Induction of urea cycle enzymes of rat liver by glucagon.

Snodgrass PJ, Lin RC, Müller WA, Aoki TT

The Journal of biological chemistry1 Apr 1978Cited by 126 (Europe PMC)

PMID632299DOI10.1016/s0021-9258(17)40885-4PepBankPUB-00632299

Publisher page PubMedAsk about this study

Summary

All five urea cycle enzymes of rat liver increased in activity 48 h after subcutaneous administration of crystalline zinc glucagon to male rats and remained elevated after 7 days of continuous glucagon infusion. The maximum ratios of enzyme activities over those of controls were 2.0 for carbamyl phosphate synthetase, 1.3 for ornithine transcarbamylase, 2.7 for argininosuccinate synthetase, 3.2 for argininosuccinase, and 2.2 for arginase. Actinomycin D or puromycin prevented these responses to glucagon. The increase in arginase activity after zinc glucagon treatment was matched by an increase in immunoprecipitable enzyme. All five enzymes were induced by physiological plasma levels of glucagon. Tube feeding of casein hydrolysate for 2 days increased all five enzyme activities 1.5- to 2.2-fold and resulted in plasma glucagon levels similar to those required for induction by exogenous glucagon. Thus, glucagon is an inducer of the entire urea cycle in rat liver and plays a role in the induction of the cycle by protein feeding.

CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study6

6 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In male rats, glucagon increased hepatic carbamyl phosphate synthetase activity after 48 h and through 7 days of infusion, reaching 2.0 times control activity.
In plain wordsIn rats, glucagon increased liver carbamyl phosphate synthetase activity compared with controls.
Peptide
Glucagon
Outcome
IncreaseCarbamyl phosphate synthetase activity
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Male rat liver
Comparator
Controls
Outcome group
Protein and amino acid metabolism · Liver
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Measurements
Maximum activity ratio
2 ratio
carbamyl phosphate synthetase versus controls
Source sentences
Summary
The maximum ratios of enzyme activities over those of controls were 2.0 for carbamyl phosphate synthetase, 1.3 for ornithine transcarbamylase, 2.7 for argininosuccinate synthetase, 3.2 for argininosuccinase, and 2.2 for arginase.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
All five urea cycle enzymes of rat liver increased in activity 48 h after subcutaneous administration of crystalline zinc glucagon to male rats and remained elevated after 7 days of continuous glucagon infusion.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-0063229901
02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In male rats, glucagon increased hepatic ornithine transcarbamylase activity after 48 h and through 7 days of infusion, reaching 1.3 times control activity.
In plain wordsIn rats, glucagon increased liver ornithine transcarbamylase activity compared with controls.
Peptide
Glucagon
Outcome
IncreaseOrnithine transcarbamylase activity
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Male rat liver
Comparator
Controls
Outcome group
Protein and amino acid metabolism · Liver
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Measurements
Maximum activity ratio
1.3 ratio
ornithine transcarbamylase versus controls
Source sentences
Summary
The maximum ratios of enzyme activities over those of controls were 2.0 for carbamyl phosphate synthetase, 1.3 for ornithine transcarbamylase, 2.7 for argininosuccinate synthetase, 3.2 for argininosuccinase, and 2.2 for arginase.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
All five urea cycle enzymes of rat liver increased in activity 48 h after subcutaneous administration of crystalline zinc glucagon to male rats and remained elevated after 7 days of continuous glucagon infusion.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-0063229902
03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In male rats, glucagon increased hepatic argininosuccinate synthetase activity after 48 h and through 7 days of infusion, reaching 2.7 times control activity.
In plain wordsIn rats, glucagon increased liver argininosuccinate synthetase activity compared with controls.
Peptide
Glucagon
Outcome
IncreaseArgininosuccinate synthetase activity
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Male rat liver
Comparator
Controls
Outcome group
Protein and amino acid metabolism · Liver
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Measurements
Maximum activity ratio
2.7 ratio
argininosuccinate synthetase versus controls
Source sentences
Summary
The maximum ratios of enzyme activities over those of controls were 2.0 for carbamyl phosphate synthetase, 1.3 for ornithine transcarbamylase, 2.7 for argininosuccinate synthetase, 3.2 for argininosuccinase, and 2.2 for arginase.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
All five urea cycle enzymes of rat liver increased in activity 48 h after subcutaneous administration of crystalline zinc glucagon to male rats and remained elevated after 7 days of continuous glucagon infusion.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-0063229903
04AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In male rats, glucagon increased hepatic argininosuccinase activity after 48 h and through 7 days of infusion, reaching 3.2 times control activity.
In plain wordsIn rats, glucagon increased liver argininosuccinase activity compared with controls.
Peptide
Glucagon
Outcome
IncreaseArgininosuccinase activity
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Male rat liver
Comparator
Controls
Outcome group
Protein and amino acid metabolism · Liver
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Measurements
Maximum activity ratio
3.2 ratio
argininosuccinase versus controls
Source sentences
Summary
The maximum ratios of enzyme activities over those of controls were 2.0 for carbamyl phosphate synthetase, 1.3 for ornithine transcarbamylase, 2.7 for argininosuccinate synthetase, 3.2 for argininosuccinase, and 2.2 for arginase.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
All five urea cycle enzymes of rat liver increased in activity 48 h after subcutaneous administration of crystalline zinc glucagon to male rats and remained elevated after 7 days of continuous glucagon infusion.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-0063229904
05AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In male rats, glucagon increased hepatic arginase activity after 48 h and through 7 days of infusion, reaching 2.2 times control activity.
In plain wordsIn rats, glucagon increased liver arginase activity compared with controls.
Peptide
Glucagon
Outcome
IncreaseArginase activity
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Male rat liver
Comparator
Controls
Outcome group
Protein and amino acid metabolism · Liver
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Measurements
Maximum activity ratio
2.2 ratio
arginase versus controls
Source sentences
Summary
The maximum ratios of enzyme activities over those of controls were 2.0 for carbamyl phosphate synthetase, 1.3 for ornithine transcarbamylase, 2.7 for argininosuccinate synthetase, 3.2 for argininosuccinase, and 2.2 for arginase.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
All five urea cycle enzymes of rat liver increased in activity 48 h after subcutaneous administration of crystalline zinc glucagon to male rats and remained elevated after 7 days of continuous glucagon infusion.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-0063229905
06AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In rats, increased arginase activity after zinc glucagon treatment matched an increase in immunoprecipitable enzyme.
In plain wordsIn rats, zinc glucagon increased measurable arginase protein alongside enzyme activity compared with controls.
Peptide
Glucagon
Outcome
IncreaseImmunoprecipitable arginase
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Male rat liver
Comparator
Controls
Outcome group
Protein and amino acid metabolism · Liver
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Source sentences
Summary
The increase in arginase activity after zinc glucagon treatment was matched by an increase in immunoprecipitable enzyme.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
All five urea cycle enzymes of rat liver increased in activity 48 h after subcutaneous administration of crystalline zinc glucagon to male rats and remained elevated after 7 days of continuous glucagon infusion.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-0063229906

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 2Current
28 Oct 2026, 02:03 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
27 Oct 2026, 16:35 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

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MeSH terms

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