Toxic liver injury. The metabolism of dimethylnitrosamine <i>in vitro</i>

Abstract

Dimethylnitrosamine has been shown to cause acute centrilobular haemorrhagic necrosis of the liver in rats, rabbits and other animals when administered in doses of the order of 50 mg./kg. body wt. Damage to other tissues was minimal or absent and may be related to the liver injury (Barnes & Magee, 1954). When added to the diet of rats at a level of 50 p.p.m. it was shown to cause a high incidence of malignant hepatic tumours (Magee & Barnes, 1956). The compound is rapidly metabolized in vivo by rats and mice, as shown by Dutton & Heath (