In vivo reaction of dimethylnitrosamine with nucleic acids.

7-Methylguanine is the main compound resulting from in vivo interaction between dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA) and nucleic acids, detected after strong acid hydrolysis. However, enzymic and alkaline hydrolysis of nucleic acids leads to quantitative liberation of methylamine. Methylamine isolated from liver nucleic acids of 15N-DMNA-treated rats has molecular weight of 31, thus demonstrating that DMNA-nitrogen is not involved in the binding.