Role of tyrosine kinases in bombesin regulation of gastric mucosal proliferative activity in young and aged rats.

In vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to examine the responsiveness of the gastric mucosa to the growth-promoting action of bombesin in young (4 months) and aged (22 months) Fischer 344 rats. In addition, the role of tyrosine kinase (Tyr-K) in regulating this action of bombesin was also examined. In young rats, infusion of bombesin (300 ng/kg/h) by osmotic minipump for 2 weeks resulted in a significant 100% increase in mucosal DNA synthesis and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity. These increases were accompanied by a 32% (p less than 0.025) rise in gastric mucosal overall Tyr-K activity and a 71% (p less than 0.001) increase in Tyr-k activity associated with pp60c-src, when compared with the corresponding controls. The bombesin-induced stimulation of pp60c-src Tyr-k activity was also associated with a 25% increase in phosphorylation of this protein. In contrast, in aged rats, none of these parameters were affected by bombesin. A similar phenomenon was also observed when mucosal explants from young and aged rats were exposed to bombesin in an organ culture system. Exposure of gastric mucosal explants from young, but not from aged, rats to 10(-8) M bombesin for 8 h resulted in a 300% (p less than 0.001) increase in ODC activity, a 150% (p less than 0.001) rise in Tyr-k activity, and a marked increase (400-600%) in tyrosine-specific phosphorylation of three membrane proteins with M(r) of 55, 44, and 41 kDa, when compared with the corresponding controls. However, these increases were totally abolished by genistein, a specific irreversible inhibitor of Tyr-k.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Induction of EGFR tyrosine kinase in the gastric mucosa of diabetic rats.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with spontaneous gastric mucosal injury and enhanced susceptibility of the mucosa to damaging agents. Little information is available about the biochemical changes that occur in the gastric mucosa of diabetes mellitus. Evidence is accumulating that tyrosine kinases, particularly the EGF-receptor (EGFR), are involved in regulating a variety of structural and functional properties of the gastric mucosa. The primary objectives of this investigation were to determine whether diabetes induces morphological changes in the gastric mucosa, and if so, whether these changes are associated with alterations in EGFR tyrosine kinase. Diabetes-induced changes in gastric mucosal morphology were also examined. Diabetes was induced in 3- to 4-month-old male Fischer-344 rats by streptozotocin (STZ; 45 mg/kg; i.v.). Four weeks after induction of diabetes mellitus, the gastric mucosa of overnight-fasted rats was found to be slightly atrophic. A reduction in gastric mucosal thickness with deposition of fibrous tissue above the muscularis layer was observed in the stomach of overnight-fasted diabetic rats. These changes were associated with a marked stimulation in tyrosine kinase activity and protein expression of EGFR. The relative concentrations of several precursor forms of TGF-alpha in both membrane and cytosolic fractions from the gastric mucosa of overnight-fasted diabetic rats were also found to be significantly above the corresponding controls. This suggests that endogenous TGF-alpha may play a critical role in regulating mucosal EGFR tyrosine kinase through a juxtacrine/paracrine mechanism.     

Involvement of cyclic GMP in the initial stage of hepatocytes proliferation.

A transient rise in cyclic guanosine 3' : 5' monophosphate (c-GMP) in the liver was observed in rats in vivo 10--20 min after partial hepatectomy. A similar increase in c-GMP in the liver was also found in rats in vivo 15 min after infusion of TGH solution (a mixture of triiodothyronine, glucagon, and heparin). In both cases, inductions of ornithine decarboxylase [EC 4.1.1.17] and tyrosine aminotransferase [EC 2.6.1.5] were found 4 hr after the beginning of the experiments. Later, 22 hr after the surgical intervention or hormone infusion, thymidine kinase [EC 2.7.1.21] was activated and liver slices were able to incorporate [3H]thymidine into DNA. These biochemical phenomena were observed commonly in regenerating liver as well as in the liver of rats infused with TGH solution. c-GMP, but not c-AMP, could induce ornithine decarboxylase and tyrosine aminotransferase in isolated, perfused liver.     

Ornithine decarboxylase and thymidine kinase activity in tissues of prolactin-treated rats: effect of hypophysectomy

The activities of ornithine decarboxylase and thymidine kinase were determined in tissues of young intact and hypophysectomized rats at various times after treatment with prolactin. In both types of animals, ornithine decarboxylase activity increased in liver, kidney, spleen and adrenal of prolactin treated rats. Thymidine kinase activity increased only in liver and spleen of intact rats. Increase in the kinase activity was smaller, and occurred later than the change in ornithine decarboxylase. In hypophysectomized animals, thymidine kinase activity increased in spleen, but not in liver, following prolactin treatment.     

