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Cells were isolated by sequential collagenase digestion from the parietal segments of one day old mice (Swiss albino BNL strain) and characterized for osteoblast parameters by alkaline phosphatase histochemistry and bovine parathyroid hormone (bPTH- (1–34)) induced cAMP activity (protein binding assay). Phenytoin (DPH) reduced PTH stimulated cAMP activity nearly 3-fold in the presence and nearly 1.5-fold in the absence of added calcium. In the absence of PTH, DPH exerted no significant effect. Bay-K-8644, a calcium channel activator, appeared to approximate the PTH stimulation of cAMP activity, even in the presence of DPH. This study demonstrates that DPH has a direct effect on PTH stimulated cAMP activity in cultured murine osteoblasts.

Cathepsin B and L activities were examined with chicken osteoclasts isolated by sequential filtration and inhibitors were added to disaggregated rat osteoclasts on cortical bovine bone. Z-Phe-Phe-CHN2, a selective inhibitor of cathepsin L, at 1, 5, and 10 microM, inhibited bone resorption by rat osteoclasts 50, 85, and 100 per cent and, in chicken osteoclasts, cathepsin L activity was comparably inhibited. Cathepsin L in avian osteoclasts was also 25-fold higher than cathepsin B. Chicken osteoclasts treated with Z-Phe-Ala-CHN2, a generalized cysteine proteinase inhibitor, had both cathepsins inhibited to the same extent. Cathepsin L may play a key role in resorption.

In an effort to determine the factors that stimulate myelin synthesis, we investigated the mechanism by which dibutyryl cyclic AMP induces the activity of the myelin enzyme, 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNP; EC 3.1.4.37), in C6 glioma cells. Immunotitration experiments and measurements of the accumulation of [35S]methionine-labeled CNP showed that dibutyryl cyclic AMP increased the amount of CNP in the cells but not the catalytic activity per molecule of the enzyme. Moreover, inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide abolished induction of enzyme activity. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP doubled the rate of CNP synthesis but had no effect on the half-life of the enzyme (approximately 33 h). The induction was partially blocked by the inhibitors of mRNA synthesis, cordycepin or alpha-amanitin. Thus, cyclic AMP induces the synthesis of CNP.