Effects of administration of thioacetamide or testosterone on chromosome-associated proteins in rat liver and kidney

Abstract

This report deals with the isolation and analysis of liver cell nuclei from rats receiving thioacetamide daily, and of kidney cell nuclei from rats in which the testosterone balance had been altered in various ways. The results indicate that in the enlargement of liver cell nuclei produced by thioacetamide administration, there is a large increase in nuclear RNA and a large increase in “residue” protein. In the enlargement of kidney cell nuclei produced by testosterone administration, there is no increase in nuclear RNA, and there is a slight decrease in “residue” protein per milligram of DNA. Neither treatment produced any quantitative change in the capacity of the chromosomes to bind the “soluble” (saline-extractable) proteins. The values for nuclear RNA, “residue” protein, and “soluble” protein per milligram of DNA are all considerably higher for liver cell nuclei than the corresponding values for kidney cell nuclei.