Protein Metabolism in Cornea from Hypophysectomized Rats

Abstract

The effects of hypophysectomy and of growth hormone administration on in vitro incorporation of ¹⁴C-labeled leucine into protein of isolated rat cornea were studied. The most striking effects observed were: (1) diminution of leucine incorporation into whole cornea and of corneal protein fraction after hypophysectomy, and (2) the reduction of the leucine incorporation in cornea from hyphysectomized animals could be reversed by administration of growth hormone. These findings suggested that the hypophyseal function is one of the important factors in controlling the synthesis of protein in cornea.