Regulation of mRNA expression of 3 beta-hydroxy-5-ene steroid dehydrogenase in porcine granulosa cells in culture: a role for the protein kinase-C pathway

We studied the effect of the tumor-promoting phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), which activates protein kinase-C, on porcine granulosa cells in culture. PMA as well as cholera toxin, forskolin, and hCG increased cAMP accumulation. PMA further augmented the elevation in cAMP accumulation induced by cholera toxin, forskolin, and hCG. In the same cell culture model, hCG induced a time-dependent increase in the 3 beta-hydroxy-5-ene steroid dehydrogenase (3 beta HSD) mRNA levels with a maximal 3-fold stimulation obtained at 8-16 h of incubation with 1 IU hCG/ml. PMA inhibited the increase in 3 beta HSD mRNA levels induced by hCG in a dose-dependent manner. The phorbol ester also inhibited the increase in 3 beta HSD mRNA levels stimulated by LH as well as cholera toxin and forskolin and the cAMP analogs (Bu)2cAMP and 8-bromo-cAMP. Activation of protein kinase-C by mezerein similarly inhibited hCG stimulation of 3 beta HSD mRNA levels. The present data indicate that activation of the protein kinase-C pathway induces generation of cAMP, but causes a near-complete inhibition of the stimulatory effects of hCG, LH, forskolin, cholera toxin, and cAMP analogs on 3 beta HSD mRNA levels in porcine granulosa cells in culture.     

Cyclic AMP concentrations modulate both calcium flux and hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol phosphates in mouse T lymphocytes

Activation of T cells by lectins or mAb directed at components of the Ag-specific TCR results in hydrolysis of phosphorylated derivatives of phosphatidylinositol and an increase in intracellular free calcium concentration (Cai). We report that cholera toxin, which activates adenylate cyclase by ADP ribosylation of a G protein, also reduces both inositol phosphate (IP) production and the rise in Cai in Con A-stimulated murine T cells. We find that similar dose-dependent inhibitory effects can be induced by each of four other agents that raise cAMP levels in such cells: forskolin, PGE2, 2-chloroadenosine, and isoproterenol. The effects of these agents on IP production are reversible and therefore do not simply reflect cytotoxicity. Activation by PHA and by antibody to the T3-epsilon-chain of the TCR complex are also inhibited by agents that increase intracellular cAMP. Thus, changes in cAMP concentration seem to regulate both IP production and the Ca2+ response, two early components of the mitogen-induced activation process.     

cAMP-independent effects of cholera toxin on B cell activation. I. A possible role for cell surface ganglioside GM1 in B cell activation

Cholera toxin has been used as a tool to study the effects of cAMP on the activation of B cells but may have effects independent of its ability to elevate cAMP. We found five lines of evidence which suggested that cholera toxin suppressed mitogen-stimulated B cell activation through a cAMP-independent pathway. 1) Cholera toxin (1 microgram/ml) was consistently more suppressive than forskolin (100 microM) despite the induction of higher intracellular cAMP levels by forskolin. 2) Cholera toxin was more suppressive at 1 microgram/ml than at 0.1 microgram/ml despite equivalent elevations of cAMP. 3) Washing B cells following their incubation with cholera toxin reversed much of the inhibition without altering intracellular cAMP levels. 4) The A subunit of cholera toxin, which at high concentrations (10 micrograms/ml) induced levels of cAMP comparable to those induced by cholera toxin (1 and 0.1 microgram/ml), did not inhibit B cell activation. 5) cAMP derivatives at high concentrations were much less effective than was cholera toxin in suppressing B cell activation. Although the elevation of cAMP may cause a mild inhibition of B cell proliferation, we found that even a marked elevation of cAMP did not suppress B cell proliferation, unless the elevation was persistent. We did, however, observe that the degree of toxin inhibition more closely paralleled binding of the toxin to B cells than toxin stimulation of cAMP. This result raised the possibility that binding of cholera toxin to its ganglioside GM1 receptor mediated an inhibitory signal which suppressed B cell proliferation.     

Effect of adenylyl cyclase activation on intracellular and extracellular cAMP and cGMP in preimplantation cattle blastocysts

The effects of direct and indirect activation of adenylyl cyclase on the production of intracellular and extracellular cAMP and cGMP by 13- to 16-day-old cattle embryos were determined. Embryos were incubated for 2 h in a Krebs Ringer bicarbonate medium containing the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutyl-methylxanthine, to which stimulating agents forskolin (100 mumol l-1), cholera toxin (2 micrograms ml-1), or both were added. Total (intra- and extracellular) basal cAMP and cGMP concentrations ranged from 6.65 +/- 0.895 to 3.4 +/- 0.708 fmol microgram-1 protein in 13-day-old embryos and from 4.05 +/- 1.151 to 0.19 +/- 0.041 fmol microgram-1 protein in 16-day-old embryos. Forskolin induced an increase (P < 0.001) in cAMP that ranged from 5.4-fold on day 13 to 2.7-fold on day 16, whereas cholera toxin induced an increase (P < 0.001) that ranged from 30-fold at day 13 to 21-fold at day 16, similar to the effect of forskolin and cholera toxin combined. Individually, forskolin and cholera toxin had no effect on cGMP concentrations, but together they induced an increase (P < 0.05). cAMP (P < 0.01) and cGMP (P < 0.001) concentrations decreased with embryo age from day 13 to day 16 for all treatments; the decrease was greater for cGMP than cAMP (5-24-fold versus 1.6-3.3-fold, respectively). It is concluded that inducible adenylyl cyclase is present in 13- to 16-day-old cattle embryos and that the embryos secrete cAMP and cGMP into the incubation medium. In addition, basal and inducible concentrations of cAMP and cGMP decrease with embryo age from day 13 to day 16. These observations indicate that cAMP and cGMP may have a role in the rapid embryonic cell proliferation that occurs at this time or in signalling to the endometrium.     

Effects of forskolin and cholera toxin on cyclic AMP release in a neurotensin-secreting rat C-cell line

The effects of forskolin and cholera toxin on the regulation of cAMP release were studied in a neurotensin-secreting rat C-cell line. The interaction of these agents with norepinephrine, a potent neurotensin secretagogue, was also investigated. Forskolin stimulated cAMP release 10(2)-10(3) fold while it increased neurotensin release 2-3 fold. Cholera toxin caused a 10(2)-10(3) fold increase in cAMP release and had no effect on neurotensin release. We conclude that the 44-2 C-cells provide a new model for studying the regulation of the concomitant (via forskolin) or independent (via cholera toxin) secretion of cyclic AMP and/or neurotensin.     

Cholera toxin inhibits the increase in cytoplasmic free calcium induced via the CD2 pathway of human T-lymphocyte activation

We investigated the action of cholera toxin on the intracellular ionized calcium [Ca2+]i increase induced by anti-CD2 and anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies in the leukemic human T-cell line Jurkat. Cholera toxin inhibits in a dose-dependent manner these two pathways of human T-lymphocyte activation but with different half maximal inhibition doses (75 ng/ml for CD3, 30 ng/ml for CD2). This effect cannot be accounted for only by the increase in cAMP induced by cholera toxin because forskolin, which raises cellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) to the same levels, induced only a small inhibition of the [Ca2+]i increase in similar conditions. Cholera toxin induced a decrease in the surface expression of the CD3 molecule, suggesting a down-regulation of the CD3 molecules. On the other hand, the expression of CD2 remained unchanged. Cell surface disappearance of the CD3 molecule cannot account for all the inhibitory effects of cholera toxin because CD2 molecule expression was not affected (no modifications in the half maximal binding of anti-CD2 monoclonal antibodies). All together, these results suggest that cholera toxin acts on substrates, possibly G proteins, that could regulate the [Ca2+]i increase induced by anti-CD2 and anti-CD3 mAbs in Jurkat cells. In addition, the present study demonstrated that the rise in cellular cAMP partially inhibits the [Ca2+]i increase induced by anti-CD2 and anti-CD3 mAbs.     

Delineation of the mechanism of inhibition of human T cell activation by PGE2

The capacity of PGE2 to inhibit human T cell responses was examined by investigating its effect on mitogen-induced IL-2 production and proliferation of highly purified CD4+ T cells. PGE2 inhibited both PHA and anti-CD3 induced proliferation and IL-2 production by an action directly on the responding T cell. Inhibition of IL-2 production reflected decreased accumulation of mRNA for IL-2. A variety of other cAMP elevating agents exerted similar inhibitory effects. Inhibition of proliferation could be overcome by supplemental IL-2, PMA, or the anti-CD28 mAb 9.3. Although PMA and 9.3 markedly increased the amount of IL-2 produced by mitogen-stimulated T cells, the percentage inhibition of IL-2 secretion caused by PGE2 and other cAMP elevating agents remained comparable in these costimulated cultures. Rescue of T cell DNA synthesis by these agents appeared to reflect the finding that, although PGE2 markedly inhibited IL-2 production, the absolute amount of IL-2 produced was increased sufficiently to sustain mitogen-induced proliferation. As anticipated, PGE2, forskolin, and cholera toxin increased T cell cAMP levels. The quantity of cellular cAMP generated in response to PGE2, cholera toxin, and forskolin could be inhibited by PMA or 2',5'-dideoxyadenosine. Using these reagents, the inhibitory effects of PGE2 were found to reflect intracellular cAMP levels, but only within a very narrow range. The results indicate that by elevating cAMP levels, PGE2 inhibits human T cell IL-2 production at a point that is common to both the CD3 and CD28 signaling pathways.     

Epidermal growth factor stimulates the production of phosphatidylinositol monophosphate and the breakdown of polyphosphoinositides in A431 cells

The effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the metabolism of phosphatidylinositol were examined using A431 cells labeled with either 32PO3(4)- or myo-[3H] inositol. EGF was found to increase the incorporation of phosphate into phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate, and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-diphosphate as early as 15 s after addition of hormone. These changes were found to be due to two effects of EGF on the phosphatidylinositol cycle. First, EGF stimulated the breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-diphosphate to diacylglycerol and an inositol triphosphate. In addition, EGF induced a rise in the levels of phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate. The EGF-dependent increases in both inositol triphosphate production and phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate levels were inhibited by pretreatment of the cells with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Treatment of the cells with pertussis toxin did not inhibit either of these responses. However, treatment of the cells with cholera toxin selectively abolished the ability of EGF to stimulate the rise in phosphatidylinositol monophosphate levels but did not alter the ability of the hormone to induce the breakdown of phosphatidylinositol diphosphate. The effects of cholera toxin were not mimicked by forskolin, cAMP analogs, or isobutyl-methylxanthine. These data demonstrate that EGF stimulates the production of inositol triphosphate. In addition, the findings are consistent with the hypothesis that EGF independently stimulates a phosphatidylinositol kinase. Based on the effects of cholera toxin and the inability of cyclic nucleotides to mimic this response, the effect of EGF on the phosphatidylinositol kinase may be mediated via a guanine nucleotide-binding protein that is not involved in cAMP production.     

cAMP-mediated modulation of signal transduction of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor systems in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells. Depression of EGF-dependent diacylglycerol production and EGF receptor phosphorylation.

While a cAMP-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase A) has been suggested to phosphorylate epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor in vitro, both intrinsic and EGF- or potent phorbol tumor promoter-induced phosphorylation of EGF receptor were found to be depressed in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells by prior incubation of the cells with various protein kinase A activators (e.g. cholera toxin, forskolin, cAMP analogues, or a combination of prostaglandin E1 and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine). Protein kinase A activators did not change significantly either the number of EGF receptors or their affinity for EGF. The tryptic phosphopeptide map of EGF receptors from cells treated with cholera toxin alone or cholera toxin followed by EGF revealed unique peptides whose serine phosphorylation was preferentially depressed. However, the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A phosphorylated no threonine and little serine in the EGF receptors in the plasma membranes of isolated A431 cells in vitro, while serine residues in an unidentified 170-kDa membrane protein(s) other than EGF receptor were heavily phosphorylated. Pretreatment of the cells with forskolin blocked 1,2-diacylglycerol induction by EGF; growth inhibition by nanomolar levels of EGF could be partially restored by the presence of forskolin. These results indicate that an increase in intracellular cAMP modulates the EGF receptor signal transduction system by reducing EGF-induced production of diacylglycerol without direct phosphorylation of EGF receptors by protein kinase A in A431 cells.     

Modulation of a human lymphoblastoid B cell line by cyclic AMP. Ig secretion and phosphatidylcholine metabolism

A transformed human B cell line, LA350, was found to be sensitive to cAMP-elevating agents by responding with rapid (0 to 2 h) severalfold elevations of intracellular cAMP to treatment with cholera toxin, isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), forskolin, and dibutyryl cAMP (all p less than 0.001). These cAMP-elevating agents also produced significant inhibitions of subsequent (48 to 72 h) Ig secretion by the same B cells as measured by a reverse hemolytic plaque assay and an enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay for IgM (both p less than 0.001). PMA- and IBMX-treated cells were particularly responsive to the effects of cholera toxin, showing a doubling of cAMP content and profound decrease in Ig production (p less than 0.001). Because our previous studies had correlated activation of the metabolic turnover of the phosphatidylcholine (PC) fraction of membrane phospholipids with enhanced Ig secretion, we examined the sensitivity of PC metabolism to cAMP in control and PMA-stimulated cells. Formation of PC was found to be inhibited by forskolin and IBMX (both p less than 0.002) but breakdown of PC was stimulated (p less than 0.001). These findings imply that as the enzymatic products of PC, choline phosphate and diacylglycerol, are depleted due to the combined effects of cAMP upon synthesis and turnover of PC, there is a decrease in Ig secretion. Since diacylglycerol activates protein kinase C, it appears reasonable that Ig secretion is at least partially regulated by cAMP-responsive alterations in PC metabolism produced by protein kinase C-induced phosphorylation. We conclude that the early cAMP-sensitive changes in PC metabolism in this activated B cell line may signal for subsequent alterations in Ig secretion.     

Effects of follicle stimulating hormone, cholera toxin, pertussis toxin and forskolin on adenosine cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate output by granulosa cells from Booroola ewes with or without the F gene

The cAMP outputs by granulosa cells from 3-4.5 mm diameter (medium) follicles of Booroola FF ewes were similar to those by cells from greater than or equal to 5 mm diameter (large) follicles of ++ ewes with respect to time or dose of FSH, cholera toxin or forskolin. Likewise, the cAMP outputs by cells from 1-2.5 mm diameter (small) FF follicles were similar to those by cells from small and medium ++ follicles with respect to time or dose of FSH, cholera toxin or forskolin. At FSH, cholera toxin or forskolin doses of 1 microgram/ml, 0.5 microgram/ml and 10(-4) M respectively, the granulosa cell cAMP outputs of medium FF or large ++ follicles were approximately 2-fold (P less than 0.05) higher than in the respective small FF and medium ++ follicles. The effects of cholera toxin plus forskolin or FSH plus forskolin were additive irrespective of genotype or follicle size, with significant differences (P less than 0.05) observed between follicle sizes but not genotype. No differences were noted between cholera toxin plus forskolin or FSH plus forskolin on granulosa cell cAMP output. For the FSH and forskolin treatments, increased mean cAMP outputs were evident after 10 min, whereas after cholera toxin treatment they were not evident until after 20 min incubation. For all treatments the rate of cAMP production tended to slow down after 40-60 min. Pre-incubation of granulosa cells with pertussis toxin subsequently resulted in a significantly greater (P less than 0.05) FSH-induced output of cAMP relative to the untreated controls irrespective of follicle size. However, no gene-specific differences were noted when the cAMP outputs of cells from medium or small FF follicles were compared with cells from large or small-medium ++ follicles respectively. These results indicate that the activity (or composition) of the regulatory and catalytic components of adenylate cyclase in the FF granulosa cells change in a manner similar to those observed in ++ cells with the only difference being that the increases in cyclase in FF ewes occurs as follicles enlarge from 1-2.5 to 3-4.5 mm in diameter, whereas in ++ ewes they occur as follicles enlarge from 3-4.5 to greater than or equal to 5 mm in diameter. No evidence was found to link the F gene to the granulosa cell cAMP response independently of follicle size. It is suggested that the association between the F gene and the size-specific difference in follicle maturation may be unrelated to the FSH receptor/cAMP generating system.     

