Liver function studies on rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) following the administration of hydrazine sulfate

Hydrazine sulfate (Hs), a known occupational toxin and putative cancer therapeutic agent, was administered iv at various doses to rhesus monkeys in an effort to measure its effects upon the liver. Function tests included indocyanine clearance (ICG Vmax and Km), serum bile acid levels and serum enzyme activities, including alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, and a panel of 19 other blood chemical constituents. Hepatic function and other biochemical tests were generally within the normal range following single-dose Hs administration (10-40 mg/kg) and did not suggest the presence of significant liver injury. Two monkeys receiving 80 mg/kg Hs exhibited extensive hepatic lipidosis without biochemical or histologic signs of necrosis. Hs, administered iv, appears to produce little or no hepatic toxicity.