Control of the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and the level of its mRNA in livers of newborn rats. Effect of diabetes, glucose load and glucocorticoids

Streptozotocin treatment produces a typical experimental diabetes in neonates exhibiting hyperglycemia, glucosuria, ketonemia and increased level of fatty acids in the blood. The liver is affected as well, with reduced activity of glycogen synthase and a corresponding decrease in the content of liver glycogen. In contrast, the activity of liver cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and the level of its mRNA are not affected. Using a cDNA containing P-pyruvate carboxykinase sequence, the relative abundance of the enzyme mRNA was estimated. The level of the mRNA was readily observed increasing by glucocorticoid treatment or decreasing in response to administered load of glucose. These parallel the changes observed in the activity of the enzyme under these treatments, indicating that the level of P-pyruvate carboxykinase mRNA actually determines that of the enzyme. The failure of diabetes to increase the level of enzyme mRNA and the limited response to glucose loading strongly suggest that the mechanisms controlling the level of P-pyruvate carboxykinase mRNA in neonates are relatively resistant to insulin. This is unique to neonates, since in both the adult and the fetal liver. P-pyruvate carboxykinase readily responds to insulin. The minimal levels of glucocorticoids characteristic of neonates may be associated with this phenomenon.     

Effect of triamcinolone on renal and hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in the newborn rat. Changes in the rate of synthesis of the enzyme and in the activity of its translatable messenger RNA.

The effects of triamcinolone on renal and hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in the developing rat were investigated. The hormone induced increases in pre-existing enzyme activity of both tissues in fetal and neonatal rats, yet did not cause the primary appearance of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in utero. Neonatal hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity was increased 2--3 fold by triamcinolone form the 3rd to the 15th postnatal day. This was shown to be additive to the effect of Bt2cAMP on enzyme activity. The increases in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity were demonstrated to be due to increased synthesis of the enzyme, which was accompanied by a proportionate increase in the amount of functional phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA, as measured by the polyribosomal and poly(A)-containing RNA directed cell-free synthesis of the enzyme. The demonstration of a triamcinolone effect on kidney and liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in fetal and neonatal rats provides support for a possible role of glucocorticoids in the regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity during development.     

Induction of rat liver phosphoenolpyruvate carbonxykinase (GTP) by cyclic AMP during starvation. The permissive action of glucocorticoids.

The effect of starvation on the activity of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP:oxaloacetate carboxy-lyase (transphosphorylating), EC 4.1.1.32), and on the response of the enzyme to N6-O2'dibutyryl adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate was investigated in intact and glucocorticoid-deprived rats. In the liver of intact animals, starvation produced a rapid increase in the concentration of cyclic AMP and a corresponding increase in the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. The kinetics of both changes were not affected by adrenalectomy. Injection of N6-O2'-dibutyryl adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate into intact starved rats resulted in an immediate, dramatic increase in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity above the starvation level. Adrenalectomy completely blocked the response of the enzyme to the cyclic nucleotide. Restoration of hydrocortisone to the adrenalectomized animals restored the full N6-I2'dibutyryl adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate effect after a lag period of 2 h. The physiological significance of these findings is considered. The data are interpreted with regard to the current hypothesis that glucocorticoids promote an increase in translatable phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA, while cyclic AMP enhances the translation of preexisting specific mRNA templates.     

Hormonal regulation of hepatic P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) during development.

Hepatic gluconeogenesis in the rat does not begin until birth. The enzyme P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase appears initially at birth and is the final enzyme in the gluconeogenic sequence to develop. The appearance of this enzyme in the cytosol of rat liver is caused by the stimulation of enzyme synthesis, probably due directly to an increase in the hepatic concentration of cAMP. Enzyme degradation does not begin until 36 hours after birth. Studies with fetal rats in utero have shown that dibutyryl cAMP or glucagon will stimulate P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis and that this effect can be blocked by insulin. Insulin is known to depress the synthesis of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase in adult rat liver and in Reuber H-35 liver cells in culture. The glucocorticoids are without effect on the synthesis of the enzyme in fetal rat liver. Work by Girard et al. (J. Clin. Invest. 52: 3190, 1973) has established that the molar ratio of insulin to glucagon drops from 10 immediately after birth, to 1 after one hour. This is due to both a rise in glucagon and a fall in insulin concentrations at birth. These studies, together with our work on the synthesis of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase, indicate that the sharp drop in the concentration of insulin may relieve the normal inhibition of enzyme synthesis. This would allow the initial stimulation of enzyme synthesis by the glucagon-mediated rise in the concentration of CAMP.     