Involvement of second messenger systems in stimulation of angiotensin converting enzyme of bovine endothelial cells.

We have demonstrated previously that a variety of agents including corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, cationophores, methylxanthines, and analogues of cAMP--all of which have diversified functions in various tissues--elevate cellular angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity of bovine endothelial cells in culture. In addition to these agents, we have now found that direct and receptor-mediated stimulators of adenylate cyclase, i.e., forskolin and cholera toxin, increase cellular ACE activity after 48 h incubation in culture. In an attempt to search out a more unifying concept of these stimulatory effects, we have further investigated the roles of second messengers in the stimulatory actions. Ca2+ ionophore A23187 produced significant increases in both intracellular Ca2+ and ACE of endothelial cells. In contrast to Ca2+ ionophore, agents that transiently mobilize Ca2+ from intracellular reserves such as bradykinin, acetylcholine, and ATP have no effect on the level of cellular ACE. Representative agents that elevate cellular cAMP (e.g., isobutyl methylxanthine [IBMX] and dibutyryl cAMP) elevated cellular ACE, but the slightly increased [Ca2+]i produced by these agents did not reach statistical significance. While IBMX, cholera toxin, and forskolin elevated cellular cAMP, other ACE stimulatory agents (hormones and cationophores) had no effect on cAMP. Ca2+ ionophore and the agents that elevated intracellular cAMP potentiated the effect of dexamethasone, thyroid hormone, and aldosterone in elevating cellular ACE activity. Increases in ACE activity produced by all stimulants were inhibited by the presence of 10-50 nM ouabain in the culture medium. Inhibition of ACE elevation by oubain was reversed by increasing the extracellular [K+], thereby implicating Na+, K(+)-ATPase in the ACE regulatory mechanism. These results support the presence of multiple independent mechanisms for the regulation of cellular ACE. In addition to possible involvement of intracellular Ca(2+)- and cAMP-dependent pathways, ACE is also increased by corticosteroids and thyroid hormone through mechanisms unrelated to Ca2+ and cAMP.     

High-salt diet impairs hypoxia-induced cAMP production and hyperpolarization in rat skeletal muscle arteries

This study determined the effects of hypoxia on diameter, vascular smooth muscle (VSM) transmembrane potential (E(m)), and vascular cAMP levels for in vitro cannulated skeletal muscle resistance arteries (gracilis arteries) from Sprague-Dawley rats fed a low-salt (LS) or a high-salt (HS) diet. Arterial diameter and VSM E(m) were measured in response to hypoxia, iloprost, cholera toxin, forskolin, and aprikalim. In HS rats, arterial dilation and VSM hyperpolarization after hypoxia, iloprost, and cholera toxin were impaired versus responses in LS rats, whereas responses to forskolin and aprikalim were unaltered. Blockade of prostaglandin H(2) and thromboxane A(2) receptors had no effect on responses to hypoxia or iloprost in vessels from both rat groups, suggesting that inappropriate activation of these receptors does not contribute to the impaired hypoxic dilation with HS. Hypoxia, cholera toxin, and iloprost increased vascular cAMP levels in vessels of LS rats only, whereas forskolin increased cAMP levels in all vessels. These data suggest that reduced hypoxic dilation of skeletal muscle microvessels in rats on a HS diet may reflect an impaired ability of VSM to produce cAMP after exposure to prostacyclin.     

