title: Effect of interferon-gamma on purine catabolic and salvage enzyme activities in rats.
abstract: To determine whether interferon-gamma affects rat purine catabolic and salvage enzyme activities, rats were injected with interferon-gamma (600000 U/kg, i.p.) and, similarly to a vehicle-injected control group, killed before or after injection at 6, 12, and 24 h. Organ homogenates were prepared and enzymatic reactions with substrates were carried out, after which the products were measured either chromatographically or spectrophotometrically. Western and Northern blotting also were performed. In contrast to the vehicle-injected rats, interferon-gamma-injected rats showed a significant rise in xanthine oxidoreductase activity in the liver, while enzyme activity was unchanged in the spleen, kidney, and lung. Western analysis of hepatic xanthine oxidoreductase showed an increased concentration of this protein 12 and 24 h after interferon-gamma injection. Northern analysis disclosed an enhanced mRNA expression coding for this enzyme, peaking 12 h after injection. Contrastingly, the activities of adenosine deaminase, purine nucleoside phosphorylase, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase, and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase were not affected by interferon-gamma in any organ tested. While interferon-gamma causes an increased hepatic biosynthesis of xanthine oxidoreductase, the physiologic role of this enzyme induction remains undetermined.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Mukogawa-cho 1-1, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moriwaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamakita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higashino
mesh_terms: D000228:Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D011683:Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014968:Xanthine Dehydrogenase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D014968:Xanthine Dehydrogenase; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase; D011683:Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase; D000228:Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase