Effects of oestradiol, testosterone and medroxyprogesterone on subcellular fraction marker enzyme activities from rat liver and brain

The following enzymes have been studied (subcellular fractions are shown between parentheses): NAG and beta-glucuronidase (lysosomes); SDH (mitochondrial); glucose-6-phosphatase (endoplasmic reticulum); 5'-nucleotidase and (Na+, K+)Mg2+ ATPase (plasma membranes). Alterations on their activities were observed after subcutaneous injection of sex hormones, compared with controls. NAG activity from liver was always significantly decreased in lysosomal and microsomal fractions after the hormonal treatment. In the same conditions, NAG from brain was always increased. beta-Glucuronidase behaves like NAG in brain; in liver it was not modified by testosterone and it was slightly increased in lysosomal fraction after oestradiol treatment. SDH activity was not modified in mitochondrial fractions from liver, but this activity was always significantly increased in brain. Glucose-6-phosphatase activity was always significantly decreased in microsomal fractions from liver. It was increased in brain after oestradiol and testosterone injection, but medroxyprogesterone treatment caused a decreased activity. 5'-Nucleotidase and (Na+, K+)Mg2+ ATPase from brain were significantly increased in microsomal fractions by oestradiol and testosterone. Medroxyprogesterone, however, caused an increase in ATPase, but did not affect 5'-nucleotidase. Both activities in liver were decreased by oestradiol and increased by testosterone, but medroxyprogesterone caused (Na+, K+)Mg2+ ATPase to rise and 5'-nucleotidase to fall.     

Alterations in the activities of subcellular fractions marker enzymes in rat liver and brain by hydrocortisone and corticosterone treatment

The effect of subcutaneous injection of hydrocortisone and corticosterone on the activity values of some subcellular fractions marker enzymes from rat liver and brain was investigated and compared with controls (without treatment with hormones). The following enzymes were studied (subcellular fraction are shown between parentheses): N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase and beta-glucuronidase (lysosomes); succinate dehydrogenase = SDH (mitochondria); glucose-6-phosphatase (endoplasmic reticulum); 5'-nucleotidase and Na+-K+-Mg2+ ATPase (plasma membrane). The specific activity of lysosomal enzymes from liver showed no change when rats were injected either with hydrocortisone or corticosterone. The same enzymes from brain showed significant increases in their activities with both hydrocortisone or corticosterone except beta-glucuronidase; this enzyme gave activity values remaining between the control levels, after treatment with corticosterone. The activity of mitochondrial SDH was increased after corticosterone injection either in liver or brain. After hydrocortisone injection, its activity rises significantly in brain (72%), but it falls in liver compared to the control values. Glucose-6-phosphatase behaves similarly in brain or liver fractions; its activity increases always after corticosterone treatment and decreases by hydrocortisone. The plasma membrane marker enzymes did not change practically in brain fractions, excepted Na+-K+-Mg2+ ATPase which tends to rise its activity after hydrocortisone injection. In liver fractions, both 5'-nucleotidase and Na+-K+-Mg2+ ATPase activities increase either by corticosterone or hydrocortisone treatment, except 5'-nucleotidase which specific activity decreases in liver after hydrocortisone treatment.     

Liver and brain mitochondrial ATPase activities in rats exposed to high ambient temperature

Liver and brain mitochondrial ATPase activities in rats exposed to high ambient temperature. Acta physiol. pol., 1985, 36 (3): 185-192. Rat liver and brain mitochondrial ATPase activities were investigated after a single exposure (6 h) of the animals to temperatures of 21 degrees, 28 degrees and 37 degrees C. An increase of ATPase activity stimulated by Ca++ ions was noted in the mitochondrial fractions of the liver at 28 degrees C and of the brain at 28 degrees and 37 degrees C. Only in liver mitochondria of rats exposed to 28 degrees C a depression of Mg++-ATPase activity was found.     

