Stimulation of glycogenolysis by epinephrine and glucagon and its inhibition by insulin in isolated rat liver hepatocytes

Rat liver hepatocytes were isolated by collagenase $\text{in vitro}$ perfusion technique and the effect of epinephrine, glucagon and insulin on glycogenolysis was studied. Both glucagon and epinephrine at the concentration of 10^?6M, stimulated gluconeogenesis by 80–100%. Addition of insulin (33 μUnits/ml) completely abolished the epinephrine-stimulated glycogenolysis whereas only 50% inhibition was observed with insulin in glucagon stimulated glycogenolysis. This stimulation was observed within 2–5 min after the addition of the hormones. These results suggest that hepatocytes isolated with low concentrations of collagenase retain glucagon, epinephrine and insulin receptor sites.     

Interrelationship of insulin and glucagon ratios on carbohydrate metabolism in isolated hepatocytes containing high glycogen.

The effect of physiological concentrations of glucagon and insulin on glycogenolysis was studied in the presence and absence of substrates in isolated hepatocytes containing high glycogen. In the absence of substrates glucagon stimulated glycogenolysis at 10^?14M concentration, and addition of 100 μunits of insulin partially inhibited glucagon stimulated glycogenolysis (10^?14M to 10^?11M). However, in the presence of substrates, insulin completely inhibited glucagon stimulated glycogenolysis (10^?14M to 10^?11M), indicating that molar glucagon and insulin ratios control carbohydrate metabolism in liver. Additional studies showed incorporation of amino acid into protein was linear for only 3 to 4 hr in cells containing low glycogen, whereas in cells containing high glycogen, incorporation was linear for 8 to 10 hr.     

Studies on the lack of glucagon response to clycogenolysis and gluconeogensis and decrease in protein synthesis in isolated hepatocytes from hypophysectomized animals.

Effect of various concentrations of glucagon on gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis was studied in isolated hepatocytes obtained from normal and hypophysectomized animals. Addition of glucagon (10^?10 to 10^?6M) stimulated glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis by 2–3 fold in normal hepatocytes. However, this concentration of glucagon had only a slight effect in isolated hepatocytes obtained from hypophysectomized animals. This lack of glucagon response was not due to reduction in glycogen levels in isolated hepatocytes obtained from hypophysectomized animals. Studies on the incorporation of¹⁴C-alanine,¹⁴C-leucine and¹⁴C-valine showed a 3–5 fold decrease in the incorporation of these amino acids into protein in hypophysectomized animals compared to normal controls.     

Use of hepatocytes in primary culture for biochemical studies on liver functions

Summary Rat parenchymal hepatocytes isolated with collagenase were cultured as monolayers in Williams medium E supplemented with calf serum. Freshly isolated cells showed very low activities of various liver functions, and they had to be cultured for 6-24 h to allow recovery of these functions. Insulin and dexamethasone greatly increased cell viability in primary culture. After culture for 24 h, these cells showed various liver functions as seen in vivo and responded well to various added hormones and amino acids. The concentrations of amino acids in the medium regulated synthesis of serum proteins and insulin stimulated lipogenesis, which in turn regulated synthesis of lipoproteins. Insulin also stimulated glycogen synthesis and the stimulation was parallel with the number of insulin receptors. Glucagon stimulated glycogenolysis and its stimulation involved the function of the cytoskeleton. Glucagon and dexamethasone induced various enzymes of amino acid catabolism, such as tryptophan oxygenase, tyrosine aminotransferase and serine dehydratase. These inductions were inhibited by insulin or catecholamine. The effect of catecholamine was due to its -adrenergic action. The -action of isoproterenol was low in freshly isolated cells, but increased during culture of the cells. Acquirement of hormonal responses during neonatal development can be studied in this culture system. Mature hepatocytes in culture are usually quiescent, but when insulin and epidermal growth factor were added, DNA synthesis by the cells increased markedly and they showed density-dependent growth. In this culture system, serum could be omitted for 2 days when the dishes were coated with fibronectin without appreciable change of functions, but serum was needed for longer culture of the cells. A factor that increased cell survival was found in serum and in pituitary gland.These results show that hepatocytes in primary culture are a simple and useful system for studies of liver functions in vitro and related works were also reviewed.     

