Mechanism of inhibitory action of ketone bodies on the production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIS) by polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

We determined an effect of acetoacetic acid (AcAc) and 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB) on the production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs) in polymorphonuclear leukocytes from healthy volunteers. Both AcAc and 3-OHB inhibited the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL) activities assessed with initial slope and the inhibition rates were about 42%, 44% respectively by AcAc and 3-OHB when the leukocytes were preincubated with 10 mM AcAc or 3-OHB for 60 minutes. The LDCL activity was reduced by 16% and 42% following the addition of 1mM and 10 mM AcAc. The similar reduction of the LDCL activity was observed in the addition of 3-OHB. Either 3-OHB or AcAc failed to show a significant reduction of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. However, both 3-OHB and AcAc dose-dependently inhibited superoxide anion (O2-) production, measured by using cytochrome c. These data provided evidence that both 3-OHB and AcAc suppress neutrophil oxidative metabolism with respect with O2- production.     

Evidence for direct inhibitory effects of dopamine on zona glomerulosa secretion of 18-hydroxycorticosterone in rhesus monkeys

This study was designed to more selectively investigate the dopaminergic regulation of 18-hydroxycorticosterone (18-OHB) and aldosterone production by the adrenal zona glomerulosa. Mature rhesus monkeys received either an infusion of dopamine (2 micrograms/kg/min) or 5% dextrose (0.2 ml/min) over a 60 min period (N=6). Dopamine had no effect on plasma levels of renin activity, cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone or blood pressure. However, dopamine suppressed (p less than 0.05) plasma 18-OHB levels from a baseline of 31.6 +/- 3.5 ng/dl to 23.6 +/- 2.1 ng/dl at 60 min after onset of infusion. This observation is in agreement with some studies in humans but differs from others in which no depression in 18-OHB was observed following dopamine infusion. Dopamine infusion markedly (p less than 0.001) suppressed plasma PRL levels by 30 min after onset of infusion. Corticosteroid responses to metoclopramide (200 micrograms/kg) after dexamethasone 1 mg im every 6 h X 5 days or placebo treatment (vehicle im every 6 h X 5 days) was then evaluated. Dexamethasone significantly suppressed basal cortisol, corticosterone, 18-OHB and aldosterone. Although dexamethasone blunted the prolactin response, it did not inhibit the aldosterone response to metoclopramide. The 18-OHB response to metoclopramide was increased (p less than 0.01) following dexamethasone treatment. Following dexamethasone suppression, 18-OHB levels were still lowered (p less than 0.05) by dopamine infusion. These results suggest that dopamine selectively inhibits zona glomerulosa production of 18-OHB and aldosterone in rhesus monkeys.     

The beta-cell glibenclamide receptor is an ADP-binding protein.

Pathways of bulk protein degradation controlled by insulin and isoprenaline (isoproterenol) were distinguished in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Proteins were biosynthetically labelled in vitro with [3H]leucine, followed by addition of 2 mM non-radioactive leucine to competitively prevent reincorporation. Rapidly degraded proteins were eliminated during a 3 h preliminary perfusion period without insulin. One third of bulk myocardial protein degradation was inhibited by isoprenaline as described previously. An insulin concentration of 5 nM maximally inhibited proteolysis, beginning within 2 min. Inhibition reached 32% within 1.25 h and 35% after 1.5 h. The minimum effective insulin concentration was approx. 10-50 pM, which caused 10-20% inhibition. Following 3 h of perfusion without insulin, the lysosomal inhibitor, chloroquine (30 microM), inhibited 38% of bulk degradation. The 35% proteolytic inhibition caused by insulin was followed by very little further inhibition on subsequent concurrent infusion of chloroquine, i.e. the inhibitory effects of insulin and chloroquine were not additive. In contrast, prior inhibition of lysosomal proteolysis by insulin or chloroquine did not prevent the subsequent additive inhibition caused by isoprenaline. Insulin and beta-agonists additively inhibited approx. two-thirds of bulk degradation. The biguanide antihyperglycaemic agent phenformin (2 microM) inhibited 35% of bulk degradation, beginning at 2 min and reaching a near maximum at approx. 1.25-1.5 h. Following inhibition of proteolysis with phenformin (20 microM), subsequent infusion of chloroquine (30 microM) produced only a slight additional inhibition. Following inhibition of 35% of degradation by 1.5 h of perfusion with insulin (5 nM), subsequent exposure to phenformin (2 microM) produced only a slight additional inhibition which did not exceed 38% of basal proteolysis. Thus insulin and phenformin both inhibit lysosomal proteolysis; however, the adrenergic-responsive pathway is distinct.     

