On the degradation and elimination of spermine by the vertebrate organism

1. 1. Treatment of mice and rats with the polyamine oxidase inhibitor N 1 ,N 4 -bis-(2,3-butadienyl)- 1, 4-butanediamine (MDL 72527) causes a gradual accumulation of spennine in the circulation and a decrease of spennidine concentration. 2. 2. Spennine is mainly localized in the red blood cells. 3. 3. Co-administration of 2-(dinuoromethyl)omithine and MDL 72527 enhances considerably the rate and extent of spennine accumulation in the circulation. 4. 4. It is assumed that the increased rate of spennine accumulation by the two drugs is due to the enhancement of cell death, i.e. spennine accumulation is the result of its release into the circulation from dying cells, not due to physiological release. 5. 5. After discontinuation of polyamine oxidase inhibition spennine appears to be gradually transformed into spennidine by red blood cell polyamine oxidase, obviously without transformation into N 1 -acetylspennine.