Synthesis of transfer RNA in rat liver after acute and chronic aflatoxin B 1 administration

Abstract

Synthesis of rat liver tRNA following acute and chronic administration of aflatoxin B 1 was compared to protein synthesis. Twenty hours after acute administration of aflatoxin B 1 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 B 1 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.