THE INFLUENCE OF BILIRUBIN ON OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION AND RELATED REACTIONS IN BRAIN AND LIVER MITOCHONDRIA: EFFECTS OF PROTEIN-BINDING

1. The uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation of liver mitochondria by bilirubin does not occur in the presence of equimolar quantities of human serum albumin. With brain mitochondria, however, albumin was not protective. 2. A similar protective effect of albumin for liver, but not for brain, mitochondria was observed in studies of the effects of bilirubin on the ³²Pi-ATP exchange reaction. 3. The latent ATPase of fresh brain mitochondria is activated by Mg²⁺ but only slightly by DNP. Bilirubin increased the Mg²⁺ stimulated ATPase activity in liver mitochondria but depressed this activity in brain mitochondria. These effects were uninfluenced by protein binding. 4. Isotope studies with [¹⁴C]bilirubin demonstrated that the affinity of brain mitochondria for albumin-bound bilirubin is not greater than that of liver mitochondria. 5. The greater toxicity of protein-bound bilirubin for brain mitochondria than for liver mitochondria might be related to the greater lipid content of brain mitochondria.     

Effect of catecholamine depletion on oxidative energy metabolism in rat liver, brain and heart mitochondria; use of reserpine

Regulation of mitochondrial functions in vivo by catecholamines was examined indirectly by depleting the catecholamines stores by reserpine treatments of the experimental animals. Reserpine treatment resulted in decreased respiratory activity in liver and brain mitochondria with the two NAD+-linked substrates: glutamate and pyruvate + malate with succinate ATP synthesis rate decreased in liver mitochondria only. With ascorbate + TMPD system, the ADP/O ratio and ADP phosphorylation rate decreased in brain mitochondria. For the heart mitochondria, state 3 respiration rates decreased for all substrates. In the liver mitochondria basal ATPase activity decreased by 51%, but in the presence of Mg2+ and/or DNP increased significantly. In the brain and heart mitochondria ATPase activities were unchanged. The energy of activation in high temperature range increased liver mitochondrial ATPase while in brain mitochondria reserpine treatment resulted in abolishment in phase transition. Total phospholipid (TPL) content of the brain mitochondria increased by 22%. For the heart mitochondria TPL content decreased by 19% and CHL content decreased by 34%. Tissue specific differential effects were observed for the mitochondrial phospholipid composition. Liver mitochondrial membranes were more fluidized in the reserpine-treated group. The epinephrine and norepinephrine contents in the adrenals decreased by 68 and 77% after reserpine treatment.     

Investigation of adenosinetriphosphatase activity of rat liver and thymus cell nuclei]

The activity of ATPase was studied in highly purified rat liver and thymus cell nuclei, HCO3-, CO3(2-) and SO3(2-) stimulated nuclear ATPase in 1.5--2 times. HSO3- did not affect the enzyme activity, and NO3-, J-, ClO4-,F- and SCN- inhibited it. Bicarbonate increased V and decreased Ka for ATP. SCN- inhibited HCO3--ATPase activity non-competitively with respect to HCO3-. Mg2+-ATPase activity did not depend on pH, and HCO3-component of the activity was decreased under alkaline pH. Mg2+, Mn2+ and Co2+ increased the initial ATPase activity and helped its stimulation with HCO3-. Ba2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ inhibited the ATPase activity, and Ca2+ did not affect it, Nuclear ATPase is sensitive to 2,4-dinitrophenol and DNAase. It is suggested that cell nuclei have their own H+-ATPase differing for some characteristics from mitochondrial H+-ATPase.     

A general characteristic of tumor mitochondria: Leakage of endogenous Mg2+ on incubation with uncoupler and resultant reduction of uncoupler-stimulated ATPase activity

