Abstract
Extract: In human fetal liver ornithine decarboxylase (EC. 4.1.1.17 (ODC)) was found to have a K, of 3.3 × 10−4 M. During human fetal development, hepatic ODC activity declined from a peak of 379 pmol/60 min/mg protein in the youngest tissue examined (5.2 cm crown-rump length, 10 weeks of gestation) to values of 1.3 ± 0.2 in fetuses greater than 12 cm (14–15 weeks of gestation). Explants of human fetal liver maintained in organ culture for 32 hr demon-strated no ODC activity in the presence or absence of insulin (1 U/ml). Explants of rat fetal liver achieved a steady state of ODC activity (12% of the fresh tissue activity) after 16 hr in organ culture and maintained this for an additional 14 hr.
Speculation: Regulation of hepatic ODC activity in the developing human fetus may result from hormonal influences, particularly human growth hormone (HCH) and very possibly human chorionic somatomamotropin (HCS).
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Wolpaw, D., Schwartz, A. Ornithine Decarboxylase Activity in Human Fetal Liver. Pediatr Res 10, 224–226 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197604000-00004
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197604000-00004