An absolute requirement for insulin in the control of hepatic glycogenesis by glucose

Livers from normal, adrenalectomized, and diabetic rats were perfused $\text{in}$$\text{vitro}$ in order to investigate the mode of action of insulin in the control of glycogenesis by glucose. Control of glycogen synthase and phosphorylase by glucose is completely lost in livers from 2 and 6 day alloxan diabetic rats. Three hour treatment of normal rats with anti-insulin serum results in a decrease in the effect of glucose on hepatic glycogenesis. Glucose infusion into isolated perfused livers from fed normal and adrenalectomized rats promotes an increase in glycogen synthase activation and phosphorylase inactivation. These data clearly demonstrate that the presence of insulin rather than glucocorticoids is an absolute requirement in the control of hepatic glycogen synthesis by glucose.     

Non-hormonal and hormonal control of glycogen metabolism in isolated sheep liver cells

1. Control of glycogen metabolism by various substrates and hormones was studied in ruminant liver using isolated hepatocytes from fed sheep. 2. In these cells glucose appeared uneffective to stimulate glycogen synthesis whereas fructose and propionate activated glycogen synthase owing to (i) a decrease in phosphorylase a activity and (ii) changes in the intracellular concentrations of glucose 6-phosphate and adenine nucleotides. 3. The activation of hepatic glycogenolysis by glucagon and alpha 1-adrenergic agents was associated with increased phosphorylase a and decreased glycogen synthase activities. 4. The simultaneous changes in these two enzyme activities suggest that in sheep liver, activation of phosphorylase a is not a prerequisite step for synthase inactivation. 5. In sheep hepatocytes, in the presence of propionate and after a lag period, insulin activated glycogen synthase without affecting phosphorylase a. 6. This latter result suggests that the direct activation of glycogen synthase by insulin is mediated by a glycogen synthase-specific kinase or phosphatase. Insulin also antagonized glucagon effect on glycogen synthesis by counteracting the rise of cAMP.     

Critical evaluation of methods used for the isolation of rat liver hepatocytes for metabolic studies.

Hepatocytes were isolated from normal fed, fasted and alloxan diabetic animals. The best cell preparations were obtained by using low concentrations of collagenase (10–20 mg) and exposing the liver for a very short period of time (10–15 min). Addition of hyaluronidase significantly decreased the glycogen content of the isolated hepatocytes. Glucagon (10⁻¹²M) stimulated glycogenesis in hepatocytes containing high glycogen whereas, in cells containing low glycogen much higher concentration of glucagon was needed (10⁻⁹M). Addition of insulin (100 μunits) stimulated both glycogen and protein synthesis in isolated hepatocytes containing high glycogen. Under these conditions glycogen synthase activity was stimulated by 40%. Incorporation of ¹⁴C phenylalanine into protein was linear for only 3–4 hr in cells containing low glycogen whereas, in cells containing high glycogen incorporating was linear for 8–10 hr. These studies suggest that intracellular glycogen plays an important role in the hormonal regulation of metabolism in hepatocytes.     

Multiple requirements for glycogen synthesis by hepatocytes isolated from fasted rats

Glycogen synthesis from various combinations of substrates by hepatocytes isolated from rats fasted 24 h was studied. As reported by Katz et al. (Katz, J., Golden, S., and Wals, P. A. (1976) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 73, 3433-3437), appreciable rates of glycogen synthesis occurred only in the presence of gluconeogenic precursors and one of several amino acids, which includes L-glutamine. L-Leucine had negligible effects on glycogen synthesis from 20 mM dihydroxyacetone and/or 15 mM glucose when L-glutamine was not added to the medium. In the presence of 10 mM L-glutamine, L-leucine greatly increased glycogen synthesis from these substrates. alpha-Ketoisocaproate was ineffective, as was oleate. NH4Cl depressed glycogen synthesis from 10 mM glucose plus 20 mM dihydroxyacetone in the absence of added L-glutamine and enhanced that in its presence, but these effects were weak compared to those of L-leucine. The amino acid analogues L-norvaline and L-norleucine exerted effects that were similar to those exerted by L-leucine. Under all conditions studied, cycloheximide and puromycin inhibited net glycogen synthesis. Cycloheximide did not stimulate gluconeogenesis from dihydroxyacetone, or phosphorylase in hepatocytes from starved rats, or glycogenolysis in hepatocytes from fed rats. Puromycin, however, stimulated glycogenolysis in hepatocytes from fed rats. Glycogen synthesis from 20 mM dihydroxyacetone proceeds with a pronounced initial lag phase that can be shortened by incubation of cells with glutamine plus leucine before addition of dihydroxyacetone. Concurrent measurements of glycogen synthesis, glycogen synthase, and gluconeogenesis under different conditions reveal that in addition to protein synthesis, activation of glycogen synthase, which must occur to allow glycogen synthesis in hepatocytes, requires a second component which can be satisfied by addition of dihydroxyacetone or fructose to the cells.     

