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Determination of alkanes in breath to monitor lipid peroxidation in the presence of volatile toxicants and metabolites

An optimized, automatic method

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Abstract

Determination of alkanes in breath of laboratory animals and humans has become a standard-method for monitoring lipid peroxidation in vivo. Isothermal gas chromatography on Porasil C enables sensitive, rapid and repetitive determination of all C2-C5-hydrocarbons in breath. Volatile toxicants and metabolites, which would coelute with the alkanes of later injected samples, are deviated by using a precolumn. An automatic switching unit controls withdrawal and injection of samples and backflush of the precolumn in a repetitive manner at fixed intervals. This increases accuracy and sensitivity of analysis and enables virtually unattended operation. The system has been applied for a study on the oxygen-dependance of CCl4-metabolism in the rat.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Toxikologie der Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 56, D-7400, Tübingen 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    Hartmut Frank & Heinz Dürk

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  1. Hartmut Frank
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  2. Heinz Dürk
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Frank, H., Dürk, H. Determination of alkanes in breath to monitor lipid peroxidation in the presence of volatile toxicants and metabolites. Arch Toxicol 53, 213–223 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316505

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316505

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