Tissue disposition of carbon disulfide: I. Whole-body autoradiography of 35S- and 14C-labelled carbon disulfide in adult male mice.

Occupational exposure to carbon disulfide (CS2) is associated with several adverse effects such as neurotoxicity, atherosclerosis, liver injury and endocrinal disturbances. In the present study, the distribution of CS2 and its metabolites after inhalation of 35S- or 14C-labelled CS2 was studied in adult male mice with whole-body autoradiography. CS2 itself was registered in body fat and in well-perfused tissues at survival times up to 2 hours. Very little CS2 was taken up by the brain. The distribution patterns of CS2 metabolites were very different after administration of C35S2 or 14CS2. 35S-Labelled metabolites were initially concentrated in the liver and kidney, but were rapidly eliminated from the body. There was evidence of an extensive metabolic incorporation of sulfur split off from CS2 during its biotransformation. 14C-Labelled metabolites were likewise concentrated in the liver and kidney, but were also observed in large amounts in the nasal mucosa, bronchi, bone, pancreas, thyroid, adrenal cortex and testis. A marked retention of non-extractable 14C-labelled metabolites was seen in the liver and thyroid. The results point to several sites of specific CS2-induced toxicity due to the tissue disposition of metabolites of CS2.