NUCLEIC ACID PATTERNS IN RAT LIVER FOLLOWING HYPOPHYSECTOMY AND GROWTH HORMONE ADMINISTRATION1

Abstract

Hypophysectomy results in (1) a marked fall in nuclear and cyto-plasmic ribose nucleic acid (RNA) of rat liver cells (2) a marked decrease in nuclear and cytoplasmic protein content and (3) no change in desoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) per nucleus of these cells. The liver cells of hypophysectomized rats treated with a purified growth hormone prepn. show normal amts. of protein and increased amts. of both nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA as compared with controls. Chemical analysis of the same material shows an apparent increase in DNA per unit wt. of tissue. When the chemical data are recalculated on the basis of a constant DNA content, the RNA decrease after hypophysectomy is consistent with that observed cytochemically.