Stimulation of hepatic and renal ornithine decarboxylase activity by selected amino acids

The activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine synthesis, increases after a protein meal. The effect of amino acid mixtures on hepatic and renal ODC activity and polyamine content was studied in postabsorptive and 72-hour fasted rats. Fasting decreased ODC activity in liver and in kidney by approximately 50%. Hepatic ODC activity increased tenfold 4 hours after intraperitoneal injection of either 1 g/kg of a synthetic mixture of 17 amino acids or of casein hydrolysate to fed rats and about 20-fold in fasted rats. Renal ODC activity increased four- and tenfold respectively. A mixture of glutamate, aspartate, and alanine at concentrations given in the hydrolysate reproduced the full amino acid effect. No amino acid was effective when given alone, nor were mixtures of the other amino acid constituents of the hydrolysate. Glutamate + alanine was ineffective as were glucose or various combinations of arginine, ornithine, aspartate and NH3. Ornithine + glutamate or aspartate + glutamate were active but stimulated less than aspartate + glutamate + alanine. Hepatic and renal putrescine content increased in parallel with ODC activity. The data suggest that specific amino acids possess the full ODC-stimulating capability of a high quality protein and that polyamine synthesis is linked to urea cycle activity.