Comparison of metabolism and activity of an aryldimethyltriazene and an aryldiethyltriazene

Teratogenicity of 3,3-dimethyl-1-phenyltriazene: distribution in rats and rat embryos

3,3-Dimethyl-1-phenyltriazene (DMPT) is a methylating agent which is carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic which, in the rat, provides a reproducible animal model with which to study the basis of chemically-induced micrognathism. The basis of teratogenic organotropism of DMPT and other methylating teratogens is unknown. The present study was undertaken to determine if limited chemical distribution within the embryo was responsible for the organotropism of DMPT. Whole-embryo autoradiographs and liquid scintillation analysis indicated that although DMPT may have some limitations of chemical distribution within the embryo, these limitations are not sufficient to explain its teratogenic organotropism.