| Abstract: | Dispersed mouse pancreas acinar cells were prepared in which phosphatidylinositol had been labeled with myo2-3H]inositol. During incubation with 0.3 microM cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) for 15 min, there was a loss of 3H]phosphatidylinositol radioactivity (23%) and a 3-fold gain in trichloroacetic acid-soluble radioactivity. Replacement of NaCl by up to 58 mM LiCl did not significantly affect the amount of CCK-8-stimulated 3H]phosphatidylinositol breakdown or the gain in acid-soluble radioactivity. However, in normal medium, the product of phosphatidylinositol breakdown was almost all inositol, whereas in Li+-containing medium, the product was almost all inositol 1-phosphate. Similar results were obtained with acetylcholine which, in the presence of Li+, gave a dose-responsive increase in inositol 1-phosphate over the concentration range of 0.1 to 10 microM. No increased accumulation of 3H]inositol diphosphate or 3H]inositol triphosphate was detected in stimulated cells. Time courses in the presence of Li+ indicated that the formation of inositol 1-phosphate preceded the formation of inositol. Addition of up to 50 mM myoinositol to the incubation medium showed no diluting effect on the amount of 3H]inositol 1-phosphate found. The accumulation of inositol 1-phosphate is presumably due to the known ability of Li+ to inhibit myoinositol 1-phosphatase. The results provide clear evidence that stimulated phosphatidylinositol breakdown involves a phospholipase C type of phosphodiesterase activity. 1.25 mM Li+ gave half-maximal inositol 1-phosphate accumulation. This is close to the range of plasma Li+ levels which is used therapeutically in psychiatric disorders. In unstimulated cells, 3H]inositol 1-phosphate accumulation in the presence of Li+ corresponded to a breakdown rate for 3H]phosphatidylinositol of 2 to 3%/h. |
