Arachidonate mobilization in diacyl, alkylacyl and alkenylacyl phospholipids on stimulation of rat platelets by thrombin and the Ca2+ ionophore A23187.

Platelet stimulation by thrombin or Ca2+ ionophore induces mobilization of arachidonate from lipid stores. We have previously shown that, in [14C]arachidonic acid-prelabelled resting platelets, [14C]arachidonate was transferred from diacyl-sn-glycerophosphocholine to ethanolamine and choline-containing ether phospholipids. This transfer reached an equilibrium after 5 h incubation [Colard, Breton & Bereziat (1984a) Biochem. J. 222, 657-662]. [14C]Arachidonate-prelabelled platelets having reached this transfer equilibrium were used to study the mobilization of arachidonate in etheracyl and diacyl phospholipids. Upon thrombin stimulation, arachidonate decreased in diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoinositol, in alkylacyl- and diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and increased in alkenylacyl- and diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine. Upon challenge with Ca2+ ionophore A23187, arachidonate decreased in diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, in diacyl- and alkylacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and increased in alkenylacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine. We also compared arachidonate mobilization in platelets stimulated immediately after [14C]arachidonic acid chase with platelets stimulated after 5 h reincubation. We observed that the arachidonate newly incorporated into diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and triacylglycerols was rapidly released upon stimulation. This suggests the presence in these two lipids of a rapidly-turning-over arachidonate pool.     

Elongation of arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids limits their availability for thrombin-stimulated release from the glycerolipids of vascular endothelial cells

This study has examined the thrombin-stimulated release of polyunsaturated fatty acids from endothelial glycerolipids. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with 1.25 microM [14C]arachidonate or [14C]eicosapentaenoate and then exposed to thrombin in buffered saline plus albumin. After an incorporation period of 0.5 h, the thrombin-stimulated release of the two radiolabeled fatty acids was quite similar. By contrast, after 24 h of fatty acid incorporation, the thrombin-stimulated release of radiolabeled fatty acid from cells incubated with [14C]eicosapentaenoate was only 25-30% of that from cells with [14C]arachidonate. Analysis of cellular glycerolipids indicated that 23 and 72%, respectively, of the incorporated [14C]arachidonate and [14C]eicosapentaenoate had been elongated to 22-carbon fatty acids in 24 h. Both 20- and 22-carbon 14C-labeled fatty acids were released to albumin in the medium in control incubations. Addition of thrombin stimulated the release of [14C]arachidonate and [14C]eicosapentaenoate, but not of their respective elongation products. Furthermore, endothelial cells incorporated exogenous [14C]docosatetraenoate into cellular glycerolipids but did not release it in response to thrombin. Thus, the thrombin-stimulated release of polyunsaturated fatty acids from vascular endothelial cells is highly selective for arachidonate and eicosapentaenoate. These results suggest that the extensive elongation of eicosapentaenoate by these cells serves to remove n - 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from the pool of cellular acyl groups which are released in response to thrombin and are thus made available for metabolism by cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes.     

Elongation of C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids by human skin fibroblasts

Human skin fibroblasts actively elongate a portion of incorporated C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids to their respective C22 derivatives. As much as 40% of incorporated [14C]eicosapentaenoate is elongated within 8 h and 85% by 48 h. Elongation of [14C]arachidonate is initially less than half that of [14C]eicosapentaenoate and plateaus at 20-30% of incorporated 14C-labeled fatty acid. The elongation of 5,8,11-[14C]eicosatrienoate is intermediate between that of 20:4(n-6) and 20:5(n-3). Docosatetraenoate is not an effective inhibitor of the elongation of arachidonate, thus suggesting that the observed plateau is not due to product inhibition. When concentrations of exogenous fatty acids are increased, these cells elongate substantial quantities of C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids; elongation of eicosapentaenoate is consistently more extensive than that of arachidonate. Eicosapentaenoate is also an effective inhibitor of the elongation of [14C]arachidonate. Increases in exogenous arachidonate up to 10 microM result in an increase in elongation of [14C]arachidonate both in absolute quantities and as a percentage of that incorporated; the arachidonate thus acts as a positive modulator of its own elongation. Increased eicosapentaenoate also enhances the elongation of [14C]eicosapentaenoate, but only at lower concentrations (0.02-0.15 microM). The factors which regulate the elongation of C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids in human skin fibroblasts serve to permit extensive elongation of eicosapentaenoate while retaining incorporated arachidonate primarily in its C20 form.     

