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A METHOD FOR MEASURING BRAIN PROTEIN SYNTHESIS RATES IN YOUNG AND ADULT RATS
Author(s) -
Dunlop D. S.,
Elden W.,
Lajtha A.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1975.tb11885.x
Subject(s) - valine , amino acid , histidine , lysine , in vivo , protein biosynthesis , medicine , specific activity , biology , body weight , endocrinology , biochemistry , chemistry , enzyme , microbiology and biotechnology
— The injection of large quantities of radioactive amino acid precursor is proposed as a technique for determining rates of cerebral protein synthesis in vivo . In this way the specific radioactivity of the amino acid precursor in the brain is maintained at a relatively constant level for at least 2 h. Injections of 10–15 μ mol of valine per g body weight result in nearly constant rates of incorporation of radioactivity and do not appear to inhibit cerebral protein synthesis in adult or young (2–6 day old) rat brain. Similar rates were obtained in young rat brain with lysine and histidine. Rates of protein synthesis in cerebral hemisphere were for 2‐day‐olds 2·1 per cent replacement of protein bound amino acid per h and for adult 0·62 per cent per h. Advantages and disadvantages of the procedure are discussed.