Photosensitized irreversible binding of estrone to protein via a hydroperoxide intermediate: an explanation of (photo-) allergic side-effects of estrogens

Recent studies have established that polypeptide growth factors cause an elevation of the cytoplasmic pH (pHi) in cultured mammalian cells by stimulating Na+/H+ exchange. We show that vanadate, previously found to act as a mitogen for a number of cells, reversibly activates Na+/H+ exchange at micromolar concentrations in A431 cells, leading to a large increase of pHi. The stimulation of Na+/H+ exchange by vanadate is not due to inhibition of the Na+/K+ ATPase and is unrelated to possible effects of vanadate on cAMP levels. Elevation of pHi by vanadate and by epidermal growth factor (EGF) both display similar kinetics, and both EGF and vanadate stimulate the rate of pHi recovery following an acute acid load, suggesting that vanadate stimulates Na+/H+ exchange by a mechanism similar to that of polypeptide growth factor stimulation. Thus, stimulation of Na+/H+ exchange may be a common property not only of polypeptide growth factors but also of other, chemically unrelated mitogens.     

Epidermal growth factor up-regulates intestinal Na+/H+ exchange activity.

The present studies were designed to examine the regulation of Na+/H+ exchange activity by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in an in vitro system. Na+/H+ exchange activity was determined in brush-border membranes isolated from rat jejunal enterocytes incubated with epidermal growth factor and a number of second messengers. EGF at physiological concentrations stimulated Na+/H+ exchange activity without affecting vesicle size. The stimulation of Na+/H+ activity was the result of increasing Vmax of Na+/H+ (6.0 +/- 0.4 compared with 3.3 +/- 0.27 nmol/mg protein/5 sec, P < 0.01). Km values of the Na+/H+ exchanger in brush-border membrane from cells stimulated with EGF and controls were similar (16.0 +/- 3.0 vs 13.0 +/- 3.0, respectively). Na+/H+ activity was inhibited by phorbol esters, calmodulin, and cyclic AMP. The effects of EGF, calmodulin, cyclic AMP, and phorbol esters were dependent on ATP, because depleting the cells from ATP masked the effects on Na+/H+ exchange activity. The results suggest that EGF stimulates Na+/H+ exchange activity in the enterocytes. This stimulation is most likely not via activation of the phosphatidylinositol pathway.     

Epidermal growth factor and cyclic AMP stimulate Na+/H+ exchange in isolated rat hepatocytes

Na+/H+ exchange in acid-loaded isolated hepatocytes was measured using the intracellular pH indicator biscarboxyethyl-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) to follow intracellular pH (pHi). The rate of amiloride-sensitive Na(+)-dependent recovery from cytoplasmic-acid-loading was found to be increased in cells treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF), 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (ClPhScAMP) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). These three agents increased the rate of Na+/H+ exchange to similar extents and their effects were not additive. The stimulation was shown in all three cases to be due an alkaline shift of 0.1 in the set point pH of the Na+/H+ exchanger. Experiments measuring the uptake of 22Na+ into acid-loaded primary hepatocyte monolayer cultures confirmed these results. EGF, ClPhScAMP and PMA significantly increased the amiloride-inhibitable accumulation of 22Na+, thus providing further evidence that Na+/H+ exchange is stimulated by these effectors.     

Modulation of the activity of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor by phorbol myristate acetate

Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) weakly activates Na+/H+ exchange in NR-6 cells. Simultaneously, PMA blocks the activation of Na+/H+ exchange by platelet-derived growth factor or by serum. Phorbol esters that do not activate protein kinase C do not show this metabolic response. We conclude that activation of Na+/H+ exchange by platelet-derived growth factor or serum does not require the intermediate activation of protein kinase C. We postulate from this and previous observations that a major role of protein kinase C is to act as an inhibitor of the activity of cell surface receptors, in particular mitogen receptors.     

Cyclosporin A inhibits kinase C-independent activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger by PDGF and vanadate

Mitogen-induced activation of Na+/H+ exchange was studied in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Phorbol myristic acetate (PMA) caused amiloride inhibitable cell alkalinization. PDGF and vanadate, but not bombesin or thrombin, caused additional alkalinization when given 10 min after a maximal dose of PMA. Down-regulation of kinase C by 24 hr PMA exposure prevented the alkalinization response to bombesin and thrombin, but not to PDGF or vanadate. Cyclosporin A specifically blocked the additional alkalinization after PDGF or vanadate in cells acutely exposed to PMA and in kinase C down-regulated cells. Thus, there are at least two independent pathways which activate Na+/H+ exchange. PMA, bombesin, and thrombin act via kinase C. PDGF and vanadate cause additional stimulation of the Na+/H+ exchanger by a kinase C-independent pathway, inhibitable by cyclosporin A.     

