[Biosynthesis of purine nucleotides in the rat muscle after castration]

The paper describes the effects of castration on formate-14C incorporation into the acid-soluble purines and into the nucleic acids of skeletal muscles (ELD and G) and perineal muscle (LAM). 20% homogenates were prepared in 1 M HC10(4), centrifuged and the nucleic acid were extracted from the precipitate with 0.7 N PCA (15 min at 90 degrees C). The acid-soluble purines were precipitated with 1 M AgNO3 from the supernatant of the centrifuged homogenate, then extracted with 1 M HC1 and separated by ion exchange chromatography with a scalar gradient of HC1. In the LAM a significant decrease in the specific activity of the purine bases (A, -56%, P less than 0.01; G, -47%, P less than 0.05) and of the nucleic acid (-47%, P less than 0.01) was observed after castration, while no difference was observed in skeletal muscles.