Comparison of the disposition of several nitrogen-containing compounds in the sea urchin and other marine invertebrates

Abstract

1. The disposition of an aromatic amine and three aromatic nitro compounds was investigated in the sea urchin, Sirongylocentrotus purpuratus.

2. The sea urchin rapidly eliminated injected compounds. The elimination rate constants decreased in the order p-toluidine>p-nitroanisole = p-nitrophenol >p-nitrotoluene. The fraction of total injected compound eliminated in 8h was lowest for p-nitrophenol <p-toluidine <p-nitrotoluene <>p-nitroanisole.

3. Biotransformation for the sea urchin was primarily reduction of the nitro group followed by acetylation of the amine.

4. Other animals, starfish (Pisaster ochraceus), sea cucumber (Cucumaria miniata), gum boot chiton (Cryptochiton stelleri) and mussels (Mytilus californiamus), injected with p-nitroanisole exhibited a trend toward oxidative biotransformation.

5. Elimination of parent compound was the major pathway for reducing body burden of xenobiotics for the invertebrates studied.

6. p-Toluidine oxidizes during analysis and was thus not suitable for studying biotransformation.