Effects of lasiocarpine on protein synthesis tn rat liver

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Abstract
A single dose of lasiocarpine corresponding to 1 LD50 (80 mg/kg body weight) strongly inhibits protein synthesis in rat liver as early as 15 min after administration. Maximal inhibition was found between 1 and 3 h; thereafter a progressive recovery occurs with time.In lasiocarpine‐treated rats, the pattern of distribution of total liver RNP shows that the relative amount of polysomes decreases whereas ribosomal subunits and 80 S monomers are markedly enhanced. However, it has been found that breakdown of polysomes only concerns the free aggregates; the bound polysomes are apparently unaffected by the drug.Moreover, amino acid incorporation is depressed in a cell‐free system derived from lasiocarpine‐treated rats; it is suggested that this effect is due to a functional impairment in the polysome itself rather than in the activity of the soluble enzymes involved in the translation process. The results are discussed in the light of the different hypotheses which could explain the short‐term effects and the long‐term carcinogenic property of lasiocarpine.