Metabolism and excretion of [14C] verruculogen in a sheep.

[14C] Verruculogen (75 micrograms/kg) was given intravenously to a sheep under barbiturate anaesthesia to prevent the severe tremor and convulsions which would otherwise have occurred. Two hours later 28 per cent of the tremorgenic mycotoxin was detected in the liver, bile and small intestine. Approximately 0.5 per cent was excreted in the urine. Trace amounts of radiolabel were detected in the cortex and corpus striatum of the brain. Verruculogen was metabolised by the liver and converted completely to four more polar products, including two isomeric forms of desoxy-verruculogen and the weakly tremorgenic mycotoxin TR-2. The principal and most polar metabolite excreted is probably an isomer of TR-2.