Previous studies showed that stimulation of mouse mitochondrial ATPase activity of tumor cells, fetal liver, and adult brain by the uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol was markedly suppressed during incubation of the mitochondria with the uncoupler (J.-I. Hayashi et al., 1980, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.92, 261–267). The present work showed the reason for this suppression. More than half the endogenous Mg²⁺ leaked from mitochondria of all tumor cells tested, and of fetal liver and adult brain during incubation with the uncoupler, while only about 30% of the endogenous Mg²⁺ leaked from mitochondria of other normal tissues. The effect of the uncoupler on Mg²⁺ leakage from liver mitochondria changed from the fetal to the adult type within about 30 min after birth. In hypotonic medium, normal liver mitochondria also lost more than half their total Mg²⁺ and concomitantly stimulation of their ATPase activity by uncoupler was considerably reduced. Exogenously added Mg²⁺ could reverse this reduced effect of the uncoupler on ATPase activity of mitochondria from normal tissues and tumor cells. These results show that the endogenous Mg²⁺ content of mitochondria directly affects the stimulation by uncoupler of ATPase activity of mitochondria from both normal tissues and tumor cells. Thus, mitochondria of all tumor cells tested, and of fetal liver and adult brain are leaky to Mg²⁺ during incubation with uncoupler and as a result of the leakage, the stimulatory effect of the uncoupler on their ATPase activity is greatly reduced.     

Differential effects of 2,4-dinitrophenol and valinomycin (+K+) on uncoupler-stimulated ATPase of human tumor mitochondria

The uncoupler-stimulated mitochondrial ATPase of four human tumors, mouse kidney, brain and fetal liver exhibited a characteristic behavior when preincubated with the H⁺-conducting uncouplers, dinitrophenol, CCCP, S-13 and gramicidin. The ATPase activity was considerably lower with preincubation than without. Preincubation with valinomycin (+K⁺), on the other hand, did not result in a significant decrease of the ATPase activity. These results may be contrasted with those obtained with liver or heart mitochondria, the ATPase activity of which did not suffer any loss when preincubated with dinitrophenol. The effect of preincubation with dinitrophenol on the tumor mitochondria could not be accounted for by dinitrophenol-induced Mg²⁺ efflux, since the differential effects of dinitrophenol and valinomycin (+K⁺) remained even when ATPase activity was determined in presence of Mg²⁺. Small amounts of ATP and ADP in the preincubation mixture containing dinitrophenol protected against the decay of the ATPase activity, implicating the exchangeable adenine nucleotides in the tumor mitochondria. In a model system where liver mitochondria were depleted of their adenine nucleotides, a lower ATPase activity was indeed obtained. However, direct determination of the concentations of adenine nucleotides in dinitrophenol- and valinomycin-treated tumor mitochondria revealed only slight differences.     

Intramolecular group transfer is a characteristic of neurotoxic esterase and is independent of the tissue source of the enzyme. A comparison of the aging behaviour of di-isopropyl phosphorofluoridate-labelled proteins in brain, spinal cord, liver, kidney and spleen from hen and in human placenta

Neurotoxic esterase activity was measured in homogenates of human placenta and hen brain, spinal cord, liver, kidney and spleen. The activity in liver comprised less than 20% of the Paraoxon-resistant esterases, but in the other tissues neurotoxic esterase accounted for over 50%. The same tissues were labelled with [3H]di-isopropyl phosphorofluoridate, and any isopropyl group transferred on to protein during 'aging' of the labelled enzymes (alkali-volatilizable tritium) was measured. No Paraoxon-sensitive labelled sites were found to age in this way in any tissue. In brain, the Paraoxon-resistant alkali-volatilizable-tritium-labelled sites correlated with the number of neurotoxic esterase labelled sites, indicating that 'aging' and isopropyl group transfer were 100% efficient. The site receiving the transferred isopropyl group was characterized by analysing the distribution of radiolabelled proteins on gel-filtration chromatography in the presence of SDS. In particulate preparations from each tissue, the protein-bound alkali-volatilizable tritium (transferred isopropyl group) was attached to a polypeptide of Mr 178 000. This same polypeptide also bore the isopropyl-phosphoryl group of neurotoxic esterase, indicating that aging of neurotoxic esterase is an intramolecular group transfer. The apparent turnover number for the enzyme (average 1.6 X 10(5) min-1) was approximately the same in each hen tissue, confirming that closely similar enzymes were present in brain, spinal cord, liver and spleen. The apparent turnover for the human enzyme was 1.8-fold higher than that for the hen enzyme. The concentration of the neurotoxic esterase phosphorylated subunit in brain, spinal cord, spleen, placenta and liver was 14.6, 3.8, 7.4, 3.3 and 3.8 pmol/g of tissue. The evidence indicated that neurotoxic esterase is present in each tissue except kidney, and that isopropyl group transfer on 'aging' occurs on this enzyme only. This process is an intramolecular transfer of the group within the same polypeptide.     

