Depression of cytidine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase activity in developing tissues of guinea pigs

Changes in levels of the newly discovered cytidine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic CMP) phosphodiesterase in some representative tissues (cerebral cortex, kidney, intestine, liver, heart, and lung) of guinea pigs from various developmental stages (fetus, neonate, pup, and adult) were studied and compared with those of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterases in the same tissues. It was observed that the tissue levels of cyclic CMP phosphodiesterase were invariably the lowest in every one of the fetal tissues examined, the highest in the corresponding tissues from the pups and adult, with intermediate levels seen in some neonatal tissues. The patterns of the ontogenetic changes in levels of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activities, however, were variable and tissue specific. These findings suggest that the depressed cyclic CMP phosphodiesterase activity (hence, the elevated cyclic CMP concentration) is perhaps a common factor in developing tissues undergoing rapid cell proliferation. The data also suggest that metabolism of cyclic CMP is perhaps more closely related to cell proliferation than the metabolism of cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP.