Action of hydrocortisone at a translational level in the rat liver.

Administration of hydrocortisone to adrenalectomised rats elevated levels of both free and membrane-bound polysomes in liver and led to marked shifts in their sedimentation profiles in favour of heavier polysomes. The rate of nascent polypeptide formation was also found to be enhanced in response to the hormone but this effect was mainly confined to the site of free polysomes. These results suggest that besides its well-known potentiating action at the transcription level, the hormone elicits selective stimulatory response at the translation level.