Proteomic investigation in the detection of the illicit treatment of calves with growth-promoting agents.

The use of beta-agonists, sexual steroids, and corticosteroids as growth-promoting agents (GPAs) in veal calves is forbidden in the European Union (EU) and subjected to restrictions in the US because it may be potentially noxious for both treated animals and the consumer. Although official controls performed in the EU have revealed a limited number of positive samples, the analysis of seized preparations indicate that the use of illegal GPAs is far from being abandoned. The presence of these compounds in matrixes of biological origin often goes unnoticed because of the use of very low dosages and/or of molecules of unknown chemical structure.

Agmatine inhibits the proliferation of rat hepatoma cells by modulation of polyamine metabolism.

Background/aims: Previous experiments have shown that agmatine, the product of arginine decarboxylase, is transported in competition with putrescine into quiescent rat hepatocytes, where it promotes several effects, including marked decrease of intracellular polyamines and induction of apoptosis. The primary aim of the present study was to assess the action of agmatine on transformed and proliferating hepatic rat cells.

Methods: To assess the effect of agmatine on hepatoma cells, analysis by flow cytometry, Western blotting, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence detection of beta-actin and alpha-tubulin were performed.