An ''in situ'' perfusion system suitable for investigating mammary-tissue metabolism in the lactating rat. Hormonal regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

A technique is described for the non-recirculating perfusion of inguinal/abdominal mammary tissue in situ in anaesthetized lactating rats. Tissue viability was maintained, without resort to infusion of vasoactive chemicals which may also be effectors of cellular metabolism, for at least 90 min. Total tissue adenine nucleotides (per mg of DNA) were somewhat decreased in perfused relative to non-perfused mammary tissue. DNA content (per g wet wt. of tissue) was diminished after 90 min of perfusion to approx. 65% of its value in control tissue. Adenylate energy-charge ratios were lower in perfused tissue in the absence of hormones than in control tissue. They were increased to control values by the presence of either insulin or isoprenaline in the perfusate. No changes occurred in flow rate of the perfusate that might account for these increases. In mammary tissue perfused without addition of hormones, acetyl-CoA carboxylase activities were similar to those measured in control tissue samples, although activity-ratio measurements implied some increase in the phosphorylation of this enzyme. Insulin or isoprenaline increased the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, especially when this was measured at low concentrations of citrate. Confirming conclusions from previous experiments with mammary acini and explant preparations, insulin activated acetyl-CoA carboxylase in mammary tissue, but inhibition of its activity was not mediated by cyclic AMP.     

Glucagon-like peptide-1(7-37) does not stimulate either hepatic glycogenolysis or ketogenesis

Recent Studies have demonstrated that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP)(7-37) has more potent insulinotropic activity than glucagon. We therefore examined the effect of GLP-1(7-37) on liver metabolism using rat liver perfusion system. Ten nM GLP-1(7-37) did not affect glucose, ketone body and cAMP outputs from the perfused liver. Whereas, the same dose of glucagon stimulated these outputs significantly. When 10 nM GLP-1(7-37) perfused 5 min before the administration of 10 nM glucagon, the above stimulatory effects of glucagon were not affected. These results indicate that truncated GLP-1 has no effect on hepatic glycogenolysis and ketogenesis dissociating from its potent insulinotropic activity.     

Ketone body utilization and its metabolic effect in resting muscles of normal and streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

By using an in situ rat hindquarter perfusion, we evaluated ketone body utilization and its metabolic effects in the resting muscle of 24 h fasted normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. Under the perfusion with ketone body-supplementation (1 mM each of acetoacetic acid (AcAc) and 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-OHB], the AcAc and 3-OHB uptake of STZ-diabetic rats was significantly (P less than 0.05) smaller than that of normal rats. This might be explained by the low enzyme activity of 3-oxoacid CoA transferase demonstrated in the hindlimb muscles of STZ-diabetic rats and this reduced ketone body uptake would be one of the causes of the development of diabetic ketoacidosis. The glucose uptake and the phosphofructokinase (PFK) activity of normal rats were significantly (P less than 0.05) higher than those of STZ-diabetic rats. In both normal and STZ-diabetic rats, the glucose utilization and PFK activity of the muscles in the ketone body-supplemented condition were significantly (P less than 0.05) lower than those in the non-supplemented condition. This inhibition of glucose utilization by ketone bodies should be due to the mechanism by which the oxidation of ketone bodies inhibits PFK in the muscle.     

Kinetic studies on hepatic handling of glucagon using the model of non-recirculating perfused rat livers.

