Biodistribution of Mixed Fluorocarbon–Hydrocarbon Dowel Molecules Used as Stabilizers of Fluorocarbon Emulsions: A Quantitative Study by Fluorine Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy was used to determine quantitatively the organ distribution and organ retention time in rats of the mixed fluorocarbon–hydrocarbon dowel molecule C₆F₁₃CH = CHC₁₀H₂₁ (F6H10E), which stabilizes highly concentrated injectable fluorocarbon emulsions destined for in vivo oxygen transport and delivery. The only fluorine resonances detected in the ¹⁹F NMR spectra of the organs analyzed were those of the F6H10E dowel itself, indicating that metabolites, if present, have very low concentrations (<10^–4M, limit of our assay). The F6H10E content in the liver peaked 1 day after administration (7 days for the spleen). At a dose of 3.6 g/kg body weight, the half-life of F6H10E in the liver was 25 ± 5 days.