Effect of age on the induction of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine-releasing enzyme in rat liver by gamma-ray irradiation.

Aged (27 months of age) and young (6 months of age) Fischer 344/DuCrj rats were exposed to gamma-ray irradiation, and their livers were compared for levels of oxidative DNA modifications and repair enzyme activities. The amounts of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in the nuclear DNA of the livers of both young and aged rats increased immediately after irradiation, by 1.7-fold in the livers of young rats and 2.

Increase in DNA polymerase gamma in the hearts of adriamycin-administered rats.

It is hypothesized that the cause of myocardiopathy is oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA. To clarify this hypothesis, DNA polymerase gamma activity, which is related to the final step of mitochondrial DNA repair or renewal, was measured. One cycle of treatment consisted of five injections of adriamycin over 5 days at a dose of 1 mg/kg of body weight per day and then 2 days resting time.

Age-related changes in the induction of DNA polymerases in rat liver by gamma-ray irradiation.

DNA polymerase activities related to DNA repair were examined in the livers of young (6-month-old) and aged (27-month-old) rats irradiated with gamma-rays. The activity of DNA polymerase alpha was little changed in the livers of gamma-ray-irradiated rats, while DNA polymerases beta and gamma were induced in the livers of young and aged rats exposed by gamma-ray irradiation. These enzymes were induced from 2 to 6 h after irradiation of young and aged rats, respectively, although the induction in aged rats was weak.

The difference in the stimulation by putrescine of DNA synthesis using DNA polymerase extracts of normal rat liver or of tumour tissue or host liver from tumour-bearing rats.

Putrescine biosynthesis is elevated before DNA replication, and a stimulation of DNA synthesis by 20 mM putrescine has been found using an in vitro DNA synthesizing system. Furthermore, this stimulation of DNA synthesis by putrescine involves a particular factor (factor PA). This factor PA stimulates DNA polymerases alpha, beta, and gamma, and is present in nuclei and mitochondria but not in cytoplasm.

SELECTIVE INHIBITION BY APHIDICOLIN OF THE ACTIVITY OF DNA POLYMERASE ALPHA LEADS TO BLOCKADE OF DNA SYNTHESIS AND CELL DIVISION IN SEA URCHIN EMBRYOS.

Aphidicolin at 2 μg/ml caused 90% inhibition of mitotic cell division of sea urchin embryos at the I-cell stage. However, at 40 μg/ml it did not affect meiotic maturational divisions of starfish oocytes, which do not involve DNA replication. At 2 μg/ml it caused 90% inhibition of incorporation of tritiated thymidine into DNA of sea urchin embryos but did not affect protein or RNA synthesis even at a higher concentration.