Phospholipid metabolism in human neutrophils activated by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. Degranulation is not required for release of arachidonic acid: studies with neutrophils and neutrophil-derived cytoplasts.

Neutrophils respond to chemoattractants by aggregating, degranulating, remodelling of phospholipids and releasing arachidonic acid. To determine whether ligand-induced remodelling of phospholipids depends on redistribution of intracellular organelles (degranulation), we compared phospholipid remodelling of human neutrophils with that of neutrophil-derived cytoplasts. Cytoplasts, organelle-depleted vesicles of cytosol surrounded by plasmalemma, cannot degranulate. Without a stimulus, [3H]arachidonate was incorporated preferentially into phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylcholine (PC). Exposure of cytoplasts and neutrophils prelabelled with [3H]arachidonate or [14C]glycerol to fMet-Leu-Phe (10(-7) M) induced rapid changes in distribution of label and mass of individual phospholipids: [3H]arachidonate in phosphatidic acid (PA) increased 500% (120 s), [14C]glycerol incorporation and mass of PA approached 200% of unstimulated values, and [3H]arachidonate in PI decreased continuously; these data are compatible with activity of a PI/PA cycle. However, the mass of PI in both preparations and [14C]glycerol label in intact neutrophils increased initially (5 s), suggesting net synthesis and mobilization of more than one pool of PI. Heterogeneity of PC pools was also observed: [3H]arachidonate was lost from PC immediately upon addition of stimulus, whereas mass and [14C]glycerol values increased. Thus, net phospholipid synthesis, redistribution of arachidonate and activation of the PI/PA cycle are immediate responses of the neutrophil to receptor occupancy by chemoattractants. Furthermore, the similarity in response to fMet-Leu-Phe of neutrophils and granule-free cytoplasts indicates that these processes are independent of degranulation.     

Selective utilization of omega 6 and omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids by human skin fibroblasts

Incorporation of exogenous [14C] arachidonate by human skin fibroblasts was found to be significantly greater than that of either [14C]linoleate or alpha-[14C] linolenate. Arachidonate was preferentially esterified in the PI + PS and PE classes of phospholipids. Over 40% of the incorporated [14C] arachidonate was chain elongated in 24 hours. Cells were also grown in lipid-free medium to enhance PUFA desaturation and elongation and the utilization of various omega 6 and omega 3 metabolites examined. Whereas [14C] linoleate partitioned approximately 50:50 between PL and TAG, eicosatrienoate (20:3 omega 6) was selectively sequestered in TAG. Arachidonate and docosatetraenoate (22:4 omega 6) were preferentially incorporated into phospholipids; the PI + PS fraction was most highly enriched with arachidonate. Modification of alpha-[14C] linolenate was more extensive than that of [14C] linoleate. Docosapentaenoate (22:5 omega 3) was the major omega 3 [14C] PUFA of PI + PS and PE. Eicosapentaeonate was not selectively incorporated into phospholipids; within phospholipids the 20:5 omega 3 was primarily in PC. These results indicate that human skin fibroblasts exhibit acyl specificity in the esterification of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including preferential utilization of arachidonate rather than other prostaglandin precursors in the PI + PS fraction.     

Epidermal growth factor stimulates phospholipase A2 in vasopressin-treated rat glomerular mesangial cells.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) enhances vasopressin- and ionophore-A23187-induced prostaglandin production and arachidonate release by rat glomerular mesangial cells in culture. The purpose of the present study was to delineate the phospholipid pathways involved in this effect. In cells labelled with [14C]arachidonate, EGF significantly enhanced the free arachidonate released in response to A23187 or vasopressin without enhancing the production of [14C]arachidonate-labelled diacylglycerol. EGF increased the [14C]arachidonate-labelled phosphatidic acid formed in response to vasopressin, but to a much smaller extent than it increased free arachidonate release. These results indicate that activation of phospholipase C is not sufficient to explain the increase in free arachidonate release observed on addition of EGF. To examine if EGF enhanced phospholipase A2 activity, mesangial cells were labelled with [2-2H]glycerol and [14C]-arachidonate, and the formation of arachidonate-poor lysophospholipids was studied. When combined with vasopressin, EGF significantly enhanced the formation of arachidonate-poor lysophospholipids as compared with vasopressin alone. The fate of exogenously added lysophosphatidylcholine was not altered after stimulation with vasopressin plus EGF, indicating that decreased deacylation or reacylation of the lysophospholipids was not responsible for their accumulation. Taken together, these results indicate that EGF enhances free arachidonate release by activation of phospholipase A2. The signalling mechanism responsible for the change in phospholipase A2 activity is not known, but could conceivably involve phosphorylation of modulating proteins such as lipocortin or G-proteins.     

Uridine Diphosphate Glucose Metabolism and Callose Synthesis in Cultured Pollen Tubes of Nicotiana alata Link et Otto

Membrane preparations from cultured pollen tubes of Nicotiana alata Link et Otto contain a Ca2+ -independent (1-3)-[beta]-D-glucan (callose) synthase activity that has a low affinity for UDP-glucose, even when activated by treatment with trypsin (H. Schlupmann, A. Basic, S.M. Read [1993] Planta 191: 470-481). Therefore, we investigated whether UDP-glucose was a likely substrate for callose synthesis in actively growing pollen tubes. Deposition of (1-3)-[beta]-glucan occurred at a constant rate, 1.4 to 1.7 nmol glucose min-1, in tubes from 1 mg of pollen from 3 h after germination; however, the rate of incorporation of radioactivity from exogenous [14C]-sucrose into wall polymers was not constant, but increased until at least 8 h after germination, probably due to decreasing use of internal reserves. UDP-glucose was a prominent ultraviolet-absorbing metabolite in pollen-tube extracts, with 1.6 nmol present in tubes from 1 mg of pollen, giving a calculated cytoplasmic concentration of approximately 3.5 mM. Radioactivity from [14C]-sucrose was rapidly incorporated into sugar monophosphates and UDP-glucose by the growing tubes, consistent with a turnover time for UDP-glucose of less than 1 min; the specific radioactivity of extracted UDP-[14C]glucose was equal to that calculated from the rate of incorporation of [14C]sucrose into wall glucans. Large amounts of less metabolically active neutral sugars were also present. The rate of synthesis of (1-3)-[beta]-glucan by nontrypsin-treated pollen-tube membrane preparations incubated with 3.5 mM UDP-glucose and a [beta]-glucoside activator was slightly greater than the rate of deposition of (1-3)-[beta]-glucan by intact pollen tubes. These data are used to assess the physiological significance of proteolytic activation of pollen-tube callose synthase.     

Enrichment of endothelial cell arachidonate by lipid transfer from high density lipoproteins: relationship to prostaglandin I2 synthesis

We have previously shown that plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) stimulate release of prostacyclin, measured as its stable metabolite, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, by cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells. The present experiments were designed to elucidate the contribution of HDL lipids to endothelial cellular phospholipid pools and to prostacyclin synthesis. In experiments with reconstituted HDL, both the lipid and protein moieties were required to stimulate prostacyclin release in amounts equivalent to the native HDL particle. Endothelial cells incorporated label from reconstituted HDL containing cholesteryl [1-14C]arachidonate into the cellular neutral and phospholipid pools as well as into 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and PGE2. Labeled arachidonate incorporated into endothelial cell lipids from reconstituted HDL containing cholesteryl [1-14C]arachidonate was also metabolized to prostaglandins after the cells were exposed to the calcium ionophore, A-23187. Both rat and human HDL which stimulated 6-keto-PGF1 alpha release (rat greater than human) increased the weight percentage of arachidonate in endothelial cell phospholipids; phospholipid arachidonate in the enriched cells fell after exposure to the phospholipase activator, A-23187, with release of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha which was greater than in control cells. Rat HDL that was depleted of cholesteryl arachidonate (achieved by incubation with human low density lipoproteins (LDL) in the presence of cholesteryl ester transfer protein) stimulated 6-keto-PGF1 alpha release less than native rat HDL. LDL enriched in cholesteryl arachidonate stimulated 6-keto-PGF1 alpha release more than native LDL. ApoE-depleted HDL also stimulated 6-keto-PGF1 alpha release more than apoE-rich HDL suggesting the apoE receptor was not involved in the response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Lipoxygenase products of arachidonic acid modulate biosynthesis of platelet-activating factor (1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) by human neutrophils via phospholipase A2