Induction of ornithine decarboxylase by biliverdin in rat liver.

The administration of biliverdin (0.1mg/g of body weight) into the peritoneal cavity of rats resulted in the induction of ornithine decarboxylase in the liver. When the temporal relationships between the changes in intracellular adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) level, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity and the induction of ornithine decarboxylase were investigated, the concentration of cyclic AMP increased significantly 2 h after the administration of biliverdin, while cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase was activated after 2–4 h. The hepatic ornithine decarboxylase activity began to increase 4 h after biliverdin injection. These results suggest that there is some sequential relationship between the increase of cyclic AMP, the activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and the induction of ornithine decarboxylase although the direct correlation of these three events remains to be elucidated.     

Specific inhibition of the synthesis of putrescine and spermidine by 1,3-diaminopropane in rat liver in vivo.

Chronic administration of 1,3-diaminopropane, a compound inhibiting mammalian ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) in vivo, effectively prevented the large increases in the concentration of putrescine that normally occur during rat liver regeneration. Furthermore, repeated injections of diaminopropane depressed by more than 85% ornithine decarboxylase activity in rat kidney. Administration of diaminopropane 60 min before partial hepatectomy only marginally inhibited ornithine decarboxylase activity at 4 h after the operation. However, when the compound was given at the time of the operation (4 h before death), or any time thereafter, it virtually abolished the enhancement in ornithine decarboxylase activity in regenerating rat liver remnant. An injection of diaminopropane given 30 to 60 min after operation, but not earlier or later, depressed S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase activity (EC 4.1.1.50) 4 h after partial hepatectomy. Diaminopropane likewise inhibited ornithine decarboxylase activity during later periods of liver regeneration. In contrast to early regeneration, a total inhibition of the enzyme activity was only achieved when the injection was given not earlier than 2 to 3 h before the death of the animals. Diaminopropane also exerted an acute inhibitory effect on adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity in 28-h regenerating liver whereas it invariably enhanced the activity of tyrosine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.5), used as a standard enzyme of short half-life. Treatment of the rats with diaminopropane entirely abolished the stimulation of spermidien synthesis in vivo from [14C]methionine 4 h after partial hepatectomy or after administration of porcine growth hormone. Both partial hepatectomy and the treatment with growth hormone produced a clear stimulation of hepatic RNA synthesis, the extent of which was not altered by injections of diaminopropane in doses sufficient to prevent any enhancement of ornithine decarboxylase activity and spermidine synthesis.     

Regulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity by putrescine and spermidine in rat liver

The marked enhancement of the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) in rat liver at 4 h following partial hepatectomy or the treatment with growth hormone could be almost completely prevented by intraperitoneal administration of putrescine. A single injection of putrescine to partially hepatectomized rats caused a remarkably rapid decline in the activity of liver ornithine decarboxylase with an apparent half-life of only 30 min, which is almost as rapid as the decay of the enzyme activity after the administration of inhibitors of protein synthesis. Under similar conditions putrescine did not have any inhibitory effect on the activity of adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.50) or tyrosine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.5). Spermidine given at the time of partial hepatectomy or 2 h later also markedly inhibited ornithine decarboxylase activity at 4 h after the operation and, in addition, also caused a slight inhibition of the activity of adenosylmethionine decarboxylase.     

Regulation of the activity of ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase in mammary gland and liver of lactating rats. Effects of starvation, prolactin and insulin deficiency.

1. Starvation caused a marked decrease in the activity of ornithine decarboxylase in mammary gland, together with a lesser decrease in the activity of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and a marked fall in milk production. Liver ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activities were unaffected. 2. Refeeding for 2.5 h was without effect on ornithine decarboxylase in mammary gland, but it returned the S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity in mammary gland to control values and elevated both ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase in liver. 3. Refeeding for 5 h returned the activity of ornithine decarboxylase in mammary gland to fed-state values and resulted in further increases in S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase in mammary gland and liver and in ornithine decarboxylase in liver. 4. Prolactin deficiency in fed rats resulted in decreased milk production and decreased activity of ornithine decarboxylase in mammary gland. The increase in ornithine decarboxylase activity normally seen after refeeding starved rats for 5 h was completely blocked by prolactin deficiency. 5. In fed rats, injection of streptozotocin 2.5 h before death caused a decrease in the activities of ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase in mammary gland, which could be reversed by simultaneous injection of insulin. Insulin deficiency also prevented the increase in S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase in liver and mammary gland normally observed after refeeding starved rats for 2.5 h.     

