Cellular free cholesterol in Hep G2 cells is only partially available for down-regulation of low-density-lipoprotein receptor activity.

We have previously shown that in Hep G2 cells and human hepatocytes, as compared with fibroblasts, the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor activity is only weakly down-regulated after incubation of the cells with LDL, whereas incubation with high-density lipoproteins (HDL) of density 1.16-1.20 g/ml (heavy HDL) strongly increased the LDL-receptor activity. To elucidate this difference between hepatocytes and fibroblasts, we studied the cellular cholesterol homoeostasis in relation to the LDL-receptor activity in Hep G2 cells. (1) Interrupting the cholesteryl ester cycle by inhibiting acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity with compound 58-035 (Sandoz) resulted in an enhanced LDL-mediated down-regulation of the receptor activity. (2) The stimulation of the receptor activity by incubation of the cells with cholesterol acceptors such as heavy HDL was not affected by ACAT inhibition. (3) Incubation of the Hep G2 cells with LDL, heavy HDL or a combination of both grossly affected LDL-receptor activity, but did not significantly change the intracellular content of free cholesterol, suggesting that in Hep G2 cells the regulatory free cholesterol pool is small as compared with the total free cholesterol mass. (4) We used changes in ACAT activity as a sensitive (indirect) measure for changes in the regulatory free cholesterol pool. (5) Incubation of the cells with compactin (2 microM) without lipoproteins resulted in a 4-fold decrease in ACAT activity, indicating that endogenously synthesized cholesterol is directed to the ACAT-substrate pool. (6) Incubation of the cells with LDL or a combination of LDL and heavy HDL stimulated ACAT activity 3-5 fold, whereas incubation with heavy HDL alone decreased ACAT activity more than 20-fold. Our results suggest that in Hep G2 cells exogenously delivered (LDL)-cholesterol and endogenously synthesized cholesterol are primarily directed to the cholesteryl ester (ACAT-substrate) pool or, if present, to extracellular cholesterol acceptors (heavy HDL) rather than to the free cholesterol pool involved in LDL-receptor regulation.     

Neutrophil association and degradation of normal and acute-phase high-density lipoprotein 3.

The interaction of normal and acute-phase high-density lipoproteins of the subclass 3 (N-HDL3 and AP-HDL3) with human neutrophils and the accompanying degradation of HDL3 apolipoproteins have been studied in vitro. The chemical composition of normal and acute-phase HDL3 was similar except that serum amyloid A protein (apo-SAA) was a major apolipoprotein in AP-HDL3 (approx. 30% of total apolipoproteins). 125I-labelled AP-HDL3 was degraded 5-10 times faster than 125I-labelled N-HDL3 during incubation with neutrophils or neutrophil-conditioned medium. Apo-SAA, like apolipoprotein A-II (apo-A-II), was more susceptible than apolipoprotein A-I (apo-A-I) to the action of proteases released from the cells. The amounts of cell-associated AP-HDL3 apolipoproteins at saturation were up to 2.8 times greater than N-HDL3 apolipoproteins; while apo-A-I was the major cell-associated apolipoprotein when N-HDL3 was bound, apo-SAA constituted 80% of the apolipoproteins bound in the case of AP-HDL3. The associated intact apo-SAA was mostly surface-bound as it was accessible to the action of exogenous trypsin. alpha 1-Antitrypsin-resistant (alpha 1-AT-resistant) cellular degradation of AP-HDL3 apolipoproteins also occurred; experiments in which pulse-chase labelling was performed or lysosomotropic agents were used indicated that insignificant intracellular degradation occurred which points to the involvement of cell-surface proteases in this degradation.     

A rapid assay for measuring the activity and the Mg2+ and Ca2+ requirements of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase in cytosolic and microsomal fractions of rat liver.

1. A rapid extraction and purification scheme was designed for the recovery of [3H]diacylglycerol formed during the assay of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase. 2. The importance of removing polyvalent cations, particularly Ca2+, from the phosphatidate and other reagents used in the assay of the phosphohydrolase activity was demonstrated. This was achieved mainly by treating the phosphatidate with a chelating resin and by adding 1 mM-EGTA and 1 mM-EDTA to the assays. 3. The activity of the phosphohydrolase in dialysed samples of the soluble and microsomal fractions of rat liver was very low. 4. Addition of optimum concentrations of MgCl2 resulted in a 110-167-fold stimulation in activity. 5. CaCl2 was also able to stimulate phosphohydrolase activity, but to a much smaller extent than MgCl2. 6. Chlorpromazine, an amphiphilic cation, inhibited the reaction when it was measured in these experiments by using a mixed emulsion of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidate at pH 7.4. 7. Microsomal fractions that were preincubated with albumin contained very low activities of the Mg2+-dependent phosphohydrolase. When these were then incubated with the soluble fraction in the presence of oleate, the soluble phosphohydrolase attached to the microsomal membranes, and it retained its high dependency on Mg2+.     

Effects of lactation and removal of pups on the rate of triacyglycerol/fatty acid substrate cycling in white adipose tissue of the rat.

The rate of the triacylglycerol/fatty acid substrate cycle was measured in vivo in adipose tissue of virgin and lactating rats with pups removed. The rate decreased by 70% in adipose tissue of lactating rats and increased 9-fold on removal of the pups. Similar differences in cycling rate were seen in adipose tissue incubated in vitro in the presence of isoprenaline.     

The synthesis of fluorescent chlorotriazinylaminofluorescein-concanavalin A and its use as a glycoprotein stain on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gels.

Concanavalin A, a specific glycoprotein probe, was optimally labelled to a maximum stoichiometry of 0.4 mol of chlorotriazinylaminofluorescein (CTAF)/mol of concanavalin A monomer under mild reaction conditions (pH 8.0, 6 h), and under these conditions the CTAF concanavalin A preparation retains its carbohydrate-binding ability and is able to penetrate SDS/7.5-15%-polyacrylamide gradient gels. CTAF-concanavalin A gives fluorescent bands for the glycoproteins transferrin, fetuin and deoxyribonuclease and shows no fluorescent response for the non-glycoproteins bovine serum albumin and soya-bean trypsin inhibitor. The detection limit of sensitivity for CTAF-concanavalin A, which is similar to that of fluorescein isothiocyanate-concanavalin A, is in the range 5-25 micrograms of glycoprotein. CTAF-concanavalin A is a suitable probe for the detection of glycoproteins in higher-percentage (greater than or equal to 10%) SDS/polyacrylamide gels, and will probably have other applications in, for example, fluorescent energy transfer and other structure-function studies.     

The influx of Ca2+ induced by the administration of glucagon and Ca2+-mobilizing agents to the perfused rat liver could involve at least two separate pathways.

The Ca2+-mobilizing actions of ADP, ATP and epidermal growth factor (EGF) and their interaction with glucagon were studied in a perfused liver system incorporating a Ca2+-selective electrode. ADP (1-100 microM), ATP (1-100 microM) and EGF (10-50 nM) all induced a net efflux, followed by a net uptake of Ca2+ in the intact liver. The co-administration of glucagon (or of cyclic AMP) with these agents resulted in a synergistic potentiation of the Ca2+ uptake response in a way which resembles the synergism observed when glucagon is administered with phenylephrine, vasopressin or angiotensin [Altin & Bygrave (1986) Biochem J. 238, 653-661]. The inability of diltiazem, verapamil and nifedipine to inhibit the Ca2+-influx response suggests that the stimulation of Ca2+ influx does not occur through voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels. By contrast, the synergistic effects of glucagon in the stimulation of Ca2+ influx are inhibited by 10 mM-neomycin, and a lowering of the extracellular pH to 6.8. Simultaneous measurements of perfusate Ca2+ and pH changes suggest that the Ca2+ influx response is not mediated by a Ca2+/H+ exchange. The inability of neomycin and low extracellular pH to inhibit the refilling of the hormone-sensitive pool of Ca2+, after the administration of Ca2+-mobilizing agents alone, provides evidence for the existence in liver of at least two Ca2+-influx pathways, or mechanisms for regulating Ca2+ influx.     

Chemistry of the collagen cross-links. Origin and partial characterization of a putative mature cross-link of collagen.

The conversion of the reducible divalent cross-links in collagen to non-reducible multivalent cross-links in mature collagen has resulted in the identification of several new amino acids as the putative mature cross-link. None of these compounds has completely satisfied the necessary criteria. We have now isolated an amino acid of high Mr, derived from lysine, that is only present in high-Mr peptides derived from mature collagen. Its increase with age of the tissue correlates with the decrease in the reducible cross-links, and it is present both in mature skin and bone, which are initially cross-linked through the aldimine and oxo-imine divalent cross-link respectively. We propose that this amino acid, as yet incompletely characterized and designated compound M, is a major cross-link of mature collagen.     

Hydrogen peroxide production in uncoupled mitochondria of the parasitic nematode worm Nippostrongylus brasiliensis.

1. Mitochondria from the parasitic nematode worm Nippostrongylus brasiliensis produce H2O2 in the energized state; higher rates of H2O2 production were observed in the presence of the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. 2. Antimycin A inhibits respiration and H2O2 production by 70 and 65% respectively; the residual activities can be attributed to alternative electron-transport pathway(s). 3. o-Hydroxydiphenyl and 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene, inhibitors of alternative electron transport, inhibit respiration by 37% and H2O2 production by 26%. 4. Another inhibitor of alternative electron transport, salicylhydroxamic acid, shows a complex mode of action; low concentrations (less than 0.5 mM) stimulate respiration and H2O2 production, whereas 2 mM-salicylhydroxamic acid inhibited respiration by 35% and stopped H2O2 production completely. 5. O2 thresholds were observed for the inhibition of respiration at O2 concentrations greater than 57.7 microM and inhibition of H2O2 production (greater than 20.5 microM-O2); apparent Km values for oxygen were 5.5 microM and 3.0 microM respectively. 6. In the presence of antimycin A the O2-inhibition thresholds and apparent Km values for O2 of respiration and H2O2 production matched closely, suggesting that the alternative oxidase is a likely site of H2O2 production. 7. These results are discussed in relation to O2 toxicity to N. brasiliensis.     

The binding of binuclear platinum(II)-terpyridine complexes to DNA.

The binding of platinum (II)-terpyridine complexes to DNA was studied by using equilibrium dialysis. Optical absorption methods were used to measure the ability of the ligands to aggregate in aqueous buffer. Scatchard plots for the binding of the monomeric [Pt(terpy)SC4H9]+ cation to DNA at I0.01 are curvilinear, concave upwards, suggesting two modes of binding. The association constant decreases at higher ionic strengths, consistent with polyelectrolyte theory, and 1.1 cations are released per bound ligand molecule. The association constants of the binuclear ligands [Pt(terpy)S[CH2]4S(terpy)Pt]2+ and [Pt(terpy)S[CH2]6S(terpy)Pt]2+ are 8 and 23 times larger respectively than the affinity of the monomer. For the latter binuclear derivative the increase may be ascribed to bifunctional reaction. Differential dialysis experiments with DNAs of differing base composition show that [Pt(terpy)SC4H9]+ has a requirement for a single G X C base-pair at the highest-affinity site. However, in the binuclear ligands chromophore specificity is severely compromised. Similar experiments indicate that 9-aminoacridine and selected methylene-linked diacridines show no significant sequence selectivity.     

Inhibition of hepatic deiodination of thyroxine is caused by selenium deficiency in rats.

Selenium (Se) deficiency produced up to a 14-fold decrease in hepatic tri-iodothyronine (T3) production from thyroxine (T4) in vitro. The T3 production rate could not be restored by the addition of a variety of cofactors, nor by the addition of control homogenate. The impairment in hepatic T3 production observed in Se deficiency was reflected in the concentrations of thyroid hormones circulating in plasma, T4 being increased approx. 40% and T3 being decreased by 30%. However, the fall in plasma T3 concentrations was smaller than might be expected in view of the marked decreased in T3 production. Se deficiency had no measurable effect on plasma reverse-tri-iodothyronine concentrations. The data suggest that Se deficiency produces an inhibition of both 5- and 5'-deiodination, consistent with the widely held view that these reactions are catalysed by the same enzyme complex. The mechanism of inhibition appears not be mediated by changes in thiol levels, but a direct role of Se in the activity of the deiodinase complex cannot be excluded.