Effect of acylated derivatives of ascorbate on ornithine decarboxylase induction in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

We studied the effects of 6-0-acylated derivatives of ascorbate on ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, E.C.4.1.1.17) activity and the ODC-mRNA level in Ehrlich ascites cells. These derivatives are known to inhibit cell growth. When cells grown to the stationary phase were diluted and stimulated with fresh medium containing 10% dialyzed fetal calf serum, the ODC activity increased rapidly and transiently with a peak at 4 hr. Ascorbate or 2,6-dipalmitoyl ascorbate had little or no effect on the induction of ODC, but 6-0-palmitoyl ascorbate (6P) suppressed the enzyme activity in a time- and dose-dependent way. 6-0-Stearoyl ascorbate had a similar effect. The amount of ODC-mRNA formed after growth stimulation was not affected by 6P. These results indicate that the treatment of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells with 6P caused dose-dependent suppression of ODC induction post-transcriptionally.