Inhibition of membrane Na(+)-K+ Atpase of the brain, liver and RBC in rats administered di(2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP) a plasticizer used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blood storage bags

Significant amounts of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) leach out into blood stored in DEHP plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags resulting in the exposure of recipients of blood transfusion to this compound. The aim of this study was to find out whether DEHP at these low levels has any effect on the activity of membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase, since a decrease in this enzyme activity has been reported to take place in a number of disorders like neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, coronary artery disease and stroke, syndrome-X, tumours etc. DEHP was administered (ip) at a low dose of 750 microg/100 g body weight to rats and the activity of membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase in liver, brain and RBC was estimated. Histopathology of brain, activity of HMG CoA reductase (a major rate limiting enzyme in the isoprenoid pathway of which digoxin, the physiological inhibitor of Na(+)-K+ ATPase is a product), intracellular concentration of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in RBC (which is altered as a result of inhibition of Na(+)-K+ ATPase) were also studied. (In the light of the observation of increase of intracellular Ca2+ load and intracellular depletion of Mg2+ when Na(+)-K+ ATPase is inhibited). Histopathology of brain revealed areas of degeneration in the rats administered DEHP. There was significant inhibition of membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase in brain, liver and RBC. Intracellular Ca2+ increased in the RBC while intracellular Mg2+ decreased. However activity of hepatic HMG CoA reductase decreased. Activity of Na(+)-K+ ATPase and HMG CoA reductase, however returned to normal levels within 7 days of stopping administration of DEHP. The inhibition of membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity by DEHP may indicate the possibility of predisposing recipients of transfusion of blood or hemodialysis to the various disorders mentioned above. However since this effect is reversed when DEHP administration is stopped, it may not be a serious problem in the case of a few transfusion; but in patients receiving repeated blood transfusion as in thalassemia patients or patients undergoing hemodialysis, possibility of this risk has to be considered. This inhibition is a direct effect of DEHP or its metabolites, since activity of HMG CoA reductase, (an enzyme which catalyses a major rate limiting step in the isoprenoid pathway by which digoxin, the physiological inhibitor of Na(+)-K+ ATPase is synthesized) showed a decrease.     

Partial purification and characterization of citrate synthase from Dictyostelium discoideum.

The effect of thyroidectomy on oxidative metabolism of rat liver, kidney, and brain mitochondria has been examined. The respiration in liver, kidney, and brain mitochondria was affected differentially after thyroidectomy, the common effect in all the tissues being the impairment in state 3 as well as state 4 rates of succinate oxidation. Thyroidectomy did not have any effect on $\text{ADP}\text{O}$ ratios; however, compared to normal, respiratory control indexes were, in general, somewhat higher. Thyroidectomy also did not alter total ATPase activity of liver, kidney, and brain mitochondria, although the basal ATPase activity had decreased significantly under these conditions. The cytochrome content of the mitochondria also showed tissue-specific changes after thyroidectomy; however, no significant changes in the absorption characteristics of the cytochromes were seen. The succinate and glutamate dehydrogenase activities of mitochondria from liver, kidney, and brain were not affected by thyroidectomy, thereby ruling out the possibility that the decrease in substrate oxidation may be due to alterations in the primary dehydrogenase levels. It is concluded that thyroid hormone(s) may have a tissue-specific role in regulating the metabolic functions of mitochondria.     

