US EPA

3858427 

Journal Article 

[Relationships between polyamines and nucleic acids. I. Influence of food deprivation, phenobarbital and perfluorobutyric acid on the nucleic acid, spermine and spermidine content of mouse liver] 

Seiler, N; Werner, G; Fischer, HA; von Bernd Knötgen, M; Hinz, H 

1969 

Yes 

Hoppe-Seyler's Zeitschrift für Physiologische Chemie
ISSN: 0018-4888 

350 

6 

676-682 

German 

5799706 

10.1515/bchm2.1969.350.1.676 

Relationships between polyamines and nucleic acids, I: The influence of food deprivation, phenobarbital and of perfluorobutyric acid on the nucleic acid, spermine and spermidine content of mouse liver. The polyamines, spermine and spermidine, and nucleic acids were measured in certain organs and tissues of the mouse. In order to ascertain the quantitative relationships between the polyamines and the nucleic acids, the quantities of these substances were also measured in the liver of the mouse during starvation and following the action of compounds that cause enlargement of the liver. During starvation, there was a parallel decrease in cytoplasmic RNA and spermidine, while the levels of DNA and spermine remained constant. After treatment of mice with phenobarbital (0.1 % in the drinking water), an increase in RNA and a directly proportional increase in spermidine were observed. Similar changes were observed after the injection of perfluorobutyric acid. During starvation accompanied by phenobarbital treatment, the decrease of RNA and spermidine in the liver was less than in the group that was only starved. Treatment for seven days with phenobarbital caused, in addition to an increase of RNA and spermidine, an increase in the level of DNA and spermine in the liver. It was shown that an increase or decrease in the spermidine level of the liver by 1 µmole is accompanied by an increase or decrease of the RNA-phosphate by 15 to 16 µmoles. The implications of these results for the interrelationships of polyamines and nucleic acids is discussed. © 1969, IEEE. All rights reserved.