Substrate control of glycogen levels in isolated hepatocytes from fed rats.

Isolated parenchymal cells from fed rat liver rapidly lose glycogen when incubated with glucose. The addition of glycerol or fructose but not insulin prevents much of the breakdown. When cells are incubated with glycerol and glucose, more glycogen is retained with the further addition of xylitol than of fructose or pyruvate. Oleate stimulates glycogen breakdown. The results indicate that glycerol may play an important physiological role in the control of glycogen synthesis in the liver, possibly by esterifying fatty acids. Furthermore, the results support the concept that the main effect of insulin on liver glycogen levels $\text{in vivo}$ may be the results of diminished flow of free fatty acids to the liver.     

Precursor supply and hepatic enzyme activities as regulators of triacylglycerol synthesis in isolated hepatocytes and perfused liver

The relative significance of alterations in precursor supply and enzyme activities for the rate of triacylglycerol synthesis was studied in isolated hepatocytes and perfused livers. Precursor availability was varied in vitro by changing the fatty acid concentration in the incubation medium or adding ethanol to the perfusion medium in order to increase the cellular glycerol 3-phosphate concentration. The rate of glycerolipid synthesis in hepatocytes, measured in terms of the label incorporated into the various lipid classes from tritiated glycerol, was strongly dependent on the fatty acid concentration up to 2 mm of oleate (fatty acid/albumin molar ratio $\text{7}\text{1}$). Ethanol in vitro increased the incorporation of labeled oleate into phosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol in the isolated perfused liver, but its effect on the incorporation into triacylglycerol was small. Ethanol in vitro increased the label incorporation into both diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol in the livers from cortisol-treated rats. Although cortisol treatment increased the soluble phosphatidate phosphohydrolase activity 4.4-fold in the hepatocytes, it had no effect on the rate of triacylglycerol synthesis, whereas fasting increased this rate about 3-fold, although only a moderate concomitant increase in soluble phosphatidate phosphohydrolase activity was observed. Neither cortisol treatment nor fasting affected the microsomal glycerol-3-phoshate acyltransferase activity. The results demonstrate that substrate availability can override enzyme modulations in the regulation of triacylglycerol synthesis and that phosphatidate phosphohydrolase is not the main regulator of triacylglycerol synthesis.     

The influence of diurnal rhythms of carbohydrate metabolism in adult rat liver on the metabolic characteristics of isolated liver parenchymal cells

Rats trained to the “8 + 16” controlled feeding cycle where food is only available for the first 8 h of the 12 h dark period exhibit a pronounced diurnal rhythm of hepatic glycogen metabolism. Glycogen is stored within the liver parenchymal cells during the dark period and subsequently mobilized for energy production during the light period. Hepatocytes, isolated by collagenase perfusion, from livers of such animals have differing capacities for glycogen synthesis when incubated with glucose. Cells prepared at the end of the 16 h period without food have very little capacity for synthesis compared with much higher rates obtained in cells obtained during the feeding period. Cells obtained from livers containing a large glycogen concentration produce a net breakdown of glycogen during incubations with glucose, however experiments using radioactively labelled glucose indicate that synthesis does occur in these cells. The changes in the capacity of the cells for glycogen synthesis appear to be due, in part, to changes in the percentage of the cell population involved in synthesis and in the activity of glycogen synthetase $\text{a}$. Attempts to influence the rate of glycogen synthesis at any time of day with insulin or dexamethasone were unsuccessful.     

Identification of two forms of glutamine synthetase in barley (Hordeum vulgare).

Hepatocytes of 14-day-old rats have no detectable glucokinase activity $\text{in}$$\text{vivo}$, but it was induced by insulin (10^?8M) in primary cultures of these hepatocytes. The glucokinase induced by insulin was separated by electrophoresis on a cellulose acetate membrane and identified by its low affinity for glucose. This precocious induction of glucokinase was completely prevented by the presence of either actinomycin D or cycloheximide. Glucagon also inhibited its induction by insulin. Dexamethasone and testosterone, which alone had no inductive effect, strongly enhanced the induction by insulin. When hepatocytes of 14-day-old rats were cultured with 10^?7M insulin, 10^?6M dexamethasone and 10^?7M testosterone for 48 hr, their glucokinase activity increased to the non-induced level in hepatocytes of adult rats. Estrogen, thyroxine or growth hormone did not induce glucokinase precociously. Testosterone did not enhance induction of glucokinase by insulin in cultured hepatocytes of adult rats.     

