Stimulatory Effect of Isoproterenol but Not of Dibutyryl Cyclic AMP on N-Acetyltransferase Activity and Melatonin Content of Syrian Hamster Pineal Gland in Organ Culture

1988 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celsa Santana ◽  
Juan M. Guerrero ◽  
Russel J. Reiter ◽  
Manuel Puig-Domingo ◽  
Aldo Gonzalez-Brito
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Organ Culture ◽  
Pineal Gland ◽  
Syrian Hamster ◽  
Dibutyryl Cyclic Amp ◽  
Acetyltransferase Activity

scholarly journals Changes in the activities of the enzymes of urea synthesis caused by dexamethasone and dibutyryladenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate in foetal rat liver maintained in organ culture

1976 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Edkins ◽  
N C R Rïhä
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Organ Culture ◽  
Rat Liver ◽  
Urea Cycle ◽  
Defined Medium ◽  
Urea Synthesis ◽  
Dibutyryl Cyclic Amp ◽  
Carbamoyl Phosphate ◽  
Foetal Rat ◽  
Ornithine Transcarbamoylase

Liver explants from 19-day foetal rats were maintained in organ culture, in a defined medium, for up to 48h. Both 6-N,2′-O-dibutyryl cyclic AMP, in the presence of theophylline, and dexamethasone caused an increase in the activities of carbamoyl phosphate synthase, argininosuccinate synthetase, argininosuccinate lyase and arginase. These increases could be abolished by simultaneously incubating the explants with cycloheximide. No change in the activity of ornithine transcarbamoylase was found with either hormone. Previous work has shown that injection of corticosteroids into 19.5-day foetal rats in utero did not cause an increase in the arginine synthetase system. Present results suggest that this lack of effect is not due to any incompetence of the foetal rat liver at this stage to respond to this agent. The observations on ornithine transcarbamoylase activity suggest that this enzyme is induced in the liver of the perinatal rat by neither corticosteroids nor hormones acting via cyclic AMP, and it may be that all the enzymes of the urea cycle are induced physiologically by an agent or agents as yet unidentified.

Regulation of the diurnal cycle in activity of serotonin acetyltransferase in the chick pineal gland

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 685-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. Wainwright ◽  
Lillian K. Wainwright
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Organ Culture ◽  
Pineal Gland ◽  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
Adenosine Receptor ◽  
Control Mechanism ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Acetyltransferase Activity ◽  
In Vivo Effects

When chick pineal glands were explanted into organ culture at midlight phase of a diurnal cycle of illumination and incubated in the dark, they developed marked increases in serotonin acetyltransferase (acetyl coA:arylamine N-acetyltransferase; EC 2.3.1.5) activity. Either this increase in activity was inhibited or its onset was retarded in glands incubated under constant illumination.Supplements of theophylline, isobutylmethylxanthine, quinidine, and compound Ro 20-1724 (4-(3-butoxyl-4-methoxybenzyl)-2-imidazolidinone) elicited very marked increases in serotonin acetyltransferase activity in glands cultured in the dark. Levels of activity attained after 6 h in culture approached or exceeded the maximum levels attained at middark phase of the diurnal cycle in vivo. Effects of theophylline and compound Ro 20-1724 were additive.Supplements of dibutryl cAMP had little or no effect upon levels of serotonin acetyltransferase activity when tested alone or in combination with theophylline but further enhanced the increase in the level of enzyme activity elicited by Ro 20-1724. Adenosine and cAMP had little or no effect upon levels of serotonin acetyltransferase activity.It is concluded that levels of serotonin acetyltransferase activity in the chick pineal gland are regulated by a repressive, negative-control mechanism, which probably involves a membranous adenosine receptor.

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