When human neutrophils, previously labeled in their phospholipids with [14C]arachidonate, were stimulated with the Ca2+-ionophore, A23187, plus Ca2+ in the presence of [3H]acetate, these cells released [14C]arachidonate from membrane phospholipids, produced 5-hydroxy-6,8,11,14-[14C]eicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) and 14C-labeled 5S,12R-dihydroxy-6-cis,8,10-trans, 14-cis-eicosatetraenoic acid ([14C]leukotriene B4), and incorporated [3H]acetate into platelet-activating factor (PAF, 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine). Ionophore A23187-induced formation of these radiolabeled products was greatly augmented by submicromolar concentrations of exogenous 5-hydroperoxy-6,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (5-HPETE), 5-HETE, and leukotriene B4. In the absence of ionophore A23187, these arachidonic acid metabolites were virtually ineffective. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and several other lipoxygenase/cyclooxygenase inhibitors (butylated hydroxyanisole, 3-amino-1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-pyrazoline and 1-phenyl-2-pyrazolidinone) caused parallel inhibition of [14C]arachidonate release and [3H]PAF formation in a dose-dependent manner. Specific cyclooxygenase inhibitors, such as indomethacin and naproxen, did not inhibit but rather slightly augmented the formation of these products. Furthermore, addition of 5-HPETE, 5-HETE, or leukotriene B4 (but not 8-HETE or 15-HETE) to neutrophils caused substantial relief of NDGA inhibition of [3H]PAF formation and [14C]arachidonate release. As opposed to [3H]acetate incorporation into PAF, [3H]lyso-PAF incorporation into PAF by activated neutrophils was little affected by NDGA. In addition, NDGA had no effect on lyso-PAF:acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase as measured in neutrophil homogenate preparations. It is concluded that in activated human neutrophils 5-lipoxygenase products can modulate PAF formation by enhancing the expression of phospholipase A2.     

Arachidonate released upon agonist stimulation preferentially originates from arachidonate most recently incorporated into nuclear membrane phospholipids

When icosanoid-producing cells are stimulated by an agonist, 2-10% of total cellular arachidonate is released from phospholipids, and a variable percentage of the released arachidonate is subsequently converted into icosanoids. We used a mouse fibrosarcoma cell line (HSDM1C1) which synthesizes prostaglandin E2 in response to bradykinin stimulation to address the following questions: 1) upon cell stimulation is newly incorporated arachidonate preferentially released from phospholipids over previously incorporated arachidonate and 2) is there a corresponding change in phospholipid or membrane compartmentation of arachidonate to explain preferential release of newly incorporated arachidonate? To study changes in the availability of arachidonate for release from phospholipids, we incubated HSDM1C1 cells with 0.67 microM [14C]arachidonate for 15 min and chased the pulse of radiolabeled arachidonate with normal serum fatty acids. We found that of the [14C]arachidonate incorporated into phospholipids during the 15-min pulse, the percent released upon stimulation decreased nearly 3-fold from 8.9 +/- 0.5% at 5 min of chase to 3.6 +/- 0.2% (mean +/- S.E., n = 6, P less than 0.001) after only 60 min of chase. Percent release of arachidonate from nonpulsed controls was 3-4%. Although arachidonate release from phospholipids decreased significantly after 60 min of chase, the arachidonate which was released always originated predominantly from phosphatidylinositol. There was no decrease in the activities of enzymes required for arachidonate release during this time period. We also observed that throughout the period of the chase, the radiolabeled arachidonate remained esterified to the same phospholipid class into which it was initially incorporated (approximately 40% of [14C]arachidonate in diacyl phosphatidylcholine, 40% in phosphatidylinositol, and 15% in diacyl phosphatidylethanolamine. In cell fractionation experiments, we found that after 1-3 h of chase, [14C]arachidonate decreased in subcellular fractions containing nuclei, as it became progressively unavailable for release from phospholipids. Thus, our results indicate that 1) upon cell stimulation, the most recently incorporated pool of arachidonate, which is in high concentration in the nuclear membrane, is preferentially released and that 2) arachidonate rapidly moves out of the nuclear membrane into a less releasable pool while remaining esterified to the phospholipid moiety into which it was initially incorporated. This study indicates that the subcellular compartmentation of arachidonate has a marked influence on the cellular metabolism of arachidonate.     

