Toxicity and physiological disposition of sodium- p-N-glycolylarsanilate : II. Absorption, excretion, and metabolism in the chicken

Abstract

Sodium p-N-glycolylarsanilate administered orally to chickens is excreted to the extent of 95% within 16 hours after the second of two doses given 8 hours apart, and 99% is excreted within 88 hours. The arsenical excreted by these birds appears to be 98.5% unchanged drug and 1.5% arsanilic acid. The arsenic of intramuscularly administered glycolylarsanilate is excreted at almost the same rate, but about 28% is split to arsanilic acid. The only tissue in which glycolylarsanilate accumulates to any extent is liver, and the residue in this tissue is indistinguishable from the unchanged drug. This conclusion is based on a rat excretion experiment. Tissue residues of glycolylarsanilate following a 9-week feeding period at 60 g/ton are only nominal, and, if subject to a 5-day withdrawal period, become virtually zero. There is evidence that chickens receiving arsenite parenterally convert it, as least in part, to an unidentified organic compound. Comparing the excretion data on SNGA presented herein with that of Moody and Williams (1962), it may be concluded that SNGA administered orally to chickens is excreted more rapidly than arsanilic acid, acetylarsanilic acid, or 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenylarsonic acid.