Glucose Metabolism in Healthy Subjects and in Patients with Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolic Disorders

The rate of glucose oxidation was studied by measurement of the ¹³C concentration in expired air with simultaneous detection of the activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in subjects with obesity and patients with type II diabetes. Intake of small amounts of glucose did not change the rate of glucose oxidation in subjects with obesity as compared to healthy controls. However, intake of large amounts of glucose resulted in a considerable increase in the rate of glucose oxidation without a hypoxic shift. In patients with diabetes mellitus, the rate of glucose oxidation decreased with increasing tissue hypoxia.     

Engineering of Primary Carbohydrate Metabolism for Increased Production of Actinorhodin in Streptomyces coelicolor

The objectives of the current studies were to determine the roles of key enzymes in central carbon metabolism in the context of increased production of antibiotics in Streptomyces coelicolor. Genes for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphoglucomutase (Pgm) were deleted and those for the acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) were overexpressed. Under the conditions tested, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase encoded by zwf2 plays a more important role than that encoded by zwf1 in determining the carbon flux to actinorhodin (Act), while the function of Pgm encoded by SCO7443 is not clearly understood. The pgm-deleted mutant unexpectedly produced abundant glycogen but was impaired in Act production, the exact reverse of what had been anticipated. Overexpression of the ACCase resulted in more rapid utilization of glucose and sharply increased the efficiency of its conversion to Act. From the current experiments, it is concluded that carbon storage metabolism plays a significant role in precursor supply for Act production and that manipulation of central carbohydrate metabolism can lead to an increased production of Act in S. coelicolor.     

Differences in Fat,Carbohydrate, and Protein Metabolism between Lean and Obese Subjects Undergoing Total Starvation

ELIA, M., R. J. STUBBS, AND C. J. K. HENRY. Differences in fat, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism between lean and obese subjects undergoing total starvation. Obes Res. Despite extensive experimental studies on total starvation, many of the findings relating to protein, fat (plus ketone body), and carbohydrate metabolism remain confusing, although they become more consistent when considered in relation to the degree of initial obesity. During prolonged starvation, protein loss and percent energy derived from protein oxidation are 2- to 3-fold less in the obese than in the lean; percent urine N excreted as urea is 2-fold less in the obese; and the contribution of protein to net glucose production is only about half in the obese compared to lean subjects. During short-term starvation (first few days) the following differences are reported: hyperketonaemia is typically 2-fold greater in lean subjects, but associated with a 2-fold lower uptake of ketone bodies by forearm muscle; glucose tolerance becomes impaired more in lean subjects; and both protein turnover and leucine oxidation increase in the lean, but may show no significant change in the obese. It is no longer acceptable to describe the metabolic response to starvation as a single typical response. The differences between lean and obese subjects have important physiological implications, some of which are of obvious relevance to survival.     

Carbohydrate Metabolism in Spirochaeta stenostrepta

The pathways of carbohydrate metabolism in Spirochaeta stenostrepta, a free-living, strictly anaerobic spirochete, were studied. The organism fermented glucose to ethyl alcohol, acetate, lactate, CO(2), and H(2). Assays of enzymatic activities in cell extracts, and determinations of radioactivity distribution in products formed from (14)C-labeled glucose indicated that S. stenostrepta degraded glucose via the Embden-Meyerhof pathway. The spirochete utilized a clostridial-type clastic reaction to metabolize pyruvate to acetyl-coenzyme A, CO(2), and H(2), without production of formate. Acetyl-coenzyme A was converted to ethyl alcohol by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent acetaldehyde and alcohol dehydrogenase activities. Phosphotransacetylase and acetate kinase catalyzed the formation of acetate from acetyl-coenzyme A. Hydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase activities were detected in cell extracts. A rubredoxin was isolated from cell extracts of S. stenostrepta. Preparations of this rubredoxin stimulated acetyl phosphate formation from pyruvate by diethylaminoethyl cellulose-treated extracts of S. stenostrepta, an indication that rubredoxin may participate in pyruvate cleavage by this spirochete. Nutritional studies showed that S. stenostrepta fermented a variety of carbohydrates, but did not ferment amino acids or other organic acids. An unidentified growth factor present in yeast extract was required by the organism. Exogenous supplements of biotin, riboflavin, and vitamin B(12) were either stimulatory or required for growth.     

肥胖合并动脉粥样硬化大鼠血管旁脂肪组织中趋化因子chemerin的表达变化

目的:通过构建肥胖合并动脉粥样硬化大鼠模型,评估模型血管旁脂肪组织中趋化因子chemerin基因及蛋白的表达变化.方法:建立肥胖合并动脉粥样硬化大鼠模型;于模型构建不同时期(8周、12周、16周及24周)取胸主动脉旁脂肪组织,应用real-time-PCR检测chemerin的mRNA表达变化;应用免疫组织化学染色的方...     