Effect of caffeine on ornithine metabolism in rat brain, liver and kidney

Prolonged treatment with caffeine promotes in rats an increase of liver ornithine carbamyltransferase activity (14-day treatment). In contrast, arginase activity is already reduced in brain and kidney after 10 days, and in the liver much later (17 days). Ornithine transaminase activity was increased in both liver and kidney, while in the brain it was reduced (17 days). Ornithine decarboxylase activity showed only minor modifications in kidney, while it was unchanged in brain. Of the polyamines, only spermidine was significantly modified, being increased in brain, decreased in liver and kidney. Although these results do not explain the mechanism of the modification of brain arginine and ornithine concentration promoted by caffeine, they point to further marked effects, i.e. on OAT activity and on spermidine concentration, which could have a relevant metabolic role.     

Some properties of acid lipase in the defatted liver from the laying hen (Gallus domesticus)

Acid lipase activity was found in the defatted liver from the laying hen, but little neutral or alkaline lipase activity was observed in the liver. Most of acid lipase was in the insoluble fraction of the defatted liver, and the enzyme was solubilized by sonication at 9 kHz for 50 min in a slightly alkaline solution. The lipase showed its maximum activity at pH 5.0, 38 degrees C. It was stable below 40 degrees C and over the pH range from 4.0 to 9.0. Detergents, serum of the laying hen and the soluble fraction from the defatted liver homogenate from the laying hen markedly inhibited the lipase activity. The lipase solubilized by sonication was large in molecular mass, suggesting that the preparation formed colloidal particles.     

Na+/K+ ATPase and cell growth: effect of epidermal growth factor on the enzymatic activity in chick embryo epidermis during the embryonal development

1. The behaviour of ATPase activity during embryonic development of chick embryo epidermis has been studied in the absence or presence of a single inoculation of EGF at the fifth day from fertilization (0-day). 2. EGF strongly decreases ATPase activity by affecting Na+/K+ ATPase. This effect occurs only if begun at 0-day. 3. This effect is due to the EGF induced decrease of -SH groups that are active part of Na+/K+ ATPase.     

Peculiarities of phosphoric compound metabolism in liver mitochondria of carp adapted to higher concentrations of CO2 in water

The content of adenine nucleotides, ATPase activity, the amount of total and inorganic phosphorus in the carp liver mitochondria were studied as affected by CO2 high concentrations. It is shown that during adaptation to the CO2 higher level in the medium the amount of ATP in fishes undergoes the most significant changes. The organism response to the effect of carbon dioxide depends on its concentration in the medium and time of its action. When fishes were for 24h under conditions of the 0.4mM CO2 concentration, the ATP content in the carp liver mitochondria surpasses the control level and under conditions the 0.8 mM CO2 concentration it reaches the control level. The presence of 0.4 and 0.8 mM CO2 concentration decreases the ATP content 7 days later. The amount of inorganic phosphorus in the liver mitochondria of experimental fishes undergoes similar changes. An increase in the CO2 concentration in the water medium up to 0,4 and 0,8 mM inhibits Na+, K+, Mg2+-ATPase in fish organelles, the inhibition being more pronounced in a trial with 0.8 mM CO2.     

The effect of radioprotective preparations on the system of active transport. Mitochondrial ATPase

The effects in vivo and in vitro of the radioprotective agents (MEA, AET, serotonin, dopamine, and histamine) on mitochondrial ATPase activity of rat brain and liver have been investigated. The enzyme activity has been found to be inhibited for the most. Possible mechanisms of the effects observed are discussed.     

Alteration of 5'-Nucleotidase and Na+, K+-ATPase in Central and Peripheral Nervous Tissue from Dysmyelinating Mutants (jimpy, quaking, Trembler, shiverer, and mld). Comparison with CNPase in the Developing Sciatic Nerve from Trembler

