Potentiation by retinoic acid of ornithine decarboxylase induction by phytohemagglutinin or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in guinea pig lymphocytes.

Retinoic acid potentiated the increases in ornithine decarboxylase (L-ornithine carboxy-lyase [EC 4.1.1.17]) activity, [3H]difluoromethylornithine binding to ornithine decarboxylase, intracellular levels of polyamines and DNA synthesis in guinea pig lymphocytes stimulated with phytohemagglutinin. The stimulatory effect on the ornithine decarboxylase induction was dependent on the dose of retinoic acid and on the time of addition of the drug. Retinoic acid has to be added not later than 2 h after phytohemagglutinin to elicit the potentiation. Retinyl acetate also potentiated ornithine decarboxylase induction caused by phytohemagglutinin. Both of these retinoids augmented ornithine decarboxylase induction caused by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. The half-life of ornithine decarboxylase activity estimated after addition of actinomycin D was longer in cells treated with phytohemagglutinin or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate together with retinoic acid than in cells treated with the mitogen alone. The half-life after addition of cycloheximide was not affected by retinoic acid. These results suggest that the retinoids are stimulators rather than inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase induction caused by phytohemagglutinin or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in guinea pig lymphocytes and that retinoic acid potentiates the enzyme activity at the transcriptional or posttranscriptional, but not at the post-translational stage.