Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity at the external surface of intact skeletal muscles and stimulation of the enzyme by insulin

Small intact frog skeletal muscles were exposed to radioactively labeled adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) during incubation in frog Ringer's solution buffered with Tris (RT). The fate of the nucleotide was followed by measuring the products in the incubation media. Paper chromatography was used for the separation and identification of these products; the amounts were measured using liquid scintillation spectrometry. It was found that cAMP was degraded to AMP, which was then converted to IMP and, to some extent, inosine. The degradation of cAMP to AMP was markedly inhibited by theophylline (10 mM) suggesting the presence of cAMP phosphodiesterase activity at the muscle surface. Kinetic studies of enzyme activity in situ revealed two apparent K_m values: 0.33 μm and 55 μm. Insulin (0.3 unit/ml) increased the phosphodiesterase activity at concentrations of cAMP ranging from 2 to 17 μm. The possible roles of the surface phosphodiesterase were discussed.