Summary
In four volunteers exposed to triethylamine (TEA) by inhalation (20 mg/m3, 8 h), the non-renal clearance of TEA into triethylamine-N-oxide (TEAO) was inhibited by 15 to 30% by intake of ethanol (blood serum level in average 25mmol/l). Ethanol intake caused a decrease of plasma levels of TEA and TEAO, and of the fractional formation of TEAO. This may partly be due to a second effect of ethanol; it caused a slight decrease of urinary pH, which led to an increase of the urinary TEA excretion rate, with a possible withdrawal of TEA from oxygenation. Indeed, this effect was efficiently counteracted by intake of sodium bicarbonate, which caused a decrease of renal clearance of TEA, and increases of plasma levels of TEA and TEAO, and of the fractional formation of TEAO. A change of urinary pH by about two units caused a change of renal clearance of TEA by a factor of three and of the oxygenation by two. The renal clearance of TEAO was not affected by urinary pH.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Åkesson B, Bengtsson M, Florén I (1986) Visual disturbances by industrial triethylamine exposure. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 57:297–302
Åkesson B, Florén I, Skerfving S (1985) Visual disturbances after experimental human exposure to triethylamine. Br J Ind Med 42:848–850
Åkesson B, Skerfving S, Mattiasson L (1988) Experimental study on the metabolism of triethylamine in man. Br J Ind Med 45:262–268
Åjkesson B, Skerfving S, Ståhlbom B, Lundh T (1989a) Metabolism of triethylamine in polyurethane-foam workers. Am J Ind Med 16:255–265
Åkesson B, Vinge E, Skerfving S (1989b) Pharmacokinetics of triethylamine and triethylamine-N-oxide in man. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 100:529–538
Albrecht WN, Stephenson RL (1988) Health hazards of tertiary amine catalysts. Scand J Work Environ Health 14:209–219
Aronson JK, Dengler HJ, Dettli L, Folath F (1988) Standardization of symbols in clinical pharmacology. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 35:1–7
Beckett AH, Rowland M (1965) Urinary excretion kinetics of methylamphetamine in man. Nature 206:1260–1261
Bosma A, Brouwer A, Seifert WF, Knook DL (1988) Synergism between ethanol and carbon tetrachloride in the generation of liver fibrosis. J Pathol 156:15–21
Brieger H, Hodes WA (1951) Toxic effects of exposure to vapors of aliphatic amines. Arch Ind Hyg Occup Med 3:287–291
Crabb DW, Bosron WF, Li TK (1987) Ethanol metabolism. Pharmacol Ther 34:59–73
Dössing M, Baelum J, Hansen SH, Lundgvist GR (1984) Effect of ethanol, cimetidine and propranolol on the toluene metabolism in man. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 54:309–315
Eben A, Kimmerle G (1976) Metabolism studies of N,N-dimethylformamide III. Studies about the influence of ethanol in persons and laboratory animals. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 36:243–265
Müller G, Spassovski M, Henschler D (1974) Metabolism of trichloroethylene in man. Arch Toxicol 32:283–295
Pott AM, Rouse EF, Eiferman RA, Au PC (1986) An unusual type of keratopathy observed in polyurethane workers and its reproduction in experimental animals. Am J Ind Med 9:203–213
Waldron HA, Cherry N, Johnston JD (1983) The effects of ethanol on blood toluene concentrations. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 51:365–369
Wilson HK, Robertson SM, Waldron HA (1983) Effect of alcohol on the kinetics of mandelic acid excretion in volunteers exposed to styrene vapour. Br J Ind Med 40:75–80
Ylikahri RH, Pösö RA, Huttunen MO, Hillbom ME (1974) Alcohol intoxication and hangover: effects on plasma electrolyte concentrations and acid-base balance. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 34:327–336
Ziegler DM (1984) Metabolic oxygenation of organic nitrogen and sulfur compounds. In: Mitchell JR, Horning MG (eds) Drug metabolism and drug toxicity. Raven Press, New York, pp 33–53
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Åkesson, B., Skerfving, S. Effects of ethanol ingestion and urinary acidity on the metabolism of triethylamine in man. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 62, 89–93 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397854
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397854