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In vivo metabolism of dimethylformamide and relationship to toxicity in the male rat

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Abstract

After in vivo administration of dimethylformamide (DMF) to male rats, about 50% of the dose is excreted in urine as N-hydroxymethyl-N-methylformamide (DMF-OH) and about 4% as N-methylformamide (NMF). NMF is not a product of DMF-OH biotransformation but is directly formed from DMF. Comparison of the acute toxicity of DMF, DMF-OH and NMF shows that NMF is more toxic than DMF-OH, which is itself more toxic than DMF. This study explains the different toxicity profile of DMF and NMF which until recently was believed to represent the main metabolite of DMF.

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Scailteur, V., Lauwerys, R. In vivo metabolism of dimethylformamide and relationship to toxicity in the male rat. Arch Toxicol 56, 87–91 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349077

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349077

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