title: Dexamethasone decreases the spermidine and spermine concentrations and polyamine oxidase activity in rat thymus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glucocorticoids (GCs) exert a wide range of anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and antineoplastic activities. The aim of our investigation was to elucidate the effect of dexamethasone, a synthetic GC, on polyamine metabolism in the rat thymus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male albino Wistar rats, weighing 180-230 g, were divided into two groups: control and experimental. The experimental group received dexamethasone intraperitoneally for 3 days, in a daily dose of 4 mg/animal. The last dose of the hormone was applied on the 3rd day, 1 h before killing. The control group received 0.9% NaCl instead of the hormone. The animals were killed by decapitation. The thymus was removed quickly and rinsed with ice-cold saline. Polyamines were extracted using butanol. The amount of polyamines was investigated by electrophoresis. For the estimation of polyamine oxidase (PAO) activity, 10% water homogenate was prepared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results suggested that dexamethasone supplementation of experimental animals for 3 days significantly decreased the spermine (Sp) and spermidine (Spd) levels in rat thymus tissue (Sp Control, 362.56±25.33 nmol/g wet weight; Sp Exp. Group, 313.01±21.16 nmol/g wet weight; Spd Control, 673.81±30.95 nmol/g wet weight; Spd Exp. Group, 410.21±17.26 nmol/g wet weight). PAO activity significantly decreased under hormone influence in comparison with the control group (PAO Control, 0.449±0.121 U/mg prot.; PAO Exp. Group, 0.312±0.096 U/mg prot.).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decrease in polyamine amounts in the rat thymus is not due to the change in PAO activity.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Nis, Nis, Serbia. bjelakovic@junis.ni.ac.rs
authors: Gordana
authors: G
authors: Bjelaković
authors: Dusica
authors: D
authors: Pavlovic
authors: Gordana
authors: G
authors: Kocic
authors: Ivana
authors: I
authors: Stojanović
authors: Tatjana
authors: T
authors: Jevtović-Stoimenov
authors: Jelenka
authors: J
authors: Nikolić
authors: Dusan
authors: D
authors: Sokolovic
authors: Jelena
authors: J
authors: Basic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004586:Electrophoresis; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013095:Spermidine / Q000378:metabolism*; D013096:Spermine / Q000378:metabolism*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000097667:Polyamine Oxidase
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors; D013095:Spermidine; D013096:Spermine; D000097667:Polyamine Oxidase