Abstract
Polyamines are closely bound to nucleic acids; their levels correlate with nucleic acid synthesis and may decrease during interference with such synthesis. We have previously reported decreases in embryonic polyamines per mg protein after exposure to diphenylhydantoin (DPH) in teratogenic doses. We now report alterations in nucleic acid levels following identical treatment. Primagravid Swiss-Webster mice were injected intra-peritoneally on day 9 with either 88 mg DPH/kg body weight or vehicle and embryos were obtained surgically on day 11 (DPH or control n=13). DNA content was determined spectrophoto-metrically and the polyamines spermidine, spermine, and putrescine were quantitated on a Durrum D-500 amino acid analyzer. There was a 40% decrease in DNA content in the treated embryos (99.4 vs 164 ug DNA). The protein contents decreased 30% compared with controls (2.38 vs 3.38 mg). All experimental polyamines per mg DNA were significantly greater than their controls (P<0.01) (putrescine:0.155±0.034 (std. dev.) vs 0.0834±0.009; spermidine:0.379±0.066 vs 0.264±0.028; spermine:0.177±0.034 vs 0.136±0.026 nM/ug DNA). The DPH-induced polyamine changes are not proportionate to the DNA alterations and thus do not simply reflect a block in DNA synthesis.
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Netzloff, M., Garnica, A. 203 POLYAMINE AND NUCLEIC ACID ALTERATIONS FOLLOWING TERATOGENIC TREATMENT WITH DIPHENYLHYDANTOIN. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 397 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00208
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00208