Sphingosine inhibits phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-, but not serum-induced, activation of Na+/H+ exchange in mammalian cells

Addition of serum to quiescent mammalian cells in culture initiates a series of events which culminates in DNA replication and cell division. One of the earliest events in this sequence of events is activation of Na+/H+ exchange, which can result in an increase in intracellular pH (pHin). The regulation of this change in activity is not known. Since treatment of 3T3 cells with activators of protein kinase C (kinase C) can result in an increased pHin, it has been hypothesized that serum stimulation of kinase C is responsible for activation of Na+/H+ exchange. Recently, sphingolipids have been discovered to inhibit kinase C both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, we undertook the present study to ask whether or not inhibition of kinase C using sphingolipids prevents mitogen-induced alkalinization in 3T3 cells. Our results indicate that activators of kinase C stimulate Na+/H+ exchange in normal human fibroblasts (BoGi), but not in mouse embryo (3T3) cells. Addition of serum to BoGi cells, on top of saturating doses of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), results in a further cytoplasmic alkalinization. Furthermore, sphingosine prevents the PMA-induced increase in pHin in BoGi cells, and phosphorylation of an 80 kDa protein in 3T3 cells, but not the serum-induced alkalinization in either BoGi or 3T3 cells. These data indicate that activation of kinase C does not participate in the physiological activation of Na+/H+ exchange in human fibroblasts or mouse embryo cells by serum.     

Agonist stimulation of Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport in rat glomerular mesangial cells. Evidence for protein kinase C-dependent and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent pathways

Studies were performed to investigate regulatory pathways of loop diuretic-sensitive Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport in cultured rat glomerular mesangial cells. Angiotensin II, alpha-thrombin, and epidermal growth factor (EGF) all stimulated Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport in a concentration-dependent manner. Pertussis toxin pretreatment reduced the effects of angiotensin II and alpha-thrombin but not that of EGF. Addition of the protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine or down-regulation of protein kinase C by prolonged incubation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate partially reduced the effects of angiotensin II and alpha-thrombin and completely blunted the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced stimulation of Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport but did not affect EGF-induced stimulation. Exposure of cells to a calcium ionophore, A23187, resulted in a concentration-dependent stimulation of Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport, which was not significantly inhibited by down-regulation of protein kinase C but was completely inhibited by the calmodulin antagonist, N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7). Stimulation of the cotransport by angiotensin II or alpha-thrombin was also partially inhibited by W-7. Inhibitory effects of protein kinase C down-regulation and W-7 were additive and, when combined, produced a complete inhibition of angiotensin II-induced stimulation of Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport. In saponin-permeabilized mesangial cells, phosphorylation of a synthetic decapeptide substrate for Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II, Pro-Leu-Ser-Arg-Thr-Leu-Ser-Val-Ser-Ser-NH3, was demonstrated. Maximal activation of the decapeptide substrate phosphorylation required the presence of Ca2+ and calmodulin and was dependent on Ca2+ concentration. These findings indicate that stimulation of Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport by angiotensin II and alpha-thrombin is mediated by protein kinase C and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinases whereas the action of EGF is mediated by other pathways.     

Sphingosine differentially inhibits activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger by phorbol esters and growth factors

The role of protein kinase C in activation of the plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger was studied in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. The basic lipid, sphingosine, was used to block enzymatic activity of protein kinase C. Na+/H+ exchange was activated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), diacylglycerols, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), thrombin, or by osmotically-induced cell shrinkage. Intracellular pH and Na+/H+ exchange activity were measured using the intracellular pH indicator, 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6) carboxyfluorescein. Acting alone, both crude sphingosine and pure, synthetic C18 D-(+)-erythro-sphingosine raised pHi in a dose-dependent manner (from 6.95 +/- 0.02 to 7.19 +/- 0.09 over 10 min for 10 microM sphingosine). This alkalinization was not due to Na+/H+ exchange as it was not altered by t-butylamiloride (50 microM) nor by replacement of the assay medium with a Na(+)-free solution. Sphingosine-induced alkalinization did not require protein kinase C activity, since it was fully intact in protein kinase C-depleted cells. It was also not due to a detergent action of sphingosine on the cell membrane, since both ionic and non-ionic detergents caused cell acidification. Rather, alkalinization induced by sphingosine appeared to be due to cellular uptake of NH3 groups since N-acetylsphingosine showed no alkalinization. After the initial cell alkalinization, cellular uptake of [3H]sphingosine continued slowly for up to 24 h. The ability of PMA or dioctanoylglycerol to activate Na+/H+ exchange fell to 20% of control after 24 h of sphingosine exposure. At all times, C11 and N-acetylsphingosine failed to block PMA-induced activation of the exchanger. Activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger by sucrose, which does not depend on protein kinase C activity, was unaffected by sphingosine. Activation of Na+/H+ exchange by thrombin and PDGF was partially inhibited by 30 and 20%, respectively. These data indicate that both thrombin and PDGF activate Na+/H+ exchange by pathway(s) that are primarily independent of protein kinase C.     

Cytoplasmic pH in cultured porcine thyroid cells: alkalinization by epidermal growth factor

We studied the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and amiloride on cytoplasmic pH (pHi) in cultured porcine thyroid cells. We used 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5- (and 6-)carboxyfluorescein (BCECF), an internalized fluorescent pH indicator, to measure pHi. EGF stimulated thyroid cell alkalinization and proliferation, which were blocked by amiloride. EGF-stimulated thyroid cell alkalinization depended on extracellular Na+ concentrations. EGF stimulation resulted in an activation of Na+/H+ exchange, which alkalinized the cells. The results indicated that Na+/H+ exchange or cell alkalinization might function as a transmembrane signal transducer in the action of EGF. In the present system, TSH did not stimulate alkalinization or proliferation.     

Mechanism of activation of lymphocyte Na+/H+ exchange by concanavalin A. A calcium- and protein kinase C-independent pathway

Treatment of thymic lymphocytes with the mitogenic lectin concanavalin A (ConA) increases the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and stimulates phosphoinositide turnover. ConA also induced a rapid, amiloride-sensitive, Na+-dependent increase in cytosolic pH of 0.13 +/- 0.01, indicative of stimulation of the Na+/H+ antiport. To investigate the mechanism underlying activation of Na+/H+ exchange by ConA, the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration changes induced by this lectin were precluded by loading the cells with Ca2+-buffering agents and suspension in Ca2+-free media. Under these conditions, the ConA-induced cytoplasmic alkalinization proceeded normally. Two approaches were used to assess the role of protein kinase C. First, this enzyme was inhibited by the addition of 1-(5-isoquinolinysulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine. In the presence of this potent antagonist, stimulation of the antiport by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate was greatly inhibited. In contrast, stimulation by ConA was unaffected. Second, protein kinase C was depleted by overnight incubation with phorbol esters. Following this treatment, Na+/H+ exchange was no longer activated by 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-acetate, but was still stimulated by ConA. These data suggest that a Ca2+- and protein kinase C-independent mechanisms mediates the activation of Na+/H+ exchange by ConA. The possible role of GTP-binding proteins in the activation was also studied. The antiport was not stimulated by either fluoroaluminate or vanadate. Moreover, pretreatment with pertussis toxin failed to inhibit the ConA-induced cytoplasmic alkalinization. In contrast, preincubation with cholera toxin partially inhibited activation. Under these conditions, cholera toxin significantly elevated intracellular cAMP levels. Inhibition was also observed in cells treated with forskolin at concentrations that increased [cAMP]. The data suggest that a novel cAMP-sensitive signaling mechanism not involving Ca2+ and protein kinase C is involved in the stimulation of Na+/H+ exchange by mitogens in T lymphocytes.     

WS-1 human fibroblasts contain distinct calcium and protein kinase C-mediated pathways for activation of Na+/H+ exchange: contrasting effects of thrombin and PMA

PMA and thrombin were examined for their ability to activate Na+/H+ exchange in growth-arrested WS-1 human fibroblasts. PMA or thrombin caused a cytoplasmic alkalinization that required extracellular sodium and was sensitive