Toxicokinetic interaction of 2,5-hexanedione and methyl ethyl ketone

Co-exposure to methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) potentiates the neurotoxicity of n-hexane in humans as well as in animals. This effect is associated with increased persistence of 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD) in blood, probably due to inhibition of 2,5-HD phase II biotransformation by MEK. There is no previous quantitative toxicokinetic model to describe this interaction. In this study we constructed a toxicokinetic model to depict the inhibition of 2,5-HD metabolism and elimination by MEK. Experimental data on 2,5-HD blood concentrations in rats from a published study were used to estimate model parameters. Three different inhibition mechanisms were evaluated: competitive, uncompetitive, and noncompetitive inhibition. Extrapolation from high to low doses was made to assess the interactive effects of MEK on 2,5-HD beyond experimental conditions. The models developed successfully described the toxicokinetic behavior of 2,5-HD when inhibited by MEK. The competitive inhibition model yielded a much lower estimate for the constant (65.5 mg/l) of 2,5-HD inhibition by MEK than did the uncompetitive and noncompetitive models (403 and 440 mg/l, respectively). The apparent half-life of 2,5-HD appeared to be a linear function of the Michaelis-Menten constant, and 2,5-HD and MEK concentrations in rats. The area under the curve of 2,5-HD in blood of rats was a nonlinear function of 2,5-HD and MEK concentrations in the blood. This study highlights the importance of the interactive effect of MEK on deactivation and elimination of 2,5-HD, and further illustrates the advantage of toxicokinetic modeling to investigate chemical interactions associated with exposure to multiple chemical agents.