7-cartridge - 17-11-2011 at 00:23
The fluoroacetic acid is a TCA cycle inhibitor and is a extremely toxic.
On the other hand, will acetic acid-D4 or acetic acid-D3 be toxic?
Does deuterium isotope effect happen?
Adas - 17-11-2011 at 01:03
Probably yes, but not much. It will be either metabolised to some fat IIRC, or secreted. The toxicity stands on fact, that D-isotopes are less
reactive than H-isitopes.
phlogiston - 17-11-2011 at 12:55
The acetic acid is much more toxic itself than the deuterium.
You would have to give enormous quantities of deuterated acetic acid for the toxicity to become significant.
To resolve a metabolic pathway, I have recently had to do an experiment where mice were fed Deuterium oxide (heavy water). When their drinking water
supply contained >40% of heavy water, they lost weight over time, which is usually a clear sign that their health is affected. There are published
experiments were mice were fed even more, and at high concentrations it will actually kill them.
The mechanism is not exactly clear, but the difference in hydrogen-bond strength may be involved. Hydrogen bonding plays an important part in the
mechanism of many enzymes. Some papers suggest that high percentages of deuterium interfere with mitosis, and for this reason D2O has been tested as a
potential anti-cancer drug.
It is unlikely that the D4-acetic will interfere with the TCA cycle signicantly. Stable-isotope (and unstable isotope) labels have actually been
extensively used to resolve this (and other) pathways.
[Edited on 17-11-2011 by phlogiston]