Activity of protein kinase dependent on adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and of its thermostable protein inhibitor in rat hepatoma (HTC) cells. Unlikely role in the permissive action of glucocorticoids.

Normal expression of a variety of hormonal effects which depend on cyclic AMP (adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate) requires the presence of glucocorticoids. Our hypothesis was that glucocorticoids control directly or indirectly the activity of cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase. This has been investigated in cultured hepatoma (HTC) cells in which N6,O2'-dibutyryladenosine 3':5'-monophosphate increases the activity of tyrosine transaminase only after glucocorticoid treatment. In these cells, we have determined the concentration and half-life of protein kinase, the sensitivity of this enzyme in vitro to cyclic AMP and to its thermostable protein inhibitor, the state of dissociation of protein kinase holoenzyme in vivo and its sensitivity, in the intact cell, to dibutyryladenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and to the inhibitor diamide, and we have also determined the concentration of endogenous thermostable protein inhibitor of protein kinase. None of these parameters were influenced by glucocorticoids under conditions where these hormones stimulate the activity of tyrosine transaminase and restore sensitivity to dibutyryladenosine 3':5'-monophosphate. It is concluded that the permissive action of glucocorticoids probably results from a control of cyclic-AMP-dependent processes exerted at a level beyond the protein kinase system.     

Enhanced glucose homeostasis in BHE/cdb rats with mutated ATP synthase

The BHE/cdb rat has a mutation in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase that impairs insulin secretion. However, male BHE/cdb rats have normal circulating glucose and enhanced glucose tolerance. The aim of the current study was to identify mechanisms of enhanced glucose tolerance. The respiratory exchange ratio was increased, indicating increased oxidation of carbohydrate in BHE/cdb rats, consistent with increases in liver pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and muscle citrate synthase activity. Liver also exhibited diminished phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase content, which correlated with a decreased counter-regulatory response in the insulin tolerance test. Signaling via Akt or AMP-dependent kinase pathways in the liver could not account for lower blood glucose. We conclude that chronically low insulin secretion leads to adaption in glucose metabolism primarily in liver to maintain euglycemia.     

The inhibition of platelet cyclo-oxygenase by aspirin is associated with the acetylation of a 72kDa polypeptide in the intracellular membranes.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was purified from mitochondria of guinea-pig liver by affinity chromatography on GMP-Sepharose. The enzyme was purified 100-fold to a high degree of electrophoretic homogeneity as judged by detection of a single protein band on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gels. The yield was about 16%. The Mr of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 68500 +/- 680 by analysis on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gels. Antibodies raised in rabbits against the purified enzyme were highly specific for mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and did not precipitate the cytosolic form of this enzyme from either rat or guinea-pig liver cytosol. The use of this antibody showed that starvation does not increase the amount of the enzyme. However, neonatal-development-dependent increase in its activity is shown to be mediated by accumulation of phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase-specific protein.     

The effects of growth hormone, thyroxine and insulin on the activities of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphatase and glycogen phosphorylase in fetal rat liver.

Growth hormone (GH), thyroxine (T4) and insulin were injected, in utero into 20.5 day-old rat fetuses to study the effects of these hormones on the activities of liver NADPH dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphatase and glycogen phosphorylase. It was found that at 21.5 days of gestation, GH increases the fetal liver glucose-6-phosphatase activity and decreases the liver glycogen phosphorylase activity. T4 treatment augments the activity of NADPH dehydrogenase even at 0.3% of the dose shown previously to produce premature elevation of activity. Prior to this experiment T4 in large doses has been shown to be capable of elevating glucose-6-phosphatase. However, at the lower T4 dose used, no treatment effect was observed. The fetal rat liver is responsive to insulin at 21.5 days and insulin was able to depress glucose-6-phosphatase activity. Thereby, showing that the influence of insulin on this enzyme begins prior to birth instead of just subsequent to birth.     