Subcellular localization of ornithine decarboxylase in liver of control and growth-hormone-treated rats.

1. Ornithine-2-oxo acid aminotransferase activity was inhibited by amino-oxyacetate (10(-5) M). This permitted the measurement of ornithine decarboxylase in the presence of mitochondria by using the 14CO2-trapping technique. 2. Subcellular fractionation of rat liver by differential centrifugation, followed by the assay of ornithine decarboxylase in the presence of amino oxyacetate and of marker enzymes for each fraction, demonstrated that ornithine decarboxylase was located in the cytosol. 3. The greatly increased ornithine decarboxylase activity observed after growth-hormone administration was also found to be localized in the cytosol. 4. The Km of ornithine decarboxylase from rat liver for ornithine was 28 muM. Administration of growth hormone 4 h before death did not affect the apparent affinity of ornithine decarboxylase for ornithine.     

Effect of diabetes on the induction of ornithine decarboxylase by refeeding.

Refeeding of starved rats that had previously been schedule-fed increased ornithine decarboxylase activity 140-fold in liver and six-fold in skeletal muscle within three hours. In diabetic rats, refeeding caused a smaller increase in enzyme activity in liver and none at all in muscle. When insulin was administered together with food to the diabetic rats, ornithine decarboxylase in muscle increased to levels greater than those observed in refed controls. The activity of the enzyme in liver also increased; however, the increase was still less than that observed in refed control rats. The data indicate that the induction of ornithine decarboxylase in liver and muscle following food ingestion is altered in diabetes. In addition, they suggest that insulin, or a factor dependent on insulin, modulates the activity of ornithine decarboxylase in skeletal muscle.     

Ornithine decarboxylase activity in insulin-deficient states

The activity of ornithine decarboxylase, the rate-controlling enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, was determined in tissues of normal control rats and rats made diabetic with streptozotocin. In untreated diabetic rats fed ad libitum, ornithine decarboxylase activity was markedly diminished in liver, skeletal muscle, heart and thymus. Ornithine decarboxylase was not diminished in a comparable group of diabetic rats maintained on insulin. Starvation for 48h decreased ornithine decarboxylase activity to very low values in tissues of both normal and diabetic rats. In the normal group, refeeding caused a biphasic increase in liver ornithine decarboxylase; there was a 20-fold increase in activity at 3h followed by a decrease in activity, and a second peak between 9 and 24h. Increases in ornithine decarboxylase in skeletal muscle, heart and thymus were not evident until after 24–48h of refeeding, and only a single increase occurred. The increase in liver ornithine decarboxylase in diabetic rats was greater than in normal rats after 3h of refeeding, but there was no second peak. In peripheral tissues, the increase in ornithine decarboxylase with refeeding was diminished. Skeletal-muscle ornithine decarboxylase is induced more rapidly when meal-fed rats are refed after a period without food. Refeeding these rats after a 48h period without food caused a 5-fold increase in ornithine decarboxylase in skeletal muscle at 3h in control rats but failed to increase activity in diabetic rats. When insulin was administered alone or together with food to the diabetic rats, muscle ornithine decarboxylase increased to activities even higher than in the refed controls. In conclusion, these findings indicate that the regulation of ornithine decarboxylase in many tissues is grossly impaired in diabetes and starvation. They also suggest that polyamine formation in vivo is an integral component of the growth-promoting effect of insulin or some factor dependent on insulin.     

Regulation of thyroid ornithine decarboxylase by the polyamines. Induction of a protein inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase by the end-products of the reaction

