Butyl nitrite transformation in vitro, chemical nitrosation reactions, and mutagenesis.

The transformation of n-butyl nitrite added to whole blood, plasma, and water was studied using anion exchange high pressure liquid chromatography, spectrometry, and gas chromatography. Butyl nitrite is predominantly converted to butanol, nitrite, and nitrate in acidic water and to butanol, nitrate, and methemoglobin in whole blood; however, butyl nitrite shows little initial conversion to those products in plasma. Thiol nitrosation of plasma proteins was indirectly demonstrated. Chemical nitrosation of cysteine was deduced spectrophotometrically by the interactions of butyl nitrite with cysteine and 5,5'-dithio(bis)2-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB). Ames test mutagenicity of n-butyl nitrite was confirmed.