title: Biochemical compensation and recovery following temporary inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase during the development of rat cerebellar cortex.
abstract: Specific inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase selectively in the developing rat cerebellum was achieved within 10 min after intrathecal injection of α-difluoromethylornithine. Twelve hours later the activity started to increase, passed control levels between 2 and 3 days, continued to increase and reached its peak values by day 3 (when animals were 10 days old), 3 days after peak control values. Ornithine decarboxylase activity then declined and attained low adult values simultaneously with controls. Glutamic acid decarboxylase activity, a marker of gabaergic neurons maturation, declined to a nadir at 3 days postinjection, and then was elevated transiently above control levels with a peak at 11 days postinjection. We conclude that after such a temporary insult neuroblasts of the cerebellar cortex are capable of full recovery, which is apparent by a reversible reduction in ornithine decarboxylase and glutamic acid decarboxylase activities followed by a transient compensatory elevation in both enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Isotope Department, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Gilad
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carstairs
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Gilad