When spermidine, putrescine or 1,3-diaminopropane was injected (12.5 mumol/100 g body weight) into rats 1 h before thyrotropin, ornithine decarboxylase activity was increased by 75--150% over control levels. However, when greater than or equal to 75 mumol polyamine/100 g body weight was injected, thyrotropin-activated activity was inhibited by 70--95%. Multiple polyamine injections inhibited goitrogen-induced activity and gland weight increase by approx 35%. The polyamines also inhibited thyrotropin-activated rat thyroid ornithine decarboxylase in vitro in a dose-related fashion, with 50% inhibition occurring at 2--5 . 10(-4)M. The inhibition was not due to a direct effect on the enzyme. No stimulation was seen with low concentrations of polyamine. The polyamines had no effect on in vitro thyroid protein/RNA synthesis or glucose oxidation but had a biphasic effect on plasma membrane adenylate cyclase activity. A protein inhibitor to thyroid ornithine decarboxylase was generated in vivo by multiple injections of the polyamines into rats and in vitro by incubating bovine thyroid slices with 2--10 mM polyamine. The inhibitor was non-dialyzable, destroyed by boiling, and its formation was blocked in a dose-related fashion by cycloheximide. We conclude that: (1) thyroid ornithine decarboxylase is subject not only to positive control, but is also negatively regulated by its end-products, the polyamines, which induce a protein inhibitor to ornithine decarboxylase; (2) since gland growth is also inhibited under these conditions, the polyamine effect on thyroid ornithine decarboxylase may be biologically significant.     

Biochemical changes in the gastric mucosa after injury in young and aged rats

Changes in gastric mucosal thymidine kinase (TK) activity (an indicator of proliferative activity) were examined in young (4 month) and aged (24 month) Fischer-344 male rats 6 h after intragastric administration of either 2 M NaCl (1 ml/130 g b.w.) or an equivalent volume of water (control). These changes were related to the expression of c-myc gene, tyrosine kinase (Tyr-K) activity and tyrosine-specific phosphorylation of proteins in the gastric mucosa. Basal gastric mucosal TK activity (data from the controls) in the aged rats was found to be 75% (P less than 0.001) above the young animals. This was accompanied by increased expression of c-myc gene and a 67% (P less than 0.001) enhancement in Tyr-K activity. Intragastric administration of 2 M NaCl resulted in gastric mucosal damage (as evidenced by lesions index) in both age groups. However, in aged rats, the lesions index was found to be about 75% higher than in their younger counterparts. In young rats, mucosal injury resulted in a 95% rise in TK activity, whereas in aged rats it was increased by only 38%, when compared with corresponding controls. This 2-fold rise in TK activity in young rats was also associated with increased expression of the c-myc gene. In young rats, administration of hypertonic saline caused a 90% (P less than 0.001) increment in Tyr-K activity and significantly stimulated tyrosine-specific phosphorylation of five mucosal proteins with an apparent molecular mass of 170, 120, 100, 55 and 43 kDa. On the other hand, administration of hypertonic saline to the aged rats caused only a small 16% (P less than 0.025) increase in Tyr-K activity, and produced no apparent change in either expression of c-myc gene or tyrosine-specific phosphorylation of any of the proteins in the gastric mucosa, when compared with the corresponding controls. We conclude that aging increases the susceptibility of the gastric mucosa to damaging agents and diminishes its regenerative capacity. We also suggest that Tyr-K may play a role in determining these events.     

Specific inhibition of the synthesis of putrescine and spermidine by 1,3-diaminopropane in rat liver in vivo

Chronic administration of 1,3-diaminopropane, a compound inhibiting mammalian ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) in vivo, effectively prevented the large increases in the concentration of putrescine that normally occur during rat liver regeneration. Furthermore, repeated injections of diaminopropane depressed by more than 85% ornithine decarboxylase activtivity in rat kidney.Adminsitration of diaminopropane 60 min before partial hepatectomy only marginally inhibited orthine decarboxylase activity at 4 h after the operation. However, when the compound was given at the time of the operation (4 h before death), or any time thereafter, it virtually abolished the enhancement in ornithine decarboxylase activity in regenerating rat liver remnant.An injection of diaminopropane given 30 to 60 min after operation, but not earlier or later, depressed $\text{S-}\text{adenosyl}\text{-}\text{l}\text{-}\text{methionine}$ decarboxylase activity (EC 4.1.1.50) 4 h after partial hepatectomy.Diaminopropane likewise inhibited ornithine decarboxylase activity during later periods of liver regeneration. In contrast to early regeneration, a total inhibition of the enzyme activity was only achieved when the injection was given not earlier than 2 to 3 h before the death of the animals.Diaminopropane also exerted an acute inhibitory effect on adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity in 28-h regenerating liver whereas it invariably enhanced the activity of tyrosine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.5), used as a standard enzyme of short half-life.Treatment of the rats with diaminopropane entirely abolished the stimulation of spermidien synthesis in vivo from [¹⁴C] methionine 4 h after hepatectomy or after administration of porcine growth hormone.Both partial hepatectomy and the treatment with growth hormone produced a clear stimulation of hepatic RNA synthesis, the extent of which was not altered by injections of diaminopropane in doses sufficient to prevent any enhancement of ornitine decarboxylase activity and spemedicine synthesis.     

