Suppression of cytidylate biosynthesis by protein synthesis antagonists

Apoptosis induced by retinoic acid in Hep 3B cells in vitro

Human hepatoma Hep 3B cells underwent apoptosis in response to 100 microM all-trans retinoic acid (RA) in full serum (10% fetal calf serum) condition in vitro. Cell death began approximately 24 h following treatment, with more than 80% of the cells dead after 60 h. The dead cells, mainly detached cells, exhibited condensed chromatin and DNA fragmentation, which are indicative of endonuclease activation and are the hallmarks of apoptosis in epithelial cells. Concurrent exposure to 1 microM cycloheximide (CX) prevented approximately 50% of cell death and DNA fragmentation induced by RA. Thus, other toxic injury to the cells as well as apoptosis might be involved in cell death. Sixty hours exposure of RA decreased the percentage of cells in G1 phase (16.3 +/- 0.4% versus 52.4 +/- 2.1%; P < or = 0.01) and in G2/M phase (13.4 +/- 1.2% versus 21.2 +/- 0.7%; P < or = 0.01), but did not change percent of cells in S phase (20.8 +/- 0.2% versus 20.7 +/- 0.5%) of the cell cycle compared with control. RA may have caused accumulation of Hep 3B cells before G1 phase, and that G0/G1 transition is a main check point in the active process of apoptosis. Electron micrographs of the cells treated with RA revealed typical morphologic changes of apoptosis, besides toxic injury to the cells. These data strongly indicate that RA is able to induce apoptosis and the induction of apoptosis may contribute to the antitumor activity of RA against hepatoma cells.

The mechanisms of the inhibitory effects of liver extract on lymphocyte proliferation. III. The effects of arginase on DNA polymerase activities

The incorporation of labeled precursors into DNA, RNA and protein in phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-prestimulated human lymphocytes was maximally inhibited by liver extract (LEx) or arginase at 24 h. The activities of DNA polymerase alpha, beta and gamma were less inhibitable by these agents than was [3H]thymidine incorporation. The inhibition of DNA, RNA and protein syntheses by either LEx or arginase is probably due to arginine depletion by arginase activity, since their syntheses were similarly inhibited when cultured in an arginine-free medium in the absence of arginase. These results indicate that arginase nonspecifically inhibits the activities of DNA polymerase. The inhibition is probably due to arginine depletion.