Question

Naphthalene (shown right) is primarily used as raw material to manufacture ink and dyes. It was also the active ingredient of “mothballs”, a household pesticide. Human can be exposed to naphthalene by using the pesticide, from tobacco smoke, from burning coal and oil, or occupationally from industrial manufacturing. It is considered a selective lung toxicant.

a. In class, we discussed the major causes of toxicant selectivity to the lung. Name and describe two that would apply to naphthalene (4 pts)

b. Draw the bioactive metabolite that would contribute to the toxicity and name its toxic mechanism of action (2 pts)

c. If we decreased the amount of glutathione within the cell, how might this affect the toxicity of naphthalene? (2 pts)

d. Would you expect naphthalene to exert its toxicity by binding to the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor? Why or why not? (2 pts)