Aging alters gastric mucosal responses to epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha

Administration of pharmacological doses of epidermal growth factor (EGF) or transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) in young rats stimulates gastric mucosal proliferation, but, in aged rats, the same treatment inhibits proliferation. This may be due to enhanced ligand-induced internalization of EGF receptor (EGFR). In support of this, we demonstrated that although a single injection of EGF (10 microg/kg) or TGF-alpha (5 microg/kg) in young (4-6 mo old) rats greatly increased membrane-associated EGFR tyrosine kinase activity, the same treatment slightly inhibited the enzyme activity in aged (24 mo old) rats. This treatment also produced a greater abundance of punctate cytoplasmic EGFR staining in gastric epithelium of aged rats, consistent with EGFR internalization. In vitro analyses demonstrated that exposure of isolated gastric mucosal cells from aged but not young rats to 100 pM TGF-alpha resulted in marked increases in intracellular EGFR tyrosine kinase activity and that induction of EGFR tyrosine kinase activity in mucosal membranes from aged rats occurred at doses 1,000-fold less than those required in young rats. Our data suggest that aging enhances sensitivity of the gastric mucosa to EGFR ligands. This may partly explain EGFR-mediated inhibition of gastric mucosal proliferation in aged rats.     

Activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase(s) by growth hormone in the liver and adrenal gland of the rat.

A single dose of growth hormone (10 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected into male weanling rats (50--60 g), and the temporal changes in cyclic AMP concentration, protein kinase activation, and ornithine decarboxylase activation were measured in the liver and adrenal gland. The level of cyclic AMP did not change significantly from control values in either liver or adrenal following growth hormone administration. Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase(s); however, was markedly activated in liver and adrenal within 30 min. Protein kinase remained activated for more than 4 hr in the liver, while activation of protein kinase in the adrenal returned to control value within 2 hr. Ornithine decarboxylase activity was elevated 20-fold in liver within 4 hr of injection and was increased 7- to 8-fold in be adrenal within l hr. These observations are discussed with regard to the generality of the role of cyclic AMP as the second messenger for target-specifici trophic hormone action and the significance of protein kinase activiation as an index of the cyclic nucleotide involvement in the growth response.     

Biphasic increase in ornithine decarboxylase and its relationship with thymidine kinase and DNA synthesis in liver: Effects of dietary protein and amino acid mixture

In rats, feeding protein free diet for 4 days followed by starvation and then high protein diet induced a biphasic ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) activity, prolonged thymidine kinase (EC 2.7.1.21) activity and DNA synthesis. In contrast feeding a diet containing casein-equivalent amino acid mixture induced a monophasic ornithine decarboxylase activity, short-lived thymidine kinase activity and DNA synthesis. To maintain prolonged thymidine kinase activity and DNA synthesis high protein diet must be given in the early part of the prereplicative period.     

The involvement of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase(s) in the induction of ornithine decarboxylase in the regenerating rat liver and in the adrenal gland after unilateral adrenalectomy

We investigated the temporal relationship between the level of cyclic AMP, the activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase(s), and the induction of ornithine decarboxylase in two important rapid growth systems: the regenerating rat liver and the remaining adrenal gland following unilateral adrenalectomy. There was a biphasic increase in the aactivity of ornithine decarboxylase at 4 and 14 h following partial hepatectomy. The concentration of cyclic AMP increased 2-fold compared to sham-operated animals within 2–3 h, returned to baseline by 8 h, and was elevated again 3-fold by 12 hours. The activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase(s) occured in a similar biphasic manner. From a control activity ratio (?cAMP/+cAMP) of 0.4, values for total soluble kinase activation reached 0.75 at both 2 and 14 h. After a delay of 2 h following unilateral adrenalectomy, ornithine decarboxylase activity in the remaining adrenal gland increased 15–20-fold of control level by 8 h. Cyclic AMP concentrations in the adrenal were elevated 3.5-fold within 30 min. The protein kinase activation increased from 0.25 to nearly a totally activated state of 1.0 within 1 h, decline to 0.4 by 2 h, and returned to the level of the sham-operated controls at 8 h. In both the rat liver in response to partial hepatectomy and the adrenal gland undergoing hypertrophy, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase(s) was markedly activated prior to increases in ornithine decarboxylase activity.