Using the model of the in vitro non-recirculating perfused rat liver we studied kinetic aspects of the hepatic handling of glucagon. Under conditions of a 20 min glucagon infusion (glucagon mass flows of 0.05, 0.46 and 4.75 ng/g liver/min, respectively) according to a rectangular profile both total and individual glucagon extractions were dependent on mass flow and time. The time course of glucagon extraction started with an acute phase within the first minute of infusion with a maximum value of 70%, which decreased within the following 30 sec by more than 40%. Depending on concentration, there was a progressive decrease in the hepatic extraction of glucagon up to the end of perfusion. Hepatic glucagon degradation was found to take place only at a little extent. Immediately after terminating the hormone infusion, the liver changed over into a glucagon-releasing organ. Kinetics of glucagon infusion and glucagon-induced hepatic glycogenolysis did not distinguish by parallelism but rather by phase shifting.     

Effects of 3-hydroxybutyrate and hyperosmolarity on glucagon release from isolated perfused canine pancreas

The effects of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB) and hyperosmolarity on glucagon secretion were examined in the isolated perfused canine pancreas. When 3-OHB was infused for 15 min into the pancreas perfused with 2.8 mM glucose, 5 and 20 mM sodium 3-OHB inhibited it after a transient stimulation, whereas a similar transient stimulation was observed also by the infusion of 20 mM NaCl in a control experiment. The above inhibition was not observed under the perfusate condition of 5.5 mM glucose plus 10 mM arginine. When the isolated canine pancreas was perfused under the perfusate condition of acidosis (pH 7.1), ketoacidosis (pH 7.1 and 20 mM 3-OHB) or hyperosmolarity (+60 mOsm/kg with sucrose) throughout the experiment, the glucagon concentrations produced by 2.8 mM glucose under the ketoacidotic and hyperosmolar conditions, were less than half of those obtained under the standard condition. The insulin level was not influenced by the above perfusate conditions. These results suggest that 3-OHB inhibits glucagon secretion stimulated by glucopenia, but does not inhibit it stimulated by amino acids, and that hyperosmolarity inhibits glucagon secretion but does not inhibit insulin secretion. The pathophysiological significance of these results must be slight, considering the presence of hyperglucagonemia during prolonged starvation or diabetic ketoacidosis.     

Quantitation of ketogenesis in periportal and pericentral regions of the liver lobule

A method has been devised to quantitate rates of ketogenesis (acetoacetate + beta-hydroxybutyrate production) in discrete regions of the liver lobule based on changes in NADH fluorescence. In perfused livers from fasted rats, ketogenesis was inhibited nearly completely with either 2-bromoctanoate (600 microM) or 2-tetradecylglycidic acid (25 microM). During inhibition of ketogenesis, a linear relationship (r = 0.90) was observed between decreases in NADH fluorescence detected from the liver surface and decreases in ketone body production. NADH fluorescence was monitored subsequently from individual regions of the liver lobule by placing microlight guides on periportal and pericentral regions of the liver lobule visible on the liver surface. Rates of ketogenesis in sublobular regions were calculated from regional decreases in NADH fluorescence and changes in the rate of ketone body formation by the whole liver during infusion of inhibitors. In the presence of bromoctanoate, ketogenesis was reduced 80% and local rates of ketogenesis were decreased 31 +/- 4 mumol/g/h in periportal areas and 28 +/- 3 mumol/g/h in pericentral regions. Similar results were observed with tetradecylglycidic acid. Therefore, it was concluded that submaximal rates of ketogenesis from endogenous, mainly long-chain fatty acids are nearly equal in periportal and pericentral regions of the liver lobule in liver from fasted rats. Rates of ketogenesis and NADH fluorescence were strongly correlated during fatty acid infusion. Infusion of 250 microM oleate increased NADH fluorescence maximally by 8 +/- 1% over basal values in periportal regions and 17 +/- 4% in pericentral areas. Local rates of ketogenesis, calculated from these changes in fluorescence, increased 35 +/- 6 mumol/g/h in periportal areas and 55 +/- 5 mumol/g/h in pericentral regions. Thus, oleate stimulated ketogenesis nearly 60% more in pericentral than in periportal regions of the liver lobule.     

