METABOLISM OF GOLD IN THE RAT FOLLOWING A SINGLE ADMINISTRATION OF SODIUM AUROTHIOMALATE - MATHEMATICAL-ANALYSIS OF SERUM AND ORGAN CONCENTRATIONS

The distribution of gold in the male rat following a single s.c. injection of sodium aurothiomalate (1 mg Au/kg body wt) was determined. Serum gold concentration-time data were fitted to the three compartment open model consisting of shallow and deep peripheral compartments connected reversibly and in series with the central compartment. The model indicated that the gold was lost rapidly from the central compartment by elimination and by transport to the shallow peripheral compartment. The gold was released slowly from the deep peripheral compartment producing a biological half-time of 26.5 days. The highest organ concentrations and relatively slow initial rate of clearance was observed in the adrenals, kidneys, liver, lymph nodes, pancreas, parotid, spleen and thymus whilst generally lower concentrations and more rapid initial rate of clearance was observed in bone, heart, lung and submaxillary. When the tissue concentration data were fitted to the three compartment open model the tissue metabolism of gold correlated best with the gold content of both peripheral compartments. The data for bone, heart and lung suggested that these organs contribute predominantly to the shallow peripheral compartment. The organ data were therefore consistent with the rate of disappearance of gold from the serum and the model defines adequately the relationship between serum and organ gold concentrations. © 1979.