Binding site for fungal β-lactone hymeglusin on cytosolic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A synthase

We studied the molecular mechanism through which the fungal β-lactone, hymeglusin, potently and specifically inhibits 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) synthase. [¹⁴C]Hymeglusin covalently bound to purified rat liver and to recombinant hamster cytosolic HMG-CoA synthases. The enzyme activity was completely inhibited at a binding ratio of 1.6–2.0 mol [¹⁴C]hymeglusin/mol HMG-CoA synthase. Incubating the enzyme with 2 mM iodoacetamide (IAA) or 2 mM N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) but not with 1.0 mM diisopropyl fluorophosphates (DFP) completely inhibited the binding, suggesting that hymeglusin binds to a Cys residue of HMG-CoA synthase. Recombinant hamster HMG-CoA synthase labeled with [³H]hymeglusin was digested with V8 protease, and the [³H]peptide was purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The sequence of the peptide was Ser-Gly-Asn-Thr-Asp-Ile-Glu-Gly-Ile-Asp-Thr-Thr-Asn-Ala-[³H]hymeglusyl Cys-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Thr-Ala-Ala-Val-Phe-Asn-Ala-Val-Asn-, which corresponds to the active site sequence (from Ser 115 to Asn 141) of hamster HMG-CoA synthase. These findings showed that hymeglusin inhibits hamster cytosolic HMG-CoA synthase by covalently modifying the active Cys 129 residue of the enzyme.     

Phorbol ester, 1,2-diacylglycerol, and collagen induce inhibition of arachidonic acid incorporation into phospholipids in human platelets

We have shown that phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) enhanced A-23187-induced arachidonate release and thromboxane synthesis in human platelets (Mobley, A., and Tai, H. H. (1985) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 130, 717-723). The mechanism of enhancement by PMA was not elucidated. In the present study, we have shown that PMA-treated platelets exhibited significantly less [1-14C]arachidonate incorporation than did control platelets. However, no significant change in uptake of labeled linoleate or oleate was observed by PMA treatment. Examination of the two enzyme activities involved in arachidonate incorporation into phospholipids indicated that both arachidonoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthase and arachidonoyl-CoA lysophosphatide acyltransferase were inactivated following treatment with PMA or 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl glycerol. When platelets were stimulated with A-23187 plus PMA which produced a significant synergism in thromboxane synthesis, both enzyme activities were substantially less than those in platelets treated with A-23187 alone. In addition to PMA and 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl glycerol induced decreases in both enzyme activities, collagen, a platelet agonist which can activate protein kinase C (Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent enzyme), was also found to cause a concentration-dependent attenuation of both enzyme activities. These results suggest that protein kinase C activation induced by PMA or collagen may cause inactivation of both arachidonoyl-CoA synthase and arachidonoyl-CoA lysophosphatide acyltransferase resulting in inhibition of the reincorporation of arachidonate released by A-23187 and, consequently, greater availability of arachidonate for thromboxane synthesis.     

Characterization of Novel Sesquiterpenoid Biosynthesis in Tobacco Expressing a Fungal Sesquiterpene Synthase

The gene encoding trichodiene synthase (Tri5), a sesquiterpene synthase from the fungus Fusarium sporotrichioides, was used to transform tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Trichodiene was the sole sesquiterpene synthase product in enzyme reaction mixtures derived from unelicited transformant cell-suspension cultures, and both trichodiene and 5-epi-aristolochene were observed as reaction products following elicitor treatment. Immunoblot analysis of protein extracts revealed the presence of trichodiene synthase only in transformant cell lines producing trichodiene. In vivo labeling with [3H]mevalonate revealed the presence of a novel trichodiene metabolite, 15-hydroxytrichodiene, that accumulated in the transformant cell-suspension cultures. In a trichodiene-producing transformant, the level of 15-hydroxytrichodiene accumulation increased after elicitor treatment. In vivo labeling with [14C]acetate showed that the biosynthetic rate of trichodiene and 15-hydroxytrichodiene also increased after elicitor treatment. Incorporation of radioactivity from [14C]acetate into capsidiol was reduced following elicitor treatment of a trichodiene-producing transformant as compared with wild type. These results demonstrate that sesquiterpenoid accumulation resulting from the constitutive expression of a foreign sesquiterpene synthase is responsive to elicitation and that the farnesyl pyrophosphate present in elicited cells can be utilized by a foreign sesquiterpene synthase to produce high levels of novel sesquiterpenoids.     