Leukotriene C4 metabolism during its action on glucose and lactate balance and flow in perfused rat liver

Rat livers were perfused in a non-recirculating mode at constant pressure via the portal vein with media containing 5 mM glucose, 2 mM lactate, and 0.2 mM pyruvate. [3H]LTC4 was infused for a period of 5 min to a final concentration of 20 nM; it increased glucose and lactate output and reduced perfusion flow. 1) Leukotriene radioactivity was recovered 10 min after the onset of [3H]LTC4 infusion to about 40% in the effluent, to 20% in the bile, and to 40% in the liver. 2) Radioactivity in the effluent increased to a maximum 4-5 min after the onset and decreased again to essentially zero 3 min after completion of [3H]LTC4 infusion. [3H]LTC4 and [3H]LTD4 were the major labeled components in the effluent accounting for 45% and 38%, respectively, of the effluent radioactivity. 3) [3H]LTC4 and [3H]LTD4 were also the major components in bile; they accounted for 50% and 30%, respectively, of the radioactivity excreted, while more polar [3H]leukotriene metabolites accounted for the remainder. 4) In the liver, [3H]LTC4 and [3H]LTD4 were the major and [3H]LTE4, N-acetyl-[3H]LTE4 as well as omega-hydroxy-N-acetyl-[3H]LTE4 and omega-carboxy-N-acetyl-[3H]LTE4 were minor components detected 5 min after completion of [3H]LTC4 infusion. It is concluded from the present findings that during a 5 min infusion period about one third each of the infused LTC4 remained unchanged, was converted to LTD4, and was further degraded to LTE4 and polar metabolites including omega-oxidation products of N-acetyl-LTE4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Simultaneous response of myocardial contractility and a major proteolytic process to beta-adrenergic-receptor occupancy in the Langendorff isolated perfused rat heart.

The Langendorff isolated rat heart was adapted to the study of minute-to-minute percentage changes in bulk protein degradation by using non-recirculating perfusion. Hearts were perfused at 8 ml/min at 35 degrees C with Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing 11 mM-glucose, and only hearts with regular ventricular rhythm were employed. Proteins were labelled by infusion of [3H]leucine for 0.5 h in vitro. A complete amino acid mixture was then added at 3 times normal rat extracellular concentrations. After labelling, the re-incorporation of [3H]leucine was competitively inhibited by addition of either 4 mM-leucine or 20 microM-cycloheximide. The residual unincorporated radioactivity and the preferentially labelled rapid-turnover proteins were eliminated during a 3 h preliminary perfusion period. The basal rate of release of [3H]leucine and percentage changes were then determined at 1 min intervals, by using each heart as its own control. Leucine metabolism was inconsequential to results. Exchange of intracellular leucine pools with extracellular leucine and subsequent release in effluent perfusate was 95% complete within approx. 2 min. The basal rate of protein degradation was unchanged by electrical stimulation of the heart rate to 360 beats/min or cessation of contractile activity by membrane depolarization under 25 mM-KCl. Infusion of the beta-agonist isoprenaline at 5-500 nM caused a graded inhibition of myocardial protein degradation within 5-6 min, with a maximum inhibition of 30%. This inhibition was sustained for at least 1 h of drug administration and was reversed within 4-6 min of cessation of isoprenaline or simultaneous infusion of 1 microM of the beta-receptor antagonist propranolol. Minute-to-minute adrenergic proteolytic control was a simultaneous co-variable with beta-receptor-mediated inotropic changes in right-intraventricular systolic pressure. Stoppage of the heart in asystole by the Ca2+-channel blocker nifedipine (0.7 microM) delayed the onset, but did not cause sustained reversal, of adrenergic-inhibited degradation, indicating the absence of a direct obligatory mechanistic linkage between the events of the contraction-relaxation cycle and protein degradation in this preparation.     

