Polyamine acetylation in rat brain during N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced cerebral carcinogenesis.

Abstract

The behavior of cerebral polyamine acetylation was examined in rat brain during N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced carcinogenesis. Before tumor development, treated brains exhibited an enhancement in cytosolic spermidine/spermine N1-acetyl-transferase activity with concomitant accumulation of N1-acetylspermidine and increases in putrescine and spermidine. This indicates a stimulation of the interconversion pathway of polyamines into putrescine, an important molecule for cell growth. Our data also show the presence of a cytosolic spermidine N8-acetyltransferase activity in fetal rat brain, with values similar to those previously observed in gliomas. The detection of cytosolic spermidine N8-acetyltransferase activity in tumors may thus represent the expression of a fetal gene that does not seem to have a particular function during carcinogenesis.

• Authors: A Sessa, P Tunici, A Perin
• Journal: Cancer letters (Cancer Lett) Vol. 97 Issue 1 Pg. 123-8 (Oct 20 1995) ISSN: 0304-3835 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 7585471 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Carcinogens
• Polyamines
• Acetyltransferases
• diamine N-acetyltransferase
• Ethylnitrosourea

Topics

• Acetyltransferases (metabolism)
• Animals
• Brain (drug effects, metabolism)
• Carcinogens (pharmacology)
• Ethylnitrosourea (pharmacology)
• Female
• Gestational Age
• Male
• Maternal-Fetal Exchange
• Neoplasms, Experimental (chemically induced)
• Polyamines (metabolism)
• Pregnancy
• Rats
• Time Factors