Deregulation of hepatic lipid metabolism associated with insulin resistance in rats subjected to chronic monocrotophos exposure

In our previous study, we demonstrated the potential of monocrotophos (MCP), an organophosphorus insecticide (OPI), to induce glucose intolerance, insulin resistance (IR), and dyslipidemia with hyperinsulinemia in rats after chronic exposure. As hyperinsulinemia is likely to exert an impact on hepatic lipid metabolism, we carried out this study to establish the effect of chronic MCP exposure (0.9 and 1.8 mg/kg/day for 180 days) on hepatic lipid metabolism in rats. The state of IR induced by MCP in rats was associated with an increase in the liver lipid content (triglyceride and cholesterol) and expression levels of sterol regulatory element‐binding proteins, PPARγ, acetyl‐CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid synthase in the liver. Similarly, activities of key enzymes (acetyl‐COA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, lipin 1, malic enzyme, glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase, and glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase), which regulate lipogenesis, were enhanced in livers of pesticide‐treated rats. A strong correlation was observed between insulin levels, hepatic lipid content, and plasma lipid profile in treated rats. Our study suggests that long‐term exposure to OPIs not only has a propensity to induce a state of hyperinsulinemic IR, but it is also associated with augmented hepatic lipogenesis, which may explain dyslipidemia induced by chronic exposure to MCP.     

Effects of Oxidized Cooking Oil and α-Lipoic Acid on Liver Antioxidants: Enzyme Activities and Lipid Peroxidation in Rats Fed a High Fat Diet

The effects of administration of oxidized rapeseed oil and α-lipoic acid on activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation were studied in laboratory rats. There was an increase of the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in rats fed a high fat diet to which 10% oxidized oil was added. Administration of α-lipoic acid resulted in a decrease of the activities of these enzymes. Addition of oxidized oil also resulted in increased production of oxygen radicals, evidenced by elevated malondialdehyde production. Such effect was counteracted by administration of α-lipoic acid.     

An immunohistochemical study of the compartmentation of metabolism during the development of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berries

The compartmentation of key processes in sugar, organic acid and amino acid metabolism was studied during the development of the flesh and seeds of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berries. Antibodies specific for enzymes involved in sugar (cell wall and vacuolar invertases, pyrophosphate: fructose 6-phosphate phosphotransferase, aldolase, NADP-glyceraldehyde-P dehydrogenase, cytosolic fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase), photosynthesis (Rubisco, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase, sedoheptulose 1,7-bisphosphatase), amino acid metabolism (cytosolic and mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferases, alanine aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, glutamine synthetase), organic acid metabolism (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, NAD- and NADP-dependent malic enzyme, ascorbate peroxidase), and lipid metabolism (acetyl CoA carboxylase, isocitrate lyase) were used to determine how their abundance changed during development. There were marked changes in the abundance of many of these enzymes in both the flesh and seeds. The intercellular location of some enzymes was investigated using immunohistochemistry. Several enzymes (e.g. phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and those involved in amino acid metabolism) were associated with tissues likely to function in the transport of imported assimilates, such as the vasculature. Although other enzymes (e.g. NADP-malic enzyme and soluble acid invertase, involved in the metabolism of sugars and organic acids) were largely present in the parenchyma cells of the flesh, their distribution was extremely heterogeneous. This study shows that when considering the metabolism of complex structures such as fruit, it is essential to consider how metabolism is compartmentalized between and within different tissues, even when they are apparently structurally homogeneous.     

Metabolic reorganization and signal transduction during estivation in the spadefoot toad

The maximal activities of 28 enzymes, representing multiple pathways of intermediary metabolism, were quantified in the brain, liver and skeletal muscle of spadefoot toads Scaphiopus couchii, comparing control toads with animals that had estivated for 2 months. Estivation-induced changes in brain enzyme activities were consistent with suppressed glycolysis and increased ketone body and amino acid catabolism. In liver, estivation resulted in reduced activities of eight enzymes representing carbohydrate, amino acid, ketone body and phosphagen metabolism, but the maximal activity of malic enzyme increased by 2.4-fold. Estivation led to a large-scale reorganization of skeletal muscle affecting most of the enzymes analyzed. Activities of enzymes of carbohydrate catabolism were generally elevated except for glycogen phosphorylase and hexokinase, whereas those of enzymes of fatty acid synthesis and ketone body metabolism were reduced. Increased glutamate dehydrogenase activities in both brain and muscle, as well as activities of other amino-acid-catabolizing enzymes in muscle, correlated with specific changes in the free amino acids pools in those tissues (reduced glutamine activity, increased glutamate, alanine and valine activities) that appear to be related to protein catabolism, for the purposes of elevating urea levels. The effects of estivation on signal transduction systems were also assessed. Total activities of protein kinases A and C (PKA and PKC) were largely unaltered in toad tissues during estivation (except for a 57% reduction in liver total PKC), but in seven organs there were strong reductions in the percentage of PKA present as the active catalytic subunit in estivating animals, and three contained a much lower percentage of membrane-bound active PKC during estivation. Activities of protein phosphatase types 1, 2A, 2B, and 2C were also frequently reduced during estivation. Overall, these results suggest that anuran estivation involves metabolic reorganization, including changing the maximal activities of key enzymes of intermediary metabolism as well as depressing the metabolic rate by suppressing signal transducing enzymes.     