Abstract: 5'Nucleotidase and Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase are very probably myelin-associated enzymes, although not specific for this membrane. Thus, it is important to determine their activity in dysmyelinating mutants in either CNS (quaking, jimpy, shiverer, and mld) or PNS (Trembler). CNS: The activity of 5'nucleotidase was lower in mouse than in rat (10.5 and 28.0 nmol/min/mg protein in brain, respectively). In mouse myelin, the activity was 30 nmol/min/mg protein (and 72 in rat myelin). In mutants, the brain activity was very close to normal. In contrast, ATPase, the activity of which was higher in myelin as compared with forebrain homogenate, presented a reduced activity in various 21-day-old and adult mutants, except Trembler. It was normal in 8-day-old quaking and in cerebella from mutants. PNS: ATPase was lower than in brain and reduced in most mutants, this being expected for Trembler and quaking but not for shiverer and mld. 5'-Nucleotidase activity was higher compared with that in brain homogenate (relatively stable between 10-day postnatal and adult). It was affected in the mutants; in Trembler it was nearly normal in young animals but increased during development. Thus in Trembler, two different myelin-related enzymes and a myelin-specific enzyme (CNPase) presented different developmental patterns: ATPase was always reduced, 5'-nucleotidase was normal, and CNPase was slightly below normal in young (68% of the control value); CNPase activity declined during development but 5'-nucleotidase increased (42% and 190% of the control in 60-day-old animals). It is necessary to consider these results in parallel with alterations in the PNS because of Schwann cell abnormalities. Thus, determination of these two enzymes will provide a useful tool to study myelination and myelin assembly under both normal and pathological conditions.     

Increased content of natural ATPase inhibitor in tumor mitochondria

The ATPase activity of Zajdela hepatoma and Yoshida sarcoma submitochondrial particles was several times lower than the enzyme activity in rat heart and rat liver submitochondrial particles. The content of F1-ATPase in the tumor mitochondria was found not to be very different from that in mitochondria of rat liver. Immunochemical determination of the amount of the natural ATPase inhibitor revealed that the tumor mitochondria contain 2-3-times more ATPase inhibitor than control mitochondria. It is concluded that the low ATPase activity of the tumor mitochondria results from the inhibition of the enzyme activity by the natural ATPase inhibitor.     

On the mechanism of action of alkylguanidines on oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria.

The effect of octylguanidine and oligomycin on the oxygen uptake of rat liver mitochondria and on the ATPase activity of "sonic" submitochondrial particles has been studied. 1. Octylguanidine inhibits state 3 respiration with glutamate-malate and succinate as substrates, but much lower concentrations are required to inhibit oxygen uptake with the former substrates. State 4 respiration is unaffected by octylguanidine. 2. The titration-curve for the octylguanidine inhibition of glutamate-malate oxidation is hyperbolic and apparently biphasic, half-maximal inhibition is obtained at 30 muM octylguanidine. The octylguanidine-curve for inhibition of succinate oxidation is sigmoid with half-maximal inhibition at about 250 muM. 3. Octylguanidine and oligomycin show additive inhibitory action on state 3 respiration with both glutamate plus malage and succinate as respiratory substrates. 4. Concentrations of oligomycin or octylguanidine, which added separately are ineffective on state 3 respiration, become inhibitory when the two inhibitors are added together. 5. Octylguanidine inhibits the ATPase activity of sonic submitochondrial particles with a hyperbolic titration-curve analogous to that obtained for oligomycin inhibition. The inhibitory actions of octylguanidine and oligomycin on the ATPase activity are additive. 6. It is concluded that octylguanidine acts directly on the ATPase complex and that its binding at the action site is mutually exclusive with the binding of oligomycin. A kinetic explanation is given for the reported higher sensitivity of site I phosphorylation to octylguanidine.     

The detection of sorbitol dehydrogenase in the cytoplasm of liver cells in birds and its relation to alcohol dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase

Comparative studies have been made in the specific activity of sorbitol dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate and alcohol dehydrogenases in the cytoplasm from the liver of wild and domestic ducks, hen and pheasant. High activity of all the three enzymes was found in ducks indicating the effective sorbitol (polyol) metabolism of glucose. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is an order lower as compared with the activity of sorbitol and alcohol dehydrogenases in the cytoplasm of hen liver. The same relationship was found for the activity of sorbitol dehydrogenase in the cytoplasm of pheasant liver.