Role of dexamethasone and insulin on the development of the five urea-cycle enzymes in cultured rat foetal hepatocytes.

The activity changes of the urea-cycle enzymes were monitored in cultured foetal hepatocytes after dexamethasone and insulin treatments. Addition of dexamethasone induced the development of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, argininosuccinate synthetase, argininosuccinase and arginase activities as soon as day 16.5 of gestation. When insulin was added together with dexamethasone, it markedly inhibited the steroid-induced increase in carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, argininosuccinate synthetase and argininosuccinase activities.