Diurnal variations in the specific activities of some hepatic enzymes in the immature domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus)

• 1.1. Any diurnal rhythms in the hepatic specific activities of some enzymes of carbohydrate, lipid and amino acid metabolism were studied over a 36 hr period in immature domestic fowl subjected to 12 hr light: 12 hr dark.
• 2.2. Only ATP-citrate lyase exhibited a diurnal fluctuation in metabolism having a higher specific activity in the light period than in the dark period.
• 3.3. The results are discussed in relation to the diurnal rhythm in energy metabolism observed in domestic fowl.

     

Effects of Japanese Torreya (Torreya nucifera) seed oil on the activities and mRNA expression of lipid metabolism-related enzymes in rats

The mechanism for the plasma and liver triacylglycerol-reducing effects of Japanese torreya (Torreya nucifera) seed oil containing sciadonic acid (all-cis-5, 11, 14-eicosatrienoic acid) is reported. Male SD rats were fed experimental diets containing 10% torreya, corn, or soybean oil for 4 weeks, and the activities and mRNA expression of the enzymes involved in lipid metabolism were measured in the liver. The activities of some hepatic enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis were lower in the rats fed torreya oil.     

Short- and long-term enzymatic regulation secondary to metabolic insult in the rat retina

Changes in oxygen and/or glucose availability may result in altered levels of ATP production and amino acid levels, and alteration in lactic acid production. However, under certain metabolic insults, the retina demonstrates considerable resilience and maintains ATP production, and/or retinal function. We wanted to investigate whether this resilience would be reflected in alterations in the activity of key enzymes of retinal metabolism, or enzymes associated with amino acid production that may supply their carbon skeleton for energy production. Enzymatic assays were conducted to determine the activity of key retinal metabolic enzymes total ATPase and Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase. In vitro anoxia led to an increase in retinal lactate dehydrogenase activity and to a decrease in retinal aspartate aminotransferase activity, without significant changes in Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity. In vivo inhibition of glutamine synthetase resulted in a short-term significant decrease in retinal aspartate aminotransferase activity. An increase in retinal aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase activities was accompanied by altered levels of amino acids in neurons and glia after partial inhibition of glial metabolism, implying that short- and long-term up- and down-regulation of key metabolic enzymes occurs to supply carbon skeletons for retinal metabolism. ATPase activity does not appear to fluctuate under the metabolic stresses employed in our experimental procedures.     

Regulation of valine catabolism in Pseudomonas putida

The activities of six enzymes which take part in the oxidation of valine by Pseudomonas putida were measured under various conditions of growth. The formation of four of the six enzymes was induced by growth on d- or l-valine: d-amino acid dehydrogenase, branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase, and methylmalonate semialdehyde dehydrogenase. Branched-chain amino acid transaminase and isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase were synthesized constitutively. d-Amino acid dehydrogenase and branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase were induced during growth on valine, leucine, and isoleucine, and these enzymes were assumed to be common to the metabolism of all three branched-chain amino acids. The segment of the pathway required for oxidation of isobutyrate was induced by growth on isobutyrate or 3-hydroxyisobutyrate without formation of the preceding enzymes. d-Amino acid dehydrogenase was induced by growth on l-alanine without formation of other enzymes required for the catabolism of valine. d-Valine was a more effective inducer of d-amino acid dehydrogenase than was l-valine. Therefore, the valine catabolic pathway was induced in three separate segments: (i) d-amino acid dehydrogenase, (ii) branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase, and (iii) 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase plus methylmalonate semialdehyde dehydrogenase. In a study of the kinetics of formation of the inducible enzymes, it was found that 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and methylmalonate semialdehyde dehydrogenases were coordinately induced. Induction of enzymes of the valine catabolic pathway was studied in a mutant that had lost the ability to grow on all three branched-chain amino acids. Strain PpM2106 had lowered levels of branched-chain amino acid transaminase and completely lacked branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase when grown in medium which contained valine. Addition of 2-ketoisovalerate, 2-ketoisocaproate, or 2-keto-3-methylvalerate to the growth medium of strain PpM2106 resulted in induction of normal levels of branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase; therefore, the branched-chain keto acids were the actual inducers of branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase.     

