Hormones and liver cytoplasm. 5. Enzymes concerned in nucleic-acid catabolism, as affected by hypophysectomy or adrenalectomy

Abstract

Enzymes concerned in nucleic acid catabolism were studied with liver cytoplasm and, for nucleases, with kidney obtained from untreated hypophysecto-mized rats, hypophysectomized rats treated with growth hormone (which did not affect any of the processes studied) and adrenalectomized rats. Nucleotidase activity fell after hypophysectomy, and uricase activity fell after hypophysectomy, and uricase activity fell after adrenalectomy. The activities of adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase showed no changes, nor were there any marked changes in the amount of distribution of Mg in liver cytoplasm. On the 3d day after adrenalectomy, changes were already evident (in liver) in uricase, supernatant-fraction ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonuclease (both whole-cytoplasmic fraction and supernatant fraction), whereas changes in deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonuclease (both whole-cyto-plasmic fraction and supernatant fraction) and xanthine oxidase tended to occur later. Kidney tissue showed a rise in the ribonuclease activity of the supernatant fraction after hypophysectomy, and a rise in deoxyribonucleic acid content after adrenalectomy. The levels of acid phosphatase and xanthine oxidase in liver, studied to assist in interpreting these results, were not markedly affected by adrenalectomy.