rats retained 7.5% of the administered radioactivity in the liver compared to 1.3% in the "recovered" rats 24 h after the tracer dose and 47% of the radioactivity was either excreted in feces or in the colon contents after 72 h compared to 17.5% in "recovered" rats. Extraction of urine samples from "nephrotoxic" and "recovered" rats with chloroform suggested increased water soluble metabolites of citrinin in the urine from "nephrotoxic" rats. These data also suggested that in normal rats the kidneys are the major route of elimination of citrinin and its metabolite(s) while in rats rendered nephrotoxic by citrinin pretreatment, elimination is more dependent on hepatic excretion.