Comparison of analytical methods for detection of perchloroethylene glutathione conjugates and application in liver fractions

Perchloroethylene (PER) is a degreasing solvent widelyused to replace the toxic trichloroethylene. However, PERcan also lead to nephrotoxicity via bioactivation by theglutathione (GSH) conjugative pathway. In this study, apostcolumn o-phtaldialdehyde (OPA)/N-acetylcysteine(NAC) derivatisation method has been developed andcompared to existing methods for analysis of PER GSHconjugates. Subsequently, the rate of this conjugation hasbeen studied for the first time in human subcellularfractions. The specific activity of PER GSH conjugation inhumans shows significant interindividual differences andis 10-fold lower compared to rats, indicating that humansare less susceptible to nephrotoxicity via this pathway