Glucagon or cyclic AMP-stimulated synthesis of 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate in isolated hepatocytes and inhibition by antimicrotubular drugs.

Glucagon increased the level of 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate ($\text{PP}$Rib$\text{P}$) in isolated rat hepatocytes; a relatively high concentration of cyclic AMP could replace glucagon. In the presence of glucagon, the rate of incorporation of respective radioactive precursors into purine, pyrimidine, and oxidized pyridine nucleotides was accelerated, indicating that glucagon stimulates the synthesis of $\text{PP}$Rib$\text{P}$. Addition of 10^?6 M colchicine, vinblastin, or podophyllotoxin abolished the glucagon or cyclic AMP-induced increase in the $\text{PP}$Rib$\text{P}$ level. Colchicine did not affect accumulation of cyclic AMP induced by glucagon. These results suggest the involvement of tubulin or microtubules in the signal transfer from cyclic AMP to stimulated synthesis of $\text{PP}$Rib$\text{P}$.     

Effect of dichloroacetate and glucagon on the incorporation of labeled substrates into glucose and on pyruvate dehydrogenase in hepatocytes from fed and starved rats

Dichloroacetate (2 mm) stimulated the conversion of [1-¹⁴C]lactate to glucose in hepatocytes from fed rats. In hepatocytes from rats starved for 24 h, where the mitochondrial $\text{NADH}\text{NAD}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ ratio is elevated, dichloroacetate inhibited the conversion of [1-¹⁴C]lactate to glucose. Dichloroacetate stimulated ¹⁴CO₂ production from [1-¹⁴C]lactate in both cases. It also completely activated pyruvate dehydrogenase and increased flux through the enzyme. The addition of β-hydroxybutyrate, which elevates the intramitochondrial $\text{NADH}\text{NAD}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ ratio, changed the metabolism of [1-¹⁴C]lactate in hepatocytes from fed rats to a pattern similar to that seen in hepatocytes from starved rats. Thus, the effect of dichloroacetate on labeled glucose synthesis from lactate appears to depend on the mitochondrial oxidation-reduction state of the hepatocytes. Glucagon (10 nm) stimulated labeled glucose synthesis from lactate or alanine in hepatocytes from both fed and starved rats and in the absence or presence of dichloroacetate. The hormone had no effect on pyruvate dehydrogenase activity whether or not the enzyme had been activated by dichloroacetate. Thus, it appears that pyruvate dehydrogenase is not involved in the hormonal regulation of gluconeogenesis. Glucagon inhibited the incorporation of 10 mm [1-¹⁴C]pyruvate into glucose in hepatocytes from starved rats. This inhibition has been attributed to an inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase by the hormone (Zahlten et al., 1973, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA70, 3213–3218). However, dichloroacetate did not prevent the inhibition of glucose synthesis. Nor did glucagon alter the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase in homogenates of cells that had been incubated with 10 mm pyruvate in the absence or presence of dichloroacetate. Thus, the inhibition by glucagon of pyruvate gluconeogenesis does not appear to be due to an inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase.     

Cyclic AMP stimulated phosphorylation of liver pyruvate kinase in hepatocytes.

The addition of glucagon (10^?6 M) to an incubation mixture containing ³²Pi and hepatocytes isolated from livers of rats fed $\text{ad libitum}$ results in both a 3-fold increased incorporation of ³²P into L-type pyruvate kinase and a decreased catalytic activity. The ³²P incorporated into pyruvate kinase was covalently bound to the enzyme as evidenced by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. In addition, exogenous cyclic AMP (10^?3 M) stimulated the phosphorylation and the suppression of catalytic activity to a similar extent. On the other hand, insulin (10^?7 M) had essentially no effect on the incorporation of ³²P into pyruvate kinase or on its catalytic activity under the conditions used in this study. These results suggest that phosphorylation of pyruvate kinase $\text{invivo}$ is stimulated by glucagon via cyclic AMP and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and that the activity of the enzyme is, at least in part, regulated by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation mechanism.     

The influence of diet on the lipogenic response to thyroxine in rat liver.

