[The effect of ovariectomy and estradiol on DNA, RNA and protein metabolism in the adrenal cortex of rats].

The effects of ovariectomy and oestradiol on incorporation of specific labelled precursors into DNA, RNA and protein were studied. Ovariectomy caused a decrease in the adrenal weight as well as an increase in the DNA content. That effect has been demonstrated most clearly 8 weeks after ovariectomy. Oestradiol treatment of ovariectomized rats during 3 days resulted in an increase of incorporation of [3H]-thymidine, [3H]-uridine and [3H]-leucine into DNA, RNA and protein, respectively. Higher rates of the label incorporation into the tissue from animals taken into experiment 8 weeks after ovariectomy were observed. Significant changes in incorporation of the specific precursors into DNA, RNA and protein were absent in the case of oestradiol treatment of intact rats. These data demonstrate that oestradiol have an anabolic effect on metabolism of DNA, RNA and protein in the adrenal cortex of ovariectomized rats.