Studies on nitrosamine formation by the interaction between drugs and nitrite. II. Hepatotoxicity by the simultaneous administration of several drugs and nitrite.

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The alterations of biochemical parameters, namely, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase in serum, hepatic microsomal drug oxidation systems, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and lysozomal enzymes in hepatic soluble fraction were investigated for the purpose of semiquantitatively estimating the hepatotoxicity caused by the interaction of several drugs and sodium nitrite in rats. The simultaneous administration of aminopyrine and sodium nitrite induced the alterations of these parameters. However, these alterations were not induced by the administration of antipyrine and sodium nitrite. Therefore the alterations were thought to be mainly due to N-nitrosodimethylamine formed. The administration of 0.4 mmole/kg of aminopyrine and 1.0 mmole/kg of sodium nitrite was thought to induce the alterations to almost the same extent as induced by 0.15 mmole/kg of N-nitrosodimethylamine. The simultaneous administrations of sodium nitrite and several other drugs with tertiary amino groups, namely oxytetracycline, diphenhydramine, oleandomycin, erythromycin and minocycline induced small alterations of these parameters. However, these alterations were not thought to relate to the hepatic injury induced by N-nitrosodimethylamine. Therefore the amount of N-nitrosodimethylamine formed from these drugs in rats was thought to be rather small. We also investigated the effect of several antioxidants on the alterations of biochemical parameters induced by aminopyrine and sodium nitrite. Ascorbic acid, sodium erythorbate and propyl gallate inhibited these alterations. On the other hand, sorbic acid did not.