Glucose transport and metabolism in rat renal proximal tubules: multicomponent effects of insulin

Glucose transport and metabolism, and the effect of insulin thereon, was studied using suspensions of rat renal tubules enriched in the proximal component. [U-14C]Glucose oxidation is a saturable process (Km 3.1 +/- 0.2 mM; Vmax 14 +/- 0.2 mumole 14CO2 formed/g tissue protein per h). Glucose oxidation and [14C]lactate formation from glucose are inhibited in part by phlorizin and phloretin: the data suggest that the rate-limiting entry of glucose into the cell metabolic pool occurs by both the Na-glucose cotransport system (at the brush border) and the equilibrating, phloretin-sensitive system (at the basal-lateral membrane). Raising external glucose from 5 to 30 mM markedly increases aerobic and anaerobic lactate formation. Gluconeogenesis from lactate is not affected by variations of glucose concentrations. 24 h after streptozotocin administration, aerobic lactate formation is enhanced, as is the uptake of methyl alpha-D-glucoside by the tubules, while anaerobic glycolysis is depressed. Streptozotocin treatment (ST) increases both the Km and Vmax of glucose oxidation; gluconeogenesis and lactate oxidation are not affected. The effect of streptozotocin treatment on lactate formation are abolished by 1 mU/ml insulin. Streptozotocin treatment increases tissue hexokinase activity, decreases glucose-6-phosphatase, but has no significant effect on fructose-1,6-diphosphatase; phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and pyruvate dehydrogenase. The data demonstrate fast streptozotocin-induced changes in cellular enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism. The enhancing effect of streptozotocin on methyl alpha-glucoside uptake is transient: 8 days after administration of the agent, no significant difference from controls is found. It is concluded that under the given experimental conditions insulin enhances the equilibrating glucose entry by the phloretin-sensitive pathway at the basal-lateral membrane, and transiently inhibits the Na-glucose cotransport system.     

Tetrahydroquinolin-3-yl carbamate glucocorticoid receptor agonists with reduced PEPCK activation

Continuing studies on tetrahydroquinoline glucocorticoid receptor anti-inflammatory agents lead to the identification of several tetrahydroquinolin-3-yl carbamates that exhibited steroid-like activity in in vitro transrepression assays with reduced transactivation of phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), a key enzyme in the gluconeogenesis pathway.     

A comparison of the effects of diabetes induced with either alloxan or streptozotocin and of starvation on the activities in rat liver of the key enzymes of gluconeogenesis

1. Measurements of the activities in rat liver of the four key enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis, i.e. pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (EC 4.1.1.32), fructose 1,6-diphosphatase (EC 3.1.3.11) and glucose 6-phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.9), have been carried out, all four enzymes being measured in the same liver sample. Changes in activities resulting from starvation and diabetes have been studied. Changes in concentration (activity/unit wet weight of tissue) were compared with changes in the hepatic cellular content (activity/unit of DNA). 2. Each enzyme was found to increase in concentration during starvation for up to 3 days, but only glucose 6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase showed a significant rise in content. Fructose 1,6-diphosphatase appeared to decrease in content somewhat during the early stages of starvation. 3. There was a marked increase in the concentration of all four enzymes in non-starved rats made diabetic with alloxan or streptozotocin, for the most part similar responses being found for the two diabetogenic agents. On starvation, however, the enzyme contents in the diabetic animals tended to fall, often with streptozotocin-treated animals to values no greater than for the normal overnight-starved rat. Deprivation of food during the period after induction of diabetes with streptozotocin lessened the rise in enzyme activity. 4. The results are compared with other published values and factors such as substrate and activator concentrations likely to influence activity in vivo are considered. 5. Lack of correlation of change in fructose 1,6-diphosphatase with the other enzymes questions whether it should be included in any postulation of control of gluconeogenic enzymes by a single gene unit.     

Dominant role of glucagon in the initial induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA in cultured hepatocytes from fetal rats.

The injection of streptozotocin to 18-day-old rat fetuses induced, 2 days later, a 50% fall in plasma insulin and a twofold increase in plasma glucagon concentrations and liver cAMP levels. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA that were undetectable in the fetal rat liver, accumulated 48 h after streptozotocin injection, their concentration being 30% of that found in the liver of 1-day-old newborn rats in whom liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene expression is maximal. Physiological concentrations of glucagon (0.7 +/- 0.2 nM) induced, within 2 h, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA accumulation in cultured hepatocytes from 20-day-old fetuses. The addition of insulin (0.01-100 nM) inhibits, by no more than 30%, the glucagon-induced phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA accumulation. Exposure of fetal hepatocytes to insulin for 24 h did not change the glucagon dose/response curve and did not lead to a more efficient inhibition of the glucagon-induced phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA accumulation, despite a clear stimulatory effect on the rate of lipogenesis. In contrast, when hepatocytes were cultured in the presence of dexamethasone, the glucagon-induced phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA accumulation can be totally inhibited by pharmacological concentrations of insulin (10 nM). From these in-vivo and in-vitro studies, it is concluded that, under physiological conditions, the postnatal rise in plasma glucagon concentration is more important than the fall in the plasma insulin concentration for the primary induction of liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene expression.     