Effects of cadmium on the co-ordination of nitrogen and carbon metabolism in bean seedlings

The effect of cadmium (Cd) was investigated on the in vitro activities of leaf and root enzymes involved in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolism of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Morgane). Cd induced a high increase in maximal extractable activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (NADH-GDH, EC 1.4.1.2). Cd promoted ammonium accumulation in leaves and roots, and a tight correlation was observed between ammonium amount and GDH activity. Changes in GDH activity appear to be mediated by the increase in ammonium levels by Cd treatment. Cd stress also enhanced the activities of phosphoenolypyruvate carboxylase (PEPC, EC 4.1.1.31) and NADP(+)-isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP(+)-ICDH, EC 1.1.1.42) in leaves while they were inhibited in roots. Immuno-titration, the PEPC sensitivity to malate and PEPC response to pH indicated that the increase in PEPC activity by Cd was due to de novo synthesis of the enzyme polypeptide and also modification of the phosphorylation state of the enzyme. Cd may have modified, via a modulation of PEPC activity, the C flow towards the amino acid biosynthesis. In leaves, Cd treatments markedly modified specific amino acid contents. Glutamate and proline significantly accumulated compared to those of the control plants. This study suggests that Cd stress is a part of the syndrome of metal toxicity, and that a readjustment of the co-ordination between N and C metabolism via the modulation of GDH, PEPC and ICDH activities avoided the accumulation of toxic levels of ammonium.     

Activities of kreb's cycle enzymes in the flight muscles of the tsetse fly (Glossina) and the fleshfly (Sarcophaga)

The specific activities of enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle have been measured in flight muscle mitochondria of tsetse flies and fleshflies. Similar levels of those enzymes which are involved in the metabolism of both carbodydrate and proline (2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase and fumarase) were found in the mitochondria of the two insects. Enzymes of the cycle not involved in the oxidation of proline (citrata synthase, aconitase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase) had considerably lower specific activities in the tsetse fly.     

Dietary carbohydrate-to-protein ratio affects TOR signaling and metabolism-related gene expression in the liver and muscle of rainbow trout after a single meal

Most teleost fish are known to require high levels of dietary proteins. Such high-protein intake could have significant effects, particularly on insulin-regulated gene expression. We therefore analyzed the effects of an increase in the ratio of dietary carbohydrates/proteins on the refeeding activation of the Akt-target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathways in rainbow trout and the effects on the expression of several genes related to hepatic and muscle metabolism and known to be regulated by insulin, amino acids, and/or glucose. Fish were fed once one of three experimental diets containing high (H), medium (M), or low (L) protein (P) or carbohydrate (C) levels after 48 h of feed deprivation. Activation of the Akt/TOR signaling pathway by refeeding was severely impaired by decreasing the proteins-to-carbohydrates ratio. Similarly, postprandial regulation of several genes related to glucose (Glut4, glucose-6-phosphatase isoform 1), lipid (fatty acid synthase, ATP-citrate lyase, sterol responsive element binding protein, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase), and amino acid metabolism (serine dehydratase and branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase E2 subunit) only occurred when fish were fed the high-protein diet. On the other hand, diet composition had a low impact on the expression of genes related to muscle protein degradation. Interestingly, glucokinase was the only gene of those monitored whose expression was significantly upregulated by increased carbohydrate intake. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that macro-nutrient composition of the diet strongly affected the insulin/amino acids signaling pathway and expression pattern of genes related to metabolism.     

Opposing actions of dehydroepiandrosterone and corticosterone in rats.

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and corticosterone (CORT) treatment, using implants as a route of administration, on specific hormones, metabolites, and enzymes involved in energy metabolism. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats, 325 g initial weight, were implanted subcutaneously for 3 weeks with time-release pellets containing either DHEA or CORT at doses of 0, 10, 25, 50, or 100 mg in this 2 x 5 factorial experiment. In general, body weights and food intakes decreased as the level of steroid hormones increased. In contrast to DHEA treatment, rats receiving the 50- and 100-mg doses of CORT had lighter thymus glands and spleens and heavier epididymal and retroperitoneal fat pads than their controls. Rats treated with 100 mg of DHEA had lowered serum levels of triglycerides and lipid hydroperoxides whereas rats treated with 100 mg of CORT had higher levels of these blood lipids compared to their respective controls. In contrast to DHEA treatment, there was a dose-dependent increase in liver lipid content and the specific activities of the hepatic lipogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme, and fatty acid synthase in response to CORT treatment. Rats treated with 100 mg of DHEA had higher serum levels of IGF-1 than control rats. Conversely, rats treated with 100 mg of CORT had lower serum levels of IGF-1 and higher serum levels of testosterone, progesterone, and insulin than their controls. These data demonstrate the lipogenic actions of corticosterone in rats. Conversely, DHEA treatment reduced serum and hepatic lipids. Furthermore, these data suggest that using implants instead of bolus injections of steroids may be a more physiological approach for studying the influence of these steroids on lipid metabolism.     

