The Effect of Nandrolone, an Anabolic Steroid on Putrescine Metabolism in the Mouse

Abstract

The catabolism of injected 14C‐putrescine was studied in mice treated with nandrolone phenpropionate, an anabolic steroid. The putrescine was rapidly metabolized; almost 50% of the injected radioactivity was recovered within 2 h as 14CO2 in the expired air. Considerable amounts of radioactive γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and an unidentified compound were found in the kidney and in the urine in addition to radioactive putrescine, spermidine and spermine both in controls and nandrolone‐treated mice. Nandrolone elevated the concentration of endogenous putrescine in the kidney and urine, eightfold and twentyfold, respectively, and the concentrations of spermidine and spermine were also increased. After the injection of 14C‐putrescine the incorporation of 14C into spermidine was significantly increased in the kidney of mice receiving nandrolone.

Diamine oxidase activity and γ-aminobutyric acid formation in medullary carcinoma of the thyroid

“…However, in studies of non-neoplastic tissues of pregnant rats containing diamine oxidase it was not possible to demonstrate a formation of spermidine and spermine from ~4C-putrescine whereas the formation of the metabolites derived via diamine oxidase was considerable [13]. This finding is in accordance with the in vivo experiments on mice showing that the main metabolites found in the urine after the injection of radioactive putrescine were GABA and the unidentified compound(s), the latter being excreted in the largest quantity [6]. From our present results it seems reasonable to believe that the metabolism of putriscine is similar in patients with tumours associated with an elevated diamine oxidase activity.…”

“…After the injection of 14C-putrescine 14CO2 was rapidly expired and in the urine Faminobutyric acid (GABA) and some unidentified compound(s) were excreted as the main metabolites [6]. These findings of the metabolism of putrescine in vivo became the basis of the development of a new approach to the determination of diamine oxidase activity in tissues, taking into consideration the main products formed in the incubate [7].…”

“…The expelled 14CO2 was trapped on a filter paper prepared with 100 ~1 hydroxide of Hyamin 10-X. Assay of the other radioactive metabolites of putrescine formed in the incubate was carried out using high resolution liquid chromatography as described elsewhere [6,7]. The results were expressed in d.p.m, per gram of tissue and hour.…”

Involvement of diamine oxidase in catabolism of14C-putrescine in micein vivo with special reference to the formation ofγ-aminobutyric acid

“…The procedure employed is described in detail elsewhere [3,5]. Elution profiles of tissue extracts from mouse liver, spleen, ileum and kidney were compared with the profile of UC eluted previously from high voltage electrophoretograms.…”

“…GABA has been found in rat liver [1] and in other rat tissues 12] and in the kidney and urine of the mouse [3].…”