Distribution in the rat of physiological amounts of injected Cr⁵¹(III) with time

¹ Division of Nutrition, Bureau of Scientific Research, Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C.

Cr⁵¹ trichloride was injected intravenously into rats at the levels of 0.01 and 0.1 µg Cr/100 g body wt and its distribution was studied at timed intervals from 1/4 hr to 4 days. There was little difference in blood clearance, tissue distribution, or excretion due to either dose level, previous diet, or sex. After 4 days, the heart, pancreas, lung, and brain retained only 10–31% of their initial radioactivity while the spleen, kidney, testis, and epididymis retained from 104 to 200%. The other tissue values were intermediate. The spleen and kidney continued to concentrate Cr⁵¹ over the 4-day period while the peak retention in the testis and epididymis was at 4 and 8 hr, respectively. Young growing rats retained greater amounts of Cr⁵¹ in the bones whereas mature animals showed higher retention in the spleen, kidney, testis, and epididymis. Chromium was excreted mainly in the urine although minor amounts were found in the feces.

Key Words: Cr⁵¹(III) metabolism • organ Cr⁵¹ retention • Cr⁵¹ balance • Cr⁵¹ excretion • Cr⁵¹ blood clearance • diets sex

Submitted on November 16, 1964

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S Sankaramanivel, R Jeyapriya, D Hemalatha, S Djody, J Arunakaran, and N Srinivasan Effect of chromium on vertebrae, femur and calvaria of adult male rats Human and Experimental Toxicology, June 1, 2006; 25(6): 311 - 318. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. Edel and E. Sabbioni Pathways of Cr (III) and Cr (VI) in the Rat after Intratracheal Administration Human and Experimental Toxicology, July 1, 1985; 4(4): 409 - 416. [Abstract] [PDF]