Toxicity of N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine, and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in isolated rat hepatocytes

Abstract N -Nitrosodimethylamine and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine were shown to injure lethally primary monolayer cultures of rat hepatocytes only after incubation periods in excess of 24 hr. The toxic action of these agents, therefore, mimics the time dependency of their hepatoxicity in vivo . The viability of hepatocytes treated with N -nitrosomethylbenzylamine was not different from controls at times up to 54 hr following treatment, a result which is also consistent with the inability of this compound to produce hepatotoxicity in vivo .