Pharmacokinetics of tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines.

Methods were developed to determine the biological half-life of N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in Syrian golden hamsters and Fischer rats. The formation and elimination of 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(-3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNA1), the major metabolite of NNK, was determined in the context of this study. The method consisted of extraction of the nitrosamine with ethyl acetate, elution through a Clin-Elut column, and concentration of the sample, followed by gas chromatography-thermal energy analysis. Biological half-lives of NNN, NNK and NNA1 in hamsters were found to be 0.77, 0.25 and 1.78 h, respectively; in rats they were 5.78, 1.78 and 3.56 h. These findings clearly indicate species differences in the pharmacokinetics associated with the distribution and elimination of the tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines.