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Nickel Carbonyl Inhibition of RNA Polymerase Activity in Hepatic Nuclei¹

Pathology Department, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida 32601

Nickel carbonyl, a metallic carcinogen, was found to be an inhibitor of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity in hepatic nuclei. The mean RNA polymerase activity in hepatic nuclei of control rats was 2.67 (S.D. ± 0.46) units. In rats which received an intravenous injection of nickel carbonyl (2.2 mg Ni/100 gm) 24 hr before sacrifice, the mean RNA polymerase activity was 1.07 ± 0.53 units (P vs untreated controls 0.01). Nickel carbonyl also inhibited. hepatic RNA polymerase activity in rats which received phenobarbital (10 mg/100 gm, i.p.) 20 hr before sacrifice. Phenobarbital administration increased the mean RNA polymerase activity in hepatic nuclei to 3.48 ± 0.54 units (P vs untreated controls 0.01). In rats which received nickel carbonyl 24 hr before sacrifice and phenobarbital 20 hr before sacrifice, the mean RNA polymerase activity was 1.54 ± 0.88 units (P vs phenobarbital-treated controls 0.01).

¹ This investigation was supported by U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Grant No. AT-(40-1)-3461, American Cancer Society Grant No. E-374B, and USPHS research Grant No. CA-08783-02 from the National Cancer Institute.

² Present address: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 2 Holcomb St., Hartford, Connecticut, 06112.

³ Present address: Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, 27706.

Received 5/16/68. Accepted 8/28/68.

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