Antizyme release is an early event in ornithine decarboxylase induction by hair plucking.

Plucking of hair from the dorsal skin of rats resulted in a rapid decrease in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity. A significant loss of activity did not occur in other skin enzymes under the same conditions and in vivo incorporation of [3H]-leucine in skin was not significantly decreased 60 min immediately following hair plucking. Treatment of ODC enzyme preparations with 10% (NH4)2SO4 resulted in recovery of approximately 75% greater ODC activity than in untreated samples, suggesting the presence of an inhibitor (antizyme). ODC inhibitor was detected in plucked skin; inhibitor levels increased after treatment of plucked skin extracts with 10% (NH4)2SO4.