Paper Chromatographic Separation of Components of Rose Bengal Labelled with Iodine-131

Abstract

ROSE bengal (tetraiodotetrachlorofluorescein) labelled with iodine-131 is used in medicine to test hepatic function. The most used tests are those of Blahd and Nordyke¹ and Taplin, Meredith and Kade². In both tests it is assumed that the dye, injected endovenously, is eliminated only by the liver. Experiments on the elimination of the dye were made with labelled rose bengal supplied by a well-known laboratory specializing in radio-pharmaceuticals³. The study showed that the dimination curve could be resolved into two exponential curves. This suggests that the dye is not eliminated only by the liver, perhaps because the dye is not a single chemical substance. Stowe, Delprat and Weeks⁴ have directed attention to the fact that the liver only eliminates rose bengal when it has eight halogens, that is, when it is the pure chemical compound tetraiodotetrachlorofluorescein.