Preparation of bromo[1-14C]acetyl-coenzyme A as an affinity label for acetyl-coenzyme A binding sites

Bromo[1-14C]acetyl-CoA has been prepared from CoASH and the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of bromo[1-14C]acetic acid, and unlabeled bromoacetyl-CoA by reaction of CoASH with bromoacetyl bromide. The products were purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Purified bromoacetyl-CoA was characterized, and found to be a potent alkylating agent with a substantial stability in aqueous solution: it decomposed at 30 degrees C and pH 6.6 and 8.0 with halftimes of 3.3 and 2.5 h, respectively. The major breakdown products were CoASH and CoAS X CO X CH2 X SCoA. Bromo[1-14C]acetyl-CoA has been used to affinity label the acetyl-CoA binding site of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase from ox liver. It was found to irreversibly inhibit the enzyme activity and bind covalently with a stoichiometry for complete inhibition of about 0.8 mol/mol enzyme dimer.     

Phospholipase C activity in rat kidney. Effect of deoxycholate on phosphatidylinositol turnover

Rat renal cortical and medullary slices incorporate [14C]arachidonate into phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and triacylglycerols. The percent distribution of [14C]arachidonate among the various phospholipids is similar in renal cortex and medulla, although the total amount of radioactively labeled phospholipids is higher in the renal medulla. Subsequent incubation of prelabeled slices in the presence of deoxycholate induces a loss of radioactivity from [14C]phosphatidylinositol, with a concomitant increase in 1,2-[14C]diacylglycerol. Neutral lipids are not affected. The degradation of phosphatidylinositol to [14C]diacylglycerol indicates the presence of phospholipase C activity. Renal medulla seems to be more sensitive to deoxycholate than the renal cortex. Deoxycholate also induces slightly the disappearance of some 14C radioactivity from phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine, which might reflect activation of phospholipase A2. The activity of the phospholipase C could constitute the first step in the sequence of reactions that leads to the release of arachidonic acid.     

Stimulation of polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation in myocytes by regulating its cellular uptake. On the rate limiting step of polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation in heart.

In order to investigate the regulation of polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation in the heart, the effect of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor enoximone on the oxidation of [1-14C] arachidonic acid, and [1-14C] arachidonyl-CoA, were studied in adult rat myocytes, and isolated rat heart mitochondria. Enoximone stimulated arachidonate oxidation by 94%, at a concentration of 0.25 mM. The apparent Vmax value of arachidonate oxidation in the presence of enoximone (6.98 nmol/mg protein/30 min), was approximately 75% higher than the value observed with the control (4.0 nmol/mg protein/30 min) in isolated myocytes. Also, enoximone stimulated arachidonate uptake by 27% at a concentration of 0.25 mM. On the other hand, enoximone had no effect on the oxidation of [1-14C] arachidonyl-CoA in isolated rat heart mitochondria. These results suggest that the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in myocytes is regulated by the rate of uptake of these acids across sarcolemmal membranes.     

N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of nitric oxide from L-arginine.

Authentic N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine was synthesized and used to determine whether it is an intermediate in nitric oxide (.NO) synthesis from L-arginine by macrophage .NO synthase. The apparent Km (6.6 microM) and Vmax (99 nmol x min-1 x mg-1) observed with N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine were similar to those observed with L-arginine (Km = 2.3 microM; Vmax = 54 mumol x min-1 x mg-1). N omega-Hydroxy-D-arginine was not a substrate. Stable isotope studies showed that .NO synthase exclusively oxidized the hydroxylated nitrogen of N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine, forming .NO and L-citrulline. As with L-arginine, O2 was the source of the ureido oxygen in L-citrulline from N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine. In the presence of excess N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine, .NO synthase generated a metabolite of L-[14C]arginine that cochromatographed with authentic N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine. The labeled metabolite exhibited identical chromatographic behavior in three solvent systems and generated the same product (L-citrulline) upon alkaline hydrolysis as authentic N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine. Experiments were then run to identify which redox cofactor (NADPH or tetrahydrobiopterin) participated in the enzymatic synthesis of N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine. Both cofactors were required for synthesis of .NO from either N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine or L-arginine. However, with L-arginine, the synthesis of 1 mol of .NO was coupled to the oxidation of 1.52 +/- 0.02 mol of NADPH; whereas with N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine, only 0.53 +/- 0.04 mol of NADPH was oxidized per mol of .NO formed. These results support a mechanism in which N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine is generated as an intermediate in .NO synthesis through an NADPH-dependent hydroxylation of L-arginine.     

