3H-Benzene metabolism in rabbit bone marrow

An assay for benzene metabolism using ³H-benzene and high pressure liquid chromatography was developed. ³H-Benzene metabolism (2 pmoles benzene equivalents/mg protein/min) required the presence of a TPNH generating system and was inhibited 80% in the presence of a CO:O₂ (9:1) atmosphere. The products of ³H-benzene rabbit bone marrow microsomal metabolism were phenol and an unidentified metabolite. Cytochrome P-450 (26–51 pmoles/mg microsomal protein) and cytochrome $\text{c}$ reductase activity (7.8–21.0 nmole/mg microsomal protein/min) were detected in rabbit bone marrow.