Acute toxicity of amine-boranes and related derivatives in mice

Three boron derivatives, i.e. trimethylamine-carbomethoxyborane, tetrakis-mu-(trimethylamine-boranecarboxylato)-bis(trimethylamine- carboxyborane)-dicopper(II), and N,N-dimethyl-n-octadecylamine borane were evaluated for acute toxicity in male mice, at 1, 2 or 5 x their therapeutic dose in rodents for pharmacological activity. Based on organ weights, clinical chemistry, hematopoietic parameters and tissue morphology, the trimethylamine-carbomethoxyborane was shown to be free of toxicity. The dicopper(II) complex and N,N-dimethyl-n-octadecylamine borane demonstrated slight toxicity with marginal disturbance in hepatic and kidney morphology. The dicopper(II) complex may cause marginal myocardial damage and the N,N-dimethyl-n-octadecylamine borane caused elevations in cholic acid. All three derivatives demonstrated reductions in hematocrit.