Stimulation of prostaglandin synthesis in WI-38 human lung fibroblasts following inhibition of phospholipid acylation by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate

The release of arachidonic acid and its metabolites, prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane A2, from WI-38 human lung fibroblasts was modulated by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate. Exposure to the inhibitor resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in [1-14C]arachidonic acid uptake and incorporation into phospholipids and neutral lipid pools. Activities of lung fibroblast arachidonyl-CoA synthetase and lysolecithin acyltransferase were inhibited by 100 microM p-hydroxymercuribenzoate. [14C]Arachidonic acid labelled fibroblasts exhibited an increased release of [14C]arachidonate and [14C]prostaglandin E2 of 54% and 112%, respectively, when exposed to 100 microM of inhibitor. The stimulatory effects of 8.0 microM delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol on arachidonate release and prostaglandin E synthesis (Burstein, S., Hunter, S.A., Sedor, C. and Shulman, S. (1982) Biochem. Pharmacol. 31, 2361-2365) were modified by the inclusion of inhibiting agent, resulting in a 608% stimulation in arachidonic acid release, while prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane A2 synthesis increased 894% and 390%, respectively, over levels obtained by untreated cells. The levels of arachidonate metabolites were altered by inhibitor when compared to cells treated with cannabinoid alone. No significant inhibition by delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol was found on arachidonic uptake in these cells. In unlabelled studies, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate resulted in a profound, dose-dependent stimulation of prostaglandin E synthesis of 1490% at 150 microM inhibitor concentration. These results provide evidence that free arachidonate is reincorporated via acylation, thereby implicating this pathway as a possible control mechanism for the synthesis of arachidonic acid metabolites.     

Lysophosphatidic acid potentiates the thrombin-induced production of arachidonate metabolites in platelets

Concentrations (1 to 20 microM) of 1-oleoyl-lysophosphatidic acid which alone do not affect platelet metabolism of arachidonic acid, do augment the effects of suboptimal concentrations of thrombin on the formation of [14C]phosphatidic acid and the production of [14C]arachidonate metabolites from platelets prelabeled with [14C]arachidonate. The effect on [14C]phosphatidate occurs with concentrations of thrombin (0.1 unit/ml) which are lower than those (0.2 unit/ml) needed to observe the effects on [14C]arachidonate metabolites. The effect of 1-oleoyl-lysophosphatidic acid (10 microM) plus thrombin (0.2 unit/ml) on the formation of phosphatidic acid temporally precedes the production of arachidonate metabolites consistent with a sequential activation of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and phospholipase A2 activities. Preincubation of platelets with (32P)orthophosphate shows that the phosphatidic acid formed by 1-oleoyl-lysophosphatidic acid (10 microM) plus thrombin (0.2 unit/ml) is derived from phosphatidylinositol. The Ca2+-ionophoretic properties of lysophosphatidic acid might explain the accumulation of phosphatidic acid since Ca2+ prevents the conversion of phosphatidic acid to phosphatidylinositol. That effect of lysophosphatidic acid is inhibited by prostacyclin, possibly through a cyclic-AMP-mediated effect on calcium homeostasis.     

The omega-hydroxylation of arachidonic acid by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Incubations of [1-14C]arachidonic acid with unstimulated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes resulted in the formation of four new metabolites in a previously described reverse-phase HPLC system. Three of these metabolites were largely suppressed in a CO/O2 (80/20, by vol.) atmosphere indicating a cytochrome-P450-dependent monooxygenase reaction. In agreement with this assumption is their NADPH/O2-dependent formation in the microsomal fraction. One metabolite was identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis as omega-hydroxy-arachidonic acid and the two others were secondary products identified as omega-carboxy-arachidonic acid and 5,20-dihydroxy-E,Z,Z,Z-6,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid. Since the affinity for arachidonate of the omega-monooxygenase was quite low and the presence of LTB4 suppressed the omega-hydroxylation of arachidonate, we conclude that the known LTB4 omega-monooxygenase is responsible for the formation of omega-hydroxy-arachidonate. It is unlikely, however, that significant concentrations of these metabolites are formed by activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes in vivo. The fourth metabolite remains tightly associated with the leukocytes but has not been further characterized.