Synthesis of transfer RNA in rat liver after acute and chronic aflatoxin B1 administration

Synthesis of rat liver tRNA following acute and chronic administration of aflatoxin B1 was compared to protein synthesis. Twenty hours after acute administration of aflatoxin B1 total RNA synthesis was inhibited by 91% and tRNA synthesis by 77% while protein synthesis as assayed in vitro was inhibited by 75%. In the chronic (long-term) experiment at 7, 18 and 30 weeks after administration of aflatoxin B1 no inhibition of total RNA and tRNA synthesis was observed but protein synthesis in the cell-free system was inhibited by 16%. Thus, the inhibitory effects on protein synthesis observed in the long-term experiments are not correlated with the inhibition of tRNA synthesis.