Endocrinology, Vol 109, 1192-1195, Copyright © 1981 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Aging in the AXC rat: equivalence of the rates of inactivation of l- ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase in prostate of young and aged rats

SA Shain and AL Moss

The incorporation of leucine into proteins of ventral and dorsolateral prostates of young (3- to 4-month-old) and aged (24- to 26-month-old) AXC rats was examined in vivo. We established that a single injection of cycloheximide (500 micrograms/100 g BW) maintained 91% (ventral) or 86% (dorsolateral) inhibition of protein synthesis in prostates of young AXC rats and 90% (ventral) or 88% (dorsolateral) inhibition of protein synthesis in prostates of aged AXC rats through at least 120 min post injection. During cycloheximide-maintained inhibition of protein synthesis, the rate of inactivation of ventral prostate L- ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) or S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (AMDC) activity and dorsolateral prostate AMDC activity was comparable in the prostates of young and aged AXC rats. The absence of an age- related change in the rate of inactivation of prostatic ODC or AMDC activity provides additional evidence that the age-related decrease in prostatic ODC and AMDC activities reported in the companion article may reflect altered androgen regulation of prostatic gene activity.