Role of dexamethasone and insulin on the development of the five urea-cycle enzymes in cultured rat foetal hepatocytes.
The activity changes of the urea-cycle enzymes were monitored in cultured foetal hepatocytes after dexamethasone and insulin treatments. Addition of dexamethasone induced the development of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, argininosuccinate synthetase, argininosuccinase and arginase activities as soon as day 16.5 of gestation. When insulin was added together with dexamethasone, it markedly inhibited the steroid-induced increase in carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, argininosuccinate synthetase and argininosuccinase activities.
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism*
D007328:Insulin; D003907:Dexamethasone; D014508:Urea