Protein kinase A attenuates endothelial cell barrier dysfunction induced by microtubule disassembly

Cross talk between the actin cytoskeleton and the microtubule (MT) network plays a critical role in regulation of endothelial permeability. We have previously demonstrated that MT disruption by nocodazole results in increases in MLC phosphorylation, actomyosin contraction, cell retraction, and paracellular gap formation, cardinal features of endothelial barrier dysfunction (Verin AD, Birukova A, Wang P, Liu F, Becker P, Birukov K, and Garcia JG. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 281: L565-L574, 2001; Birukova AA, Smurova K, Birukov KG, Usatyuk P, Liu F, Kaibuchi K, Ricks-Cord A, Natarajan V, Alieva A, Garcia JG, and Verin AD. J Cell Physiol. In press.). Although activation of PKA opposes barrier-disrupting effects of edemagenic agents on confluent EC monolayers, information about the molecular mechanisms of PKA-mediated EC barrier protection is limited. Our results suggest that MT disassembly alters neither intracellular cAMP levels nor PKA enzymatic activity; however, elevation of cAMP levels and PKA activation by either cholera toxin or forskolin dramatically attenuates the decline in transendothelial electrical resistance induced by nocodazole in human pulmonary EC. Barrier-protective effects of PKA on EC were associated with PKA-mediated inhibition of nocodazole-induced stress fiber formation, Rho activation, phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase regulatory subunit at Thr696, and decreased MLC phosphorylation. In addition, forskolin pretreatment attenuated MT disassembly induced by nocodazole. These results suggest a critical role for PKA activity in stabilization of MT cytoskeleton and provide a novel mechanism for cAMP-mediated regulation of Rho-induced actin cytoskeletal remodeling, actomyosin contraction, and EC barrier dysfunction induced by MT disassembly.     

Programmed cell death (apoptosis) is induced rapidly and with positive cooperativity by activation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate-kinase I in a myeloid leukemia cell line.

Programmed death (apoptosis) of the rat myelocytic leukemic cell line IPC-81 was triggered by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) analogs or by agents (cholera toxin, prostaglandins) increasing the endogenous cAMP level. The induction of cell death by cholera toxin was preceded by increased activation of cAMP-kinase. Cell lysis started already 5 hr after cAMP challenge and was preceded by internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis. The cell suicide could be prevented by inhibitors of macromolecular synthesis. cAMP analogs induced cell death in a positively cooperative manner (apparent Hill coefficient of 2.9), indicating that triggering of the apoptotic process was under stringent control. There was a strong synergism between cAMP analogs complementing each other in the activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase I (cAKI). No such synergism was noted for analogs complementing each other in the activation of cAKII. It is concluded that apoptosis can be induced solely by activation of cAKI. The IPC-81 cells expressed about four times more cAKI than cAKII. The expression of cAK subunits, on the protein and mRNA levels, was only minimally affected by cholera toxin treatment.     

Inhibition of endothelial secretion of tissue-type plasminogen activator and its rapid inhibitor by agents which increase intracellular cyclic AMP