Effect of insulin and prednisolone on cyclic nucleotides and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in brown fat and liver of developing rats

The concentrations of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP in brown fat and liver of both suckling and adult rats at fixed times after injection of insulin (2.5 U/100 g body weight) or prednisolone (2.5 mg/100 g body weight) were compared with the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase assayed 24 h after the injections. A stimulus that produced an increase in cyclic AMP content also produced an increase in the enzyme activity. If the content of cyclic GMP was also increased there was no rise in phosphenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity. A rise in the content of cyclic GMP alone was associated with a reduction in the activity of the enzyme. These preliminary results indicate that cyclic AMP could be involved in the induction of phosphenolpyruvate carboxykinase and that cyclic GMP may somehow be related to its repression. The known differences in the response of phosphenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity to insulin and prednisolone in different tissues and at different stages of ontogenic development may thus be linked to differences in the responsiveness of enzymes concerned with the metabolism of cyclic nucleotides.     

Hormonal control of renal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity during development of the rat.

The effect of injections of hormones in utero on fetal rat kidney and liver extramitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity has been studied. Glucagon and thyroxine induced the liber enzyme but none of the hormones tested affected the renal enzyme. In the postnatal rat, the hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate barboxykinase activity is increased after triamcinolone or thyroxine injection but only triamcinolone injection increases the activity of the kidney enzyme. It is suggested that the rise in renal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity at about 10 days of age is due to the increase in blood corticosterone content occurring at the same age.     

The regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) synthesis in rat kidney cortex. The role of acid-base balance and glucocorticoids.

The effects of metabolic acidosis and of hormones on the activity, synthesis, and degradation of renal cytosolic P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) (EC 4.1.1.32) were studied in the rat using isotopic -immunochemical procedures. At normal acid-base balance, the synthesis of the enzyme accounted for between 2 and 3.5% of the synthesis of all soluble protein in the kidney cortex. P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis was selectively stimulated in acute metabolic acidosis, so that the relative rate of synthesis of the enzyme was increased to 7% 13 hours after oral administration of ammonium chloride. The stimulation of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis preceded any increase in the assayable activity of the enzyme. The administration of sodium bicarbonate to acutely acidotic rats returned the rate of enzyme synthesis to normal in 8 hours. The effect of acidosis on both the synthesis and the activity of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase was prevented by actinomycin D, cordycepin, and cycloheximide. The degradation in vivo of pulse-labeled P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase was not affected by acidosis. Thus, the stimulation of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis is the major mechanism for the increase in the level of the enzyme observed in metabolic acidosis. The administration of glucocorticoid triamcinolone resulted in an increase in the relative rate of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis and a commensurate increase in the activity of the enzyme in the renal cortex. Both changes were abolished by actinomycin D. Fasting was characterized by a high enzyme activity and a rapid rate of enzyme synthesis in the kidney cortex. This high rate of synthesis was reduced after the administration of sodium bicarbonate, but not after glucose feeding. Moreover, the injection of insulin to diabetic rats did not repress P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis in the renal cortex. Theophylline plus N-6, 0-2'-dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate stimulated P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis in the kidney of intact rats. However, the latter effect was probably due to glucocorticoid secretion, since it did not occur in adrenalectomized animals. The administration of parathyroid extracts did not result in the induction of the enzyme. Thus, the hormonal regulation of cytosolic P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis in the kidney differs markedly from that in the liver.     