Control of ketogenesis in the perfused rat liver by the sympathetic innervation

The regulation of ketogenesis by the hepatic nerves was investigated in the rat liver perfused in situ. Electrical stimulation of the hepatic nerves around the portal vein and the hepatic artery caused a reduction of basal ketogenesis owing to a decrease in acetoacetate release to 30% with essentially no change in 3-hydroxybutyrate release. At the same time, as observed before [Hartmann et al. (1982) Eur. J. Biochem. 123, 521-526], nerve stimulation increased glucose output, shifted lactate uptake to output and decreased perfusion flow. Ketogenesis from oleate, which enters the mitochondria via the carnitine system, was also lowered after nerve stimulation owing to a decrease of acetoacetate release to 30% with no alteration in 3-hydroxybutyrate release. Ketogenesis from octanoate, which enters the mitochondria independently of the carnitine system, was decreased after nerve stimulation as a result of a drastic decrease of acetoacetate output to 15% and a less pronounced decrease of 3-hydroxybutyrate release to 65%. Noradrenaline mimicked the metabolic nerve effects on ketogenesis only at the highly unphysiological concentration of 0.1 microM under basal conditions and in the presence of oleate as well as partly in the presence of octanoate. It was essentially not effective at a concentration of 0.01 microM, which might be reached in the sinusoids owing to overflow from the hepatic vasculature. Sodium nitroprusside prevented the hemodynamic changes after nerve stimulation; it did not affect the nerve-dependent reduction of ketogenesis under basal conditions and in the presence of oleate, yet it diminished the nerve effect on octanoate-dependent ketogenesis. Phentolamine clearly reduced the metabolic and hemodynamic nerve effects, while propranolol was without effect. The present data suggest that hepatic ketogenesis was inhibited by stimulation of alpha-sympathetic liver nerves directly rather than indirectly via hemodynamic changes or noradrenaline overflow from the vessels and that the site of regulation should be mainly intramitochondrial.     

Reciprocal changes of plasma glucose and ketone bodies in fasted and acutely diabetic rats after CNS stimulation

To assess the effect of chemical stimulation of the central nervous system (CNS) on ketogenesis, we injected neostigmine (5 x 10(-8)mol) into the third cerebral ventricle in normal rats fasted for 48 h and fed rats with diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ, 80 mg/kg). The hepatic venous plasma levels of ketone bodies (3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate), free fatty acids (FFA), and glucose were measured for 120 min after the injection of neostigmine under pentobarbital anesthesia. In the normal rats, plasma glucose levels were significantly increased but neither ketone bodies nor FFA were affected by CNS stimulation with neostigmine. In contrast the plasma levels of ketone bodies and FFA were significantly increased in STZ-diabetic rats, while glucose levels remained unchanged. The intravenous infusion of somatostatin (1.0 microgram/kg/min) suppressed the increase in plasma ketone bodies following CNS stimulation in STZ-diabetic rats. These findings suggest that CNS stimulation with neostigmine may accelerate ketogenesis by promoting the lipolysis, which may be induced by glucagon, in fed diabetic rats but not in normal fasted rats.     

Effect of beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate on insulin and glucagon secretion from perfused rat pancreas

To elucidate the physiological significance of ketone bodies on insulin and glucagon secretion, the direct effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB) and acetoacetate (AcAc) infusion on insulin and glucagon release from perfused rat pancreas were investigated. The BOHB or AcAc was administered at concentrations of 10, 1, or 0.1 mM for 30 min at 4.0 ml/min. High-concentration infusions of BOHB and AcAc (10 mM) produced significant increases in insulin release in the presence of 4.4 mM glucose, but low-concentration infusions of BOHB and AcAc (1 and 0.1 mM) caused no significant changes in insulin secretion from perfused rat pancreas. BOHB (10, 1, and 0.1 mM) and AcAc (10 and 1 mM) infusion significantly inhibited glucagon secretion from perfused rat pancreas. These results suggest that physiological concentrations of ketone bodies have no direct effect on insulin release but have a direct inhibitory effect on glucagon secretion from perfused rat pancreas.     