ATP citrate lyase, acetyl-CoA synthetase, malic enzyme and hexose monophosphate dehydrogenase activities and rates of $\text{denovo}$ synthesis of long chain fatty acids from labeled acetate and citrate were measured in cell-free fractions of liver from rats fed various diets, with and without D- or L- thyroxine. Diets containign sucrose (vs. isocaloric glucose) or lard (vs. isocaloric corn oil) stimulated hepatic lipogenesis both in control and in thyroxine-treated rats. The lipogenic response to thyroxine was greatly modified by diet, except for an invariable rise in malic enzyme activity. With diets providing less than 6% of calories as linoleic acid, thyroxine increased fatty acid synthesis, depleted liver glycogen and retarded growth; when linoleic acid was increased to 16% of calories, thyroxine had no effect on fatty acid synthesis or growth and liver glycogen depletion was significantly attenuated. This response to dietary linoleic acid suggests that these phenomena may be largely secondary to the increased requirement for essential fatty acid in thyrotoxicosis. Further study should reveal the extent to which observed effects of excess thyroid hormone are amenable to control by dietary polyunsaturated fat.     

Regulation of the basal and cyclic AMP-stimulated rates of glycogen synthesis in Escherichia coli by an intermediate of purine biosynthesis

In $\text{Escherichia}\text{coli}$an abrupt increase in the rate of glycogen synthesis occurs at the onset of total nitrogen starvation. We present here both $\text{in}\text{vivo}$ and $\text{in}\text{vitro}$ data indicating that this increase occurs because of the loss of a nitrogen-containing intermediate of purine biosynthesis (apparently 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide) that inhibits glycogen synthesis. We also show that this inhibitory intermediate antagonizes the stimulation of glycogen synthesis by 3′,5′-cyclic AMP. The uncovering of the regulation of glycogen synthesis by this inhibitor apparently provides the first link in understanding the 23-year-old observation of a reciprocal relationship between growth rate and glycogen accumulation in $\text{E.}\text{coli}$.     

Effects of phorbol esters on insulin receptor function and insulin action in hepatocytes: evidence for heterogeneity

We investigated the effect of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a protein kinase C (PKC) activator on insulin receptors and insulin action in freshly isolated and primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. PMA (1 x 10^–7 M) did not alter insulin receptor numbers or affinity either acutely or chronically but within 60 minute inactivated insulin stimulated tyrosine kinase of the insulin receptor. PKC activation inhibitied insulin (1 x 10^–7M) stimulation of glycogen and lipid synthesis with a decrease or no change in basal glycogenesis and lipogenesis respectively. However, PKC activation did not alter insulin stimulated or basal amino acid transport even though PCK activation inhibited insulin stimulation of the insulin. receptor tyrosine kinase. Thus, within one tissue, PKC activation has differential effect on insulin action depending on which pathway is examined. Furthermore, insulin stimulation of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase may not be a necessary step for all insulin signaling pathways.     

On the role of calcium as second messenger in liver for the hormonally induced activation of glycogen phosphorylase

We have studied the mode of action of three hormones (angiotensin, vasopressin and phenylephrine, an α-adrenergic agent) which promote liver glycogenolysis in a cyclic AMP-independent way, in comparison with that of glucagon, which is known to act essentially via cyclic AMP. The following observations were made using isolated rat hepatocytes: (a) In the normal Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate medium, the hormones activated glycogen phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1) to about the same degree. In contrast to glucagon, the cyclic AMP-independent hormones did not activate either protein kinase (EC 2.7.1.37) or phosphorylase $\text{b}$ kinase (EC 2.7.1.38). (b) The absence of Ca²⁺ from the incubation medium prevented the activation of glycogen phosphorylase by the cyclic AMP-independent agents and slowed down that induced by glucagon. (c) The ionophore A 23187 produced the same degree of activation of glycogen phosphorylase, provided that Ca²⁺ was present in the incubation medium (d) Glucagon, cyclic AMP and three cyclic AMP-independent hormones caused an enhanced uptake of ⁴⁵Ca; it was verified that concentrations of angiotensin and of vasopressin known to occur in haemorrhagic conditions were able to produce phosphorylase activation and stimulate ⁴⁵Ca uptake. (e) Appropriate antagonists (i.e. phentolamine against phenylephrine and an angiotensin analogue against angiotensin) prevented both the enhanced ⁴⁵Ca uptake and the phosphorylase activation.We interpret our data in favour of a role of calcium (1) as the second messenger in liver for the three cyclic AMP-independent glycogenolytic hormones and (2) as an additional messenger for glucagon which, via cyclic AMP, will make calcium available to the cytoplasm either from extracellular or from intracellular pools. The target enzyme for Ca²⁺ is most probably phosphorylase $\text{b}$ kinase.