Serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity in rat during post-natal development.

Rat serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity is quite high in the immediate post-natal period reaching peak activity (75 units) at 16 days of age. Activity then decreases rapidly over the following weeks to approach adult levels (10 units) by seven weeks of age. Also, specific activity of DBH in heart increased rapidly during the first 2 1/2 weeks of life attaining adult levels by 18 days of age. In contrast, heart weight and total DBH activity in whole heart increased in a coordinate fashion at a relatively constant rate throughout the first seven weeks of life. Serum levels of non-copper sensitive endogenous inhibitor (s) of DBH increased throughout the first seven weeks of life while no change in copper sensitive inhibition was observed. Also, the rapid phase of decrease in serum DBH activity corresponded to the period of the most rapid increase in body weight.