鲜食糯玉米采后糖代谢相关酶活性变化

鲜食糯玉米采后腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶（ADPGPPase）、尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶（UDPGPPase）、束缚态淀粉合成酶（GBSS）、淀粉脱分支酶（DBE）等活性均呈现单峰曲线变化,第1～2天出现峰值然后略有下降;可溶性淀粉合成酶（SSS）活性呈较大幅度上升趋势,活性远高于采收初期;淀粉分支酶（SBE）在第3天出现极高峰值。与20℃贮藏温度相比,采后0℃低温贮藏可增强UDPGPPase活性,促进蔗糖降解;降低SSS和GBSS活性,延缓淀粉合成进程;抑制SBE活性,增强DBE活性,促进直链淀粉生成。     

休眠期间油桃花芽碳水化合物代谢及其相关基因的表达变化

以十年生大田和三年生盆栽‘曙光’油桃花芽为材料,分别测定了其休眠期碳水化合物含量、糖代谢相关基因的季节性表达及低温处理下相关基因的表达变化,旨在探讨碳水化合物及低温与休眠的关系。结果表明：休眠期间可溶性糖（主要是蔗糖）含量逐渐增加,淀粉含量则呈相反趋势。糖代谢相关基因表达明显不同：腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶基因口GPase）无明显变化;组氨酸H3基因（HisH3）和己糖激酶I基因（胱,）在进入内休眠前有明显上升,蔗糖合酶基因（SuSy）则与之相反;尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶（UGPase）表达总体上呈上调趋势,在进入内休眠后稍有下调。表明进入内休眠后,依赖HKl的糖信号转导途径起重要作用。在4℃处理后,与细胞分裂有关的基因HisH3含量急剧升高,而后下降,说明细胞分裂的减少并不是休眠期间抑制生长的原因;UGPase表现出与内休眠期一致的变化趋势,说明对低温有一定的适应性。     

Carbohydrate Metabolism in the Narcissus Leaf

Carbohydrate contents of both the photosynthetic and the storageorgans of Narcissus tazetta L. were determined at four stagesin their development under both ‘natural’ growingconditions and under conditions of varying light intensities. Starch was abundantly stored in all the storage organs, particularlyin the bases of the photosynthetic organs under high light intensityand also at the second dormant stage. However, its level remainedrelatively stable in the green part of the foliage leaf andthe scape at different stages and appeared not to be affectedby light except at very high intensity. It was found in boththe bundle sheaths and guard cells. Sucrose, which is the first sugar of photosynthesis, was continuouslyexported from the green parts of the blade and the scape totheir bases where it was also stored. In the dark the sucroselevel became low in the green blade and the green scape butit rose with increase of light intensity. The hexose level was very low at the dormant stage in all organsexamined but rose as they matured and exceeded that of sucrosein the green organs except in high light intensity. Hexose isformed presumably as a result of sucrose hydrolysis and is constantlylost, presumably through respiration. At senescence sugar disappeared almost completely from all theorgans, while nearly 10 per cent of residual dry weight of starchremained in the dead tissues. The interrelationship betweenthe carbohydrates and their movement in the leaf is discussed.     

Changes in Insulin Secretion and Glucose Metabolism Induced by Dexamethasone in Lean and Obese Females

Objective: In healthy lean individuals, changes in insulin sensitivity occurring as a consequence of a 2‐day dexamethasone administration are compensated for by changes in insulin secretion, allowing glucose homeostasis to be maintained. This study evaluated the changes in glucose metabolism and insulin secretion induced by short‐term dexamethasone administration in obese women. Research Methods and Procedures: Eleven obese women with normal glucose tolerance were studied on two occasions, without and after 2 days of low‐dose dexamethasone administration. A two‐step hyperglycemic clamp (7.5 and 10 mM glucose) with 6, 6 ²H₂ glucose was used to assess insulin secretion and whole body glucose metabolism. Results were compared with those obtained in a group of eight lean women. Results: Without dexamethasone, obese women had higher plasma insulin concentrations in the fasting state, during the first phase of insulin secretion, and at the two hyperglycemic plateaus. However, they had normal whole body glucose metabolism compared with lean women, indicating adequate compensation. After dexamethasone, obese women had a 66% to 92% increase in plasma insulin concentrations but a 15.4% decrease in whole body glucose disposal. This contrasted with lean women, who had a 91% to 113% increase in plasma insulin concentrations, with no change in whole body glucose disposal. Discussion: Dexamethasone administration led to a significant reduction in whole body glucose disposal at fixed glycemia in obese but not lean women. This indicates that obese women are unable to increase their insulin secretion appropriately.     

Enzymes of Carbohydrate Metabolism in Thiobacillus species

A study was made of enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in representative thiobacilli grown with and without glucose. The data show that Thiobacillus perometabolis possesses an inducible Entner-Doudoroff pathway and is thus similar to T. intermedius and T. ferrooxidans. T. novellus lacks this pathway. Instead, a non-cyclic pentose phosphate pathway along with the Krebs cycle is apparently the major route of glucose dissimilation in this organism. Glucose does not support or stimulate the growth of strains of T. neapolitanus, T. thioparus, and T. thiooxidans examined, nor does its presence in the growth medium greatly influence their enzymatic constitution. These obligately chemolithotrophic thiobacilli do not possess the Entner-Doudoroff pathway. Their nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase activity predominates over their nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP)-linked activity; the converse is true for the other thiobacilli. The data suggest that NAD-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase activity in thiobacilli is involved in biosynthetic reactions.