Role of extracellular calcium and calcium efflux in the activation of hepatic glycogenolysis by calcium-dependent hormones

The role of extracellular calcium in the glycogenolytic effects of calcium-dependent hormones was examined in a rat liver perfusion system. Decreasing the perfusate CaCl2 concentration resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of glucose output by maximal concentrations of vasopressin (20 nM) and angiotensin II (10 nM), but not of glucagon (1.4 nM), cyclic AMP (100 microM), dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10 microM) or phenylephrine (5 microM). However, the effect of phenylephrine was inhibited when livers were perfused with CaCl2-free perfusate containing 0.5 mM EGTA in a duration-dependent manner. These effects were exerted through the inhibition of the maximal response of each hormone, and were associated with a parallel decrease in phosphorylase activation but not with changes in tissue cyclic AMP concentrations. When livers were preloaded with 45Ca for 45 min and then washed for either 15 min or 45 min, these hormones elicited a rapid and transient 45Ca efflux regardless of the perfusate calcium concentration. The sequential perfusion of two hormones resulted in the loss of 45Ca efflux by the second hormone. These results suggest that the glycogenolytic effects of vasopressin and angiotensin II depend on the extracellular calcium and that of phenylephrine primarily on the cellular calcium. It was also demonstrated that these calcium-dependent hormones mobilize calcium from the same pools. However, the mobilization of cellular calcium does not necessarily correlate directly with the glycogenolytic actions of vasopressin and angiotensin II.     

Role of endogenous regucalcin in nuclear regulation of regenerating rat liver: suppression of the enhanced ribonucleic acid synthesis activity

The role of endogenous regucalcin in the regulation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis activity in the nucleus of normal and regenerating rat livers was investigated. Nuclear RNA synthesis was measured by the incorporation of [(3)H]-uridine 5'-triphosphate into the nuclear RNA in vitro. The presence of regucalcin (0.25 or 0.5 microM) in the reaction mixture caused a significant decrease in nuclear RNA synthesis of normal rat liver. alpha-Amanitin (10(-8)-10(-6) M), an inhibitor of RNA polymerase II and III, decreased significantly nuclear RNA synthesis activity. The effect of regucalcin (0.25 microM) in decreasing nuclear RNA synthesis activity was not seen in the presence of alpha-amanitin (10(-6) M). The calcium chloride (10 microM)-increased nuclear RNA synthesis activity was significantly suppressed by the addition of regucalcin (0.25 microM). RNA synthesis activity was significantly enhanced in the nuclei of regenating rat liver obtained at 24, 48, or 72 h after partial hepatectomy. This enhancement was significantly inhibited in the presence of PD98059 (10(-5) M), staurosporine (10(-6) M), or vanadate (10(-3) M). Western analysis of the nuclei of regenerating liver obtained at 24, 48, or 72 h after partial hepatectomy showed a significant increase in regucalcin protein as compared with that of sham-operated rats. The presence of anti-regucalcin monoclonal antibody (25 or 50 ng/ml) in the reaction mixture caused a significant increase in nuclear RNA synthesis activity of normal rat liver. This increase was completely blocked by the addition of regucalcin (1.0 microM). The effect of anti-regucalcin monoclonal antibody (50 ng/ml) in increasing nuclear RNA synthesis activity was significantly enhanced in the nuclei of regenerating liver obtained at 24, 48, or 72 h after partial hepatectomy. This enhancement was significantly suppressed by the addition of alpha-amanitin (10(-6) M), PD98059 (10(-5) M), staurosporine (10(-6) M), or vanadate (10(-3) M) in the reaction mixture. The present study demonstrates that endogenous regucalcin has a suppressive effect on the enhancement of RNA synthesis activity in the nucleus of regenerating rat liver with proliferative cells.     

Binding sites for horseradish peroxidase on the cell surface. Suppression of binding by gangliosides and effects of some bivalent cations

The cytochemical reaction for surface-bound horseradish peroxidase (HRP) on cultured HeLa cells, GH3 cells, and isolated rat liver cells was suppressed by 30 microM monosialoganglioside, by 30 microM trisialoganglioside, or by 5 mM CMP-neuraminic acid. The reaction was also suppressed by 10 mM chitotriose or by 10 mM UDP-galactose, a galactose acceptor and donor, respectively, for galactosyl-transferase. The addition of 2 mM Mn2+ to the incubation medium with HRP suppressed the reaction for surface-bound HRP, and the addition of 10-20 mM Ca2+ intensified the reaction. The addition of 2 mM Zn2+ caused less inhibition than that of 2 mM Mn2+, and the addition of 2 mM Co2+ caused either a slight inhibition, or no inhibition. These observations support the hypothesis that HRP may be bound to a glycosyltransferase at the cell surface.     

