Ornithine decarboxylase as an early indicator of in vitro hepatocyte DNA synthesis

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · J. Surg. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-4804(83)90139-7· OSTI ID:5578094

Demetriou, A A; Seifter, E; Levenson, S M

The enzyme ornithine decarboxylase, one of the key enzymes involved in polyamine biosynthesis, catalyzes the decarboxylation of ornithine to give putrescine. The activity of this enzyme in an in vitro hepatocyte culture assay system was measured because it is known that ornithine decarboxylase levels increase in instances where active protein synthesis, DNA synthesis, and cell growth is initiated. A good correlation was found between ornithine decarboxylase activity and the rate of tritiated thymidine incorporation into hepatocyte DNA. The increase in enzyme activity precedes the incorporation of tritiated thymidine into DNA (enzyme activity increases 2-3 hr following stimulation of cell growth; whereas the tritiated thymidine uptake increases at about 14-18 hr). Experimental results obtained with this assay system, suggest that hepatocytes from the regenerating liver remnant, grown in vitro, secrete a factor(s) into the culture medium which stimulates DNA synthesis of normal hepatocytes. Use of the increase in ornithine decarboxylase activity in this hepatocyte monolayer culture system confirmed the observation made by several investigators: that the serum of rats which underwent partial hepatectomy contains a factor(s) which stimulates hepatocyte DNA synthesis in vitro. In conclusion, these results suggest that ornithine decarboxylase activity can be used as a sensitive, early indicator of the degree of stimulation of hepatocyte DNA synthesis and thus be of use in determining the effect of various trophic factors on hepatocyte DNA synthesis in vitro.

• Research Organization: Department of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Montefiore Hospital Medical Center, Bronx, New York
• OSTI ID: 5578094
• Journal Information: J. Surg. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Surg. Res.; (United States) Vol. 35:2; ISSN JSGRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

552001* -- Public Health-- Tracer Techniques
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AMINES
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMAL CELLS
AZINES
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBOXYLASE
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL CULTURES
CELL CYCLE
CORRELATIONS
DNA
ENZYMES
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIGASES
LIVER CELLS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORNITHINE
PUTRESCINE
PYRIMIDINES
RIBOSIDES
SOMATIC CELLS
SYNTHESIS
THYMIDINE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS