The goal of this research proposal is to provide information to increase our understanding of hydrazine and procarbazine on some specific aspects of hepatic nucleic acid metabolism and protein biosynthesis. Specifically, this proposal will deal with the effects of these compounds on RNA metabolism, polyamine metabolism and amino acid pools in the various tissues of the rat. The experimentation will establish whether a sublethal dose of hydrazine or procarbazine 1) causes alterations in the uptakes of RNA precursors into liver RNA, the nature of processing those precursors, the pattern of subcellular changes in labelling of liver RNA and the enzymes related to RNA synthesis and degradation; 2) produces in vivo changes in the cellular levels of putrescine, spermidine and spermine in the activity of the hepatic enzymes involved in their metabolism; 3) alters the free amino acid pools of the liver serum, brain and skeletal muscles. Since hydrazine has been shown to be carcinostatic in animal model systems and procarbazine is currently being used clinically in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease, these studies should provide further information regarding their modes of action in vivo as anticancer drugs.