Interactions between glutamine metabolism and cell-volume regulation in perfused rat liver

1. In the presence of near-physiological glutamine concentrations, exposure of perfused rat liver to hypotonic perfusion media switched glutamine balance across the liver from net release to net uptake. This was due to both stimulation of flux through glutaminase and inhibition of flux through glutamine synthetase. Conversely, during exposure to hypertonic media, net glutamine release from the liver increased due to inhibition of glutaminase flux and slight stimulation of flux through glutamine synthetase. The effect of perfusate osmolarity on glutaminase flux was observed at an NH4Cl concentration (0.5 mM) sufficient for near-maximal ammonia stimulation of glutaminase. This indicates the involvement of different mechanisms of glutaminase flux control by extracellular osmolarity changes and ammonia. The effects of anisotonicity on flux through glutamine-metabolizing enzymes were fully reversible. Glutamine (0.6 mM) stimulated urea synthesis from NH4Cl (0.5 mM) during hypotonic and normotonic conditions. 2. Exposure to hypotonic and hypertonic media led, after initial liver-cell swelling and shrinkage, respectively to volume-regulatory K+ fluxes which largely restored the initial liver-cell volume despite the continuing osmotic challenge. Even after completion of cell-volume regulatory K+ fluxes, the effects of perfusate osmolarity on hepatic glutamine metabolism persisted. This indicates that in anisotonicity the liver cell is left in an altered metabolic state, even after completion of volume-regulatory responses. 3. During perfusion with isotonic media, addition of glutamine (3 mM) led to an increase of liver mass by about 4% within 2 min, which was accompanied by a net K+ uptake by the liver. Thereafter, the new steady state of increased liver mass was maintained throughout glutamine infusion. When the liver mass had reached this new steady state, a net release of K+ from the liver of about 3 mumol/g liver was observed during the following 10 min. Withdrawal of glutamine was followed by a slow reuptake of K+ and the liver mass returned to its initial value. Following exposure to glutamine (3 mM), the intracellular glutamine concentration (as calculated from glutamine tissue levels, taking into account the extracellular space determined with the [3H]inulin technique) rose from about 1 mM to 30-35 mM within about 12 min, indicating a 10-12-fold concentrative uptake of glutamine into the liver cells and an osmotic challenge for the hepatocyte. When intracellular glutamine had reached its steady-state concentration, net K+ efflux from the liver was also terminated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Hepatic inositol release upon hormonal stimulation of perfused rat liver.

A sustained increase in the hepatic release of 3H radioactivity was shown to occur upon hormonal stimulation of perfused rat liver 15-20 h after intraperitoneal injection of 100 microCi of myo-[2-3H]inositol. Hormone-released radioactive material was analysed by t.l.c. and was found to consist predominantly of [3H]inositol, without further metabolites. Vasopressin (14 nM), phenylephrine (1.7 microM), angiotensin II (15 nM), glucagon (0.5 nM) and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (5 microM) exert maximal effects on hepatic inositol efflux after 10-15 min of stimulation. Omission of Ca2+ from the perfusion medium abolishes the hormone-dependent inositol release. LiCl (10 mM) does not significantly affect the basal release of [3H]inositol, but suppresses vasopressin- and angiotensin-triggered inositol release. Inositol efflux induced by glucagon, dibutyryl cyclic AMP and phenylephrine, however, remains essentially unchanged by LiCl infusion. This establishes a further metabolic difference between these two groups of agonists in that stimuli that act through cyclic AMP produce a stimulated outflow of inositol, but apparently without a Li+-sensitive phosphatase being involved in the overall process.