The effects of catabolic and anabolic steroids on amino acid incorporation by skeletal-muscle ribosomes

Abstract

1. A method is described for the routine isolation of ribosomes from small quantities of skeletal muscle that have been homogenized with the Ultra-Turrax tissue disintegrator. 2. Ribosomes prepared by this method from rats receiving triamcinolone acetonide or rabbits receiving cortisone acetate show a marked fall in their ability to incorporate amino acids when compared with ribosomes from control animals. 3. This fall in activity can be partially prevented in rats by pretreating the animals with an anabolic steroid, steroid 36644-Ba. 4. Testosterone (5mg./kg.) administered to rabbits in conjunction with cortisone acetate is not effective in maintaining ribosomal activity. However, steroid 36644-Ba at one-tenth of an equiandrogenic dose (0·05mg./kg.) is extremely effective. 5. The results with ribosomes isolated from rabbits support the concept that steroid 36644-Ba and possibly all anabolic steroids have an ability to counteract the catabolic action of corticosteroids that is greater than their androgenic activity would suggest.