The intraperitoneal administration of
pristane (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane) induces peritoneal
plasmacytomas in genetically susceptible BALB/c mice. The purpose of this study was to estimate the disposition of an amount of intraperitoneally injected
pristane that would conventionally be used in a
tumor induction protocol. The distribution of 3H-labeled
pristane in various tissues was monitored by liquid scintillation counting at different times after injection. The data show that
pristane is present in the blood and detectable in all tested tissues during an observation period of one to 64 days. The levels of
pristane fluctuate in some tissues such as lymph node and bone marrow but show a clear tendency to accumulate in others such as liver, spleen and kidney. Evidence is also presented for the in vivo metabolism of
pristane based on the observed urinary excretion of
tritium and on the high levels of radioactivity in the gall bladder fluid. It is concluded that intraperitoneally administered
pristane is distributed throughout the mouse and is stored in tissues in sufficient amounts to allow interactions with the cells residing there.