The absorption, distribution, covalent binding and excretion of 2,3-14C-ethyl acrylate (EtAc) was studied in F344 male rats. EtAc was readily absorbed, distributed to all tissues, metabolized and excreted mainly in the expired air as 14C-CO2 (70% of the dose in 24 hours). Three to 5% of the administered dose was excreted in the urine in 4 hours as mercapturic acids of EtAc and acrylic acid. Approximately 4% of the administered dose was excreted in the bile in 6 hours. The highest concentrations of radioactivity were found in the stomach, liver and kidneys respectively. Chemical fractionation of the forestomach and liver revealed that a major portion of the radioactivity in the stomach and liver was covalently bound to the protein fraction at 4 hours after treatment. Twenty-four hours after treatment, there was a significant decline in EtAc covalent protein binding in the liver, while there was no such decline in the stomach. No significant binding to nucleic acids was found in the stomach or the liver.