Changes in metabolism and hepatic ultrastructure induced by estradiol and testosterone in immature female Epinephelus akaara (Teleostei,Serranidae)

Summary Estradiol injections increase serum level of calcium, amino acid, glucose, protein, ammonia and creatinine in immature Epinephelus akaara, and also increase levels of total lipid, cholesterol, phospholipid and esterified fatty acids. Hepatic protein, glycogen and lipid concentrations also rise after estradiol treatment, and some hepatic enzymes participating in the metabolism of nitrogen, lipid and carbohydrate, show increased activity. Serum vitellogenin levels are increased. Testosterone treatment increases serum protein, total lipid, cholesterol, amino acid and ammonia levels, and also hepatic glycogen content, but in contrast to estradiol treatment, testosterone does not change serum vitellogenin, glucose, calcium, phospholipid, esterified fatty acid and creatinine levels, nor the hepatic lipid and protein content. A small number of hepatic enzymes shows an increased activity. Vitellogenic fish show biochemical changes similar to that of estradiol-treated fish, but are different from those of immature fish. Estradiol treatment induces ultrastructural changes in the hepatocytes of immature fish that are similar to those found in vitellogenic fish. These include a proliferation of rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, and an increase in glycogen and lipid, all indicative of enhanced metabolic activity.     

Short-term Effects of Ethanol Intoxication on Ascorbic Acid and Lipid Metabolism and on Drug-metabolizing Enzymes in Liver of Rats

The effects of one-time ethanol intoxication on ascorbic acid and lipid metabolism and on drug-metabolizing enzymes in liver of rats were investigated. Male Donryu rats that had been fed semi-purified feed were given 5 g/kg ethanol solution (25%, w/v) via a stomach tube and killed 16 h after intubation. The amount of ascorbic acid excreted in the urine after ethanol administration increased, but renal and adrenal concentrations of ascorbic acid decreased. The serum levels of total cholesterol, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, and non-esterified fatty acids were elevated in rats given ethanol, but hepatic level of total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids were not. The hepatic concentrations of cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b₅ did not increase, but this large dose of ethanol increased the activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase and cytochrome c reductase.

These results indicated that the single dose of ethanol affected the ascorbic acid and lipid metabolism of rats, and induced drug-metabolizing enzymes in their liver.     

Dietary supplements of mixtures of indispensable amino acids lacking threonine, phenylalanine or histidine increase the activity of hepatic threonine dehydrogenase, phenylalanine hydroxylase or histidase, respectively, and prevent growth depressions in chicks caused by dietary excesses of threonine, phenylalanine, or histidine*

Experiments were carried out to determine whether the addition of a mixture of indispensable amino acids (IAA) lacking in threonine, phenylalanine or histidine, respectively, to a nutritionally complete diet would increase the hepatic activities of the rate-limiting enzymes for catabolism of threonine, phenylalanine or histidine and prevent the adverse effects of the amino acid on growth when the dietary level of the amino acid is excessive. Week old Leghorn chicks were fed semi-purified diets containing 19% crude protein to which were added no IAA supplement or 10% crude protein from an IAA mix and 5 graded levels of either L-threonine, L-phenylalanine or L-histidine in a 2 x 5 factorial arrangement of treatments. Each amino acid was investigated in a separate experiment involving four replicate pens (seven chicks each) per diet. Weight gains and feed consumptions were determined on the fourteenth day of each experiment. The groups receiving no excess, and 1.0% or 2.0% excesses of amino acids were sampled on the fifteenth day for enzyme activities and plasma amino acid concentrations. Weight gain and/or feed consumption were lower, and plasma concentrations of threonine, phenylalanine and histidine were higher, in chicks receiving 1.5 to 2.0% dietary additions of threonine, phenylalanine, and histidine, respectively, than in chicks that did not receive these amino acids. Chicks that received the amino acids in diets that also contained the IAA supplement had better growth and feed consumption, lower plasma concentrations of threonine, phenylalanine or histidine, higher plasma concentrations of other indispensable amino acids, and higher activities of threonine dehydrogenase, phenylalanine hydroxylase, and histidase than chicks receiving excess amino acids in the absence of IAA supplements. We conclude that the dietary level of protein, not the dietary level of individual amino acids, is the primary determinant of the activity of amino acid degrading enzymes in liver. The increased activity of these enzymes may be the mechanism by which dietary protein alleviates the adverse effects of excessive levels of individual amino acids.     

