Lipid peroxidation in the nuclear fraction of rat lungs induced by hydralazine.

Hydralazine (1-hydrazinophthalazine) was administered in drinking water as a 0.0312% solution to randomly bred female Wistar rats during 3 weeks. The average daily intake of this compound was 6.74 mg for a rat. The treatment resulted in lipid peroxidation in the nuclear fraction of the lungs. This lipid peroxidation was detected spectrophotometrically by the appearance of a peak at 233-235 nm in the spectrum of chloroform-methanol extract. The close proximity of DNA may make it a possible target for attack by free radicals.