Some effects of aluminium on rat brain protein synthesis

1. Infant rats and rabbits received intraperitonal aluminium (Al) chloride (5, 10 or 20 mg Al/kg body weight) every third day from one to four weeks of age. 2. When the polysomal fraction was tested in a protein synthesizing system, a significant increase in the incorporation of [14C] leucine, [14C] phenylalanine, or [35S] methionine into proteins in vitro was observed at the higher doses in rats but not rabbits. 3. The incorporation of [35S]methionine into brain ferritin was measured using polysomal mRNA or mRNA "stored" in the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particle fraction. 4. The results suggest that Al exposure causes the mobilization of ferritin mRNA from the latter fraction to the polysomal fraction for increased ferritin synthesis.