Metabolic fate of hydrazine

Abstract

Studies of the disposition of hydrazine administered to mammals have not succeeded in accounting for more than a modest fraction of the dose, nor have the excretory products been completely identified. We have utilized 15N-labeled hydrazine and conventional methods to account for about 75% of single doses of about 0.5 LD50 (1 mmol/kg). In 48 h, about 30% appeared in urine as hydrazine and about 20% emerged as a derivative that is acid-hydrolyzable to hydrazine. About 25% was converted to N2 gas, most of which appeared less than 30 min after administration. The percentage converted to N2 at 4 h increased only slightly with dose between 0.5 and 2.0 mmol/kg. Disappearance of hydrazine from blood was biphasic with half-times of 0.74 and 26.9 h.