Effects of phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase deficiency on metabolism and lysine production in Corynebacterium glutamicum

The phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase gene (ppc) of lysine-producing Corynebacterium glutamicum and C. lactofermentum strains was inactivated by marker exchange mutagenesis. The mutants lacked completely phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase (PEP carboxylase) activity, but grew in minimal medium containing glucose as the sole carbon source. In addition, the ppc ^– strains produced equivalent titers of lysine in shake flasks and in 10-l fermentation experiments as their parent strains. To address the question of how ppc ^– Corynebacterium strains generate oxaloacetate (OAA) for their own metabolism as well as for high-level lysine production, we measured the activities of enzymes leading to OAA synthesis. Whereas pyruvate carboxylase activity was not detected in any of the strains, phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEP carboxykinase) activity was found to be significantly higher in C. glutamicum ppc mutants compared to the parent strains. On the other hand, PEP carboxykinase activity in C. lactofermentum was essentially absent. As glyxylate cycle enzymes are strongly repressed by glucose, they are not likely to compensate for the lack of PEP carboxylase activity. PEP carboxykinase, among several candidates, could play this role. Correspondence to: M. Gubler     

Adult rats prenatally exposed to ethanol have increased gluconeogenesis and impaired insulin response of hepatic gluconeogenic genes.

Rat offspring exposed to ethanol (EtOH rats) during pregnancy are insulin resistant, but it is unknown whether they have increased gluconeogenesis. To address this issue, we determined blood glucose and liver gluconeogenic genes, proteins, and enzyme activities before and after insulin administration in juvenile and adult EtOH rats and submitted adult EtOH rats to a pyruvate challenge. In juvenile rats, basal glucose; peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-coactivator-1alpha protein and mRNA; and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase enzyme activity, protein, and mRNA were similar between groups. After insulin injection, these parameters failed to decrease in EtOH rats, but glucose decreased by 30% and gluconeogenic enzymes, proteins, and mRNAs decreased by 50-70% in control rats. In adult offspring, basal peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-coactivator-1alpha protein and mRNA levels were 40-80% higher in EtOH rats than in controls. Similarly, basal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity, protein, and mRNA were approximately 1.8-fold greater in EtOH rats than in controls. These parameters decreased by approximately 50% after insulin injection in control rats, but they remained unchanged in EtOH rats. After insulin injection in the adult rats, glucose decreased by 60% in controls but did not decrease significantly in EtOH rats. A subset of adult EtOH rats had fasting hyperglycemia and an exaggerated glycemic response to pyruvate compared with controls. The data indicate that, after prenatal EtOH exposure, the expression of gluconeogenic genes is exaggerated in adult rat offspring and is insulin resistant in both juvenile and adult rats, explaining increased gluconeogenesis. These alterations persist through adulthood and may contribute to the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes after exposure to EtOH in utero.     

Aspects of the biochemical toxicology of cadmium.

Cadmium, in addition to producing a variety of toxic manifestations, is known to accumulate in certain "target" organs which include liver and kidney where histological and functional damage becomes apparent. The daily intraperitoneal injection of cadmium chloride for 21 or 45 days stimulated the activities of hepatic pyruvate carboxylase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase and glucose-6-phosphatase elevated blood glucose and urea, and lowered hepatic glycogen in rats. Whereas chronic Cd treatment failed to alter adenosine-3', 5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity, cyclic AMP (cAMY and the activity of basal and fluoride-stimulated forms of hepatic adenylate cyclase (AC) were markedly increased. However, the cAMP binding to hepatic protein kinase was decreased as was the kinase activity ration. An acute dose of Cd decreased hepatic glycogen content and increased blood glucose, serum urea, and hepatic cAMP. Chronic exposure to Cd induced adrenal hypertrophy and augmented adrenal norepinephrine and epinephrine as well as the activity of adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase. This treatment decreased prostatic and testicular weights of mature rats. Although cAMP as well as AC activity of the prostate gland were reduced, cAMP binding to the prostatic protein kinase was increased as was the activity of the cAMP-dependent form of the enzyme. Testicular AC and PDE activities, however, were stimulated, although cAMP remained unaffected. Whereas the activities of the cAMP-dependent and the independent forms of testicular protein kinase were significantly depressed, the binding of cAMP to protein kinase from testes of Cd-treated rats was not affected. In most cases, the observed metabolic alterations persisted up to 28 days on cessation of Cd administration. Subacute Cd treatment suppressed pancreatic function as evidenced by lowered serum immunoreactive insulin (IRI) in presence of hyperglycemia, as well as by partial inhibition of phentolamine-stimulated increases in serum IRI. Although chronic Cd treatment failed to alter the concentration of brain stem norepinephrine and cerebrocortical acetylcholine esterase activity, serotonin levels of brain stem were depressed and the concentration of striatal dopamine and cerebrocortical acetylcholine were significantly elevated when compared with the values seen in control nonexposed animals.