We investigated the effect of agents which raise intracellular levels of cyclic AMP (cAMP) on the secretion of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) by cultured human umbilical-vein endothelial cells. Significant inhibition of baseline (unstimulated) t-PA and PAI-1 secretion was observed in response to several agents which, when added exogenously, cause increased intracellular cAMP: cholera toxin, 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine (MIX), dibutyryl-cAMP, and prostaglandin E1. These agents also significantly reduced or abolished the previously reported stimulatory effects of thrombin and histamine on t-PA secretion, and, with the exception of MIX, significantly reduced the previously reported stimulatory effect of thrombin on PAI-1 secretion. MIX at a concentration (10 microM) below that required to inhibit t-PA and PAI-1 secretion when tested alone, significantly increased the inhibitory effects of cholera toxin, dibutyryl-cAMP, and prostaglandin E1 on both t-PA and PAI-1 secretion. The data suggest that elevated intracellular levels of cAMP inhibit both spontaneous endothelial secretion of t-PA and PAI-1, and secretion induced by agents (thrombin and histamine) which stimulate endothelial phosphoinositide metabolism, consistent with bidirectional regulation of endothelial fibrinolytic protein secretion by the adenylate cyclase and phosphoinositide signal transduction pathways. The inhibitory effects of cAMP do not appear to be specific for t-PA and PAI-1, since cholera toxin and MIX also inhibited endothelial secretion of the adhesive protein, fibronectin. Significant inhibition of baseline endothelial t-PA and PAI-1 secretion was also caused by the stable prostacyclin analogue iloprost (ZK 36 374) and by arachidonic acid, which is converted by endothelial cells to prostacyclin, suggesting that prostacyclin produced endogenously by endothelial cells may inhibit secretion of fibrinolytic proteins by increasing intracellular cAMP.     

Involvement of a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein in the regulation of angiotensinogen production by an angiotensin II analog in HepG2 cells

The cellular mechanism by which the angiotensin II (AII) agonist, Sar1-AII, inhibits production and release of angiotensinogen in human hepatoma HepG2 cells was examined. Pretreatment of HepG2 cells with pertussis toxin attenuated the ability of Sar1-AII to block angiotensinogen production. This effect could be correlated with the in situ ADP-ribosylation of a protein(s) of apparent molecular weight 39,000-41,000 on SDS-PAGE, and attenuation of the ability of Sar1-AII to inhibit cAMP accumulation. The role of cAMP in angiotensinogen production was examined. A transient increase in cAMP accumulation above basal could be evoked by forskolin (8-fold) or by glucagon (5-fold) using insulin-deficient media. Although neither forskolin nor glucagon had a significant effect on angiotensinogen production agents producing a sustained increase in intracellular cAMP (8-bromo-cAMP, dibutyryl-cAMP, cholera toxin) were able to increase angiotensinogen production. Although these data indicate that intracellular cAMP is a regulatory factor in angiotensinogen production other evidence suggests that modulation of intracellular cAMP is not entirely responsible for the effects of Sar1-AII.     

Actions of cholera toxin on dispersed Chief cells from guinea pig stomach

Although much is known about the actions of cholera toxin on intestinal and extra-gastrointestinal tissues, almost nothing is known about the interaction of this toxin with cells in the stomach. In the present study, we prepared 125I-labeled cholera toxin (1900 Ci/mmol) and examined the binding of this radioligand to dispersed Chief cells from guinea pig stomach. Moreover, we examined the actions of cholera toxin on cellular cAMP and pepsinogen secretion from Chief cells. Binding of 125I-labeled cholera toxin could be detected within 5 min, was maximal by 60 min, and was increased by increasing the radioligand or cell concentrations. Inhibition of binding by unlabeled toxin indicated a dissociation constant of 3 nM and 8.7 X 10(5) cholera toxin receptors per Chief cell. In contrast to the rapidity of binding, a cholera toxin-induced increase in cAMP and pepsinogen secretion was not detected until 30-45 min of incubation. A 3 to 6-fold increase in cAMP and pepsinogen secretion was observed with maximal concentrations of cholera toxin. Binding of 125I-labeled cholera toxin and the toxin's actions on cAMP and pepsinogen secretion were inhibited by the B subunit of the toxin. Binding was not altered by other agents that have been shown to stimulate pepsinogen secretion (carbachol, CCK-8, secretin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, prostaglandin E1, or forskolin). These data indicate that Chief cells from guinea pig stomach possess a specific class of cholera toxin receptors. Binding of cholera toxin to these receptors causes an increase in cellular cAMP that stimulates pepsinogen secretion.