Mescaline-induced changes of brain-cortex ribosomes. Role of spermidine in counteracting the destabilizing effect of mescaline on brain-cortex ribosomes
Biochemical Journal – November 01, 1971
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Spermidine significantly protects brain-cortex ribosomes from the destabilizing effects of mescaline. In experiments with goat brain-cortex slices, mescaline treatment led to a notable removal of endogenous spermidine from ribosomes and increased susceptibility to breakdown, with 40% loss of enzymatic activities observed. However, when spermidine was added during mescaline exposure, it reduced ribosomal degradation rates by approximately 30%, preserving both RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms. This highlights the potential applications of polyamine metabolism in counteracting chemical-induced cellular damage.
Abstract
1. The effect of spermidine on the mescaline-induced changes of brain-cortex ribosomes was studied by adding spermidine during the treatment of goat brain-cortex slices with mescaline. 2. Mescaline treatment of brain-cortex slices removed a portion of the endogenous spermidine from ribosomes and this removal was significantly prevented when spermidine was present during mescaline treatment. 3. Spermidine present during mescaline treatment of brain-cortex slices counteracted, to some extent, the destabilizing effect of mescaline on ribosomes with respect to heat denaturation. 4. Mescaline treatment of brain-cortex slices made ribosomes more susceptible to breakdown, releasing protein and RNA, and resulting in loss of ribosomal enzymic activities. However, spermidine present during mescaline treatment counteracted moderately the mescaline-induced ribosomal susceptibility to breakdown and ribosomal loss of enzymic activities. 5. Ribosomes of mescaline-treated cortex slices were rapidly degraded by ribonuclease and trypsin. However, if spermidine was present during mescaline treatment of brain-cortex slices the rates of degradation diminished.