Changes induced by Fe deficiency and Fe resupply in the organic acid metabolism of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) leaves

The effects of iron deficiency and iron resupply on the metabolism of leaf organic acids have been investigated in hydroponically grown sugar beet. Organic acid concentrations and activities in leaf extracts of several enzymes related to organic acid metabolism were measured. Enzymes assayed included phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase (PEPC; EC 4.1.1.31), different Krebs cycle enzymes: malate dehydrogenase (MDH; EC 1.1.1.37), aconitase (EC 4.2.1.3), fumarase (EC 4.2.1.2), citrate synthase (CS; EC 4.1.3.7) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH; EC 1.1.1.42), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH; EC 1.1.1.49) and two enzymes related to anaerobic metabolism (lactate dehydrogenase [LDH]; EC 1.1.1.27, and pyruvate decarboxylase [PDC]; EC 4.1.1.1). Iron concentration in leaves was severely decreased by iron deficiency. Iron resupply caused an increase in iron concentrations, reaching levels similar to the controls in 96 h. Iron deficiency induced a 2.3-fold (from 16 to 37 mmol m⁻²) increase in leaf total organic acid concentration. Organic anion concentrations were still 4-fold higher than the controls 24 h after resupply and decreased to values similar to those found in the controls after 96 h. All measured enzymes had increased activities in extracts of iron-deficient leaves when compared to the controls and generally decreased to control values 24 h after iron addition. These data provide evidence that organic acid accumulation in iron-deficient leaves is likely not due to an enhancement in leaf carbon fixation. Instead, this accumulation could be associated with organic acid export from the roots to the leaves via xylem.     

Beyond lipids, pharmacological PPARalpha activation has important effects on amino acid metabolism as studied in the rat

PPARalpha agonists have been characterized largely in terms of their effects on lipids and glucose metabolism, whereas little has been reported about effects on amino acid metabolism. We studied responses to the PPARalpha agonist WY 14,643 (30 micromol x kg(-1) x day(-1) for 4 wk) in rats fed a saturated fat diet. Plasma and urine were analyzed with proton NMR. Plasma amino acids were measured using HPLC, and hepatic gene expression was assessed with DNA arrays. The high-fat diet elevated plasma levels of insulin and triglycerides (TG), and WY 14,643 treatment ameliorated this insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, lowering plasma insulin and TG levels. In addition, treatment decreased body weight gain, without altering cumulative food intake, and increased liver mass. WY 14,643 increased plasma levels of 12 of 22 amino acids, including glucogenic and some ketogenic amino acids, whereas arginine was significantly decreased. There was no alteration in branched-chain amino acid levels. Compared with the fat-fed control animals, WY 14,643-treated animals had raised plasma urea and ammonia levels as well as raised urine levels of N-methylnicotinamide and dimethylglycine. WY 14,643 induced changes in a number of key genes involved in amino acid metabolism in addition to expected effects on hepatic genes involved in lipid catabolism and ketone body formation. In conclusion, the present results suggest that, in rodents, effects of pharmacological PPARalpha activation extend beyond control of lipid metabolism to include important effects on whole body amino acid mobilization and hepatic amino acid metabolism.     

粘虫飞行过程中四种相关酶的活性变化

对3日龄粘虫雌蛾吊飞过程中4种相关酶3-羟酰辅酶A脱氢酶(HOAD)、3-磷酸甘油醛脱氢酶(GAPDH)、3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶(GDH)和乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)的研究结果表明,在室内条件下,粘虫在吊飞过程中其能量代谢有以下特点： 在吊飞的初始5 min,所有与糖代谢和脂肪代谢相关的酶活性都快速升高,这段时期脂肪代谢的酶活性也完全被活化,HOAD活性明显增强;但在随后的5～60 min持续吊飞期间与能量代谢有关的酶活性都有所下降,表明此时飞行活性趋于平稳。飞行中的粘虫具有极高的有氧代谢能力,也具备一定的无氧代谢能力。吊飞过程中HOAD∶GAPDH大于1,说明粘虫飞行过程中能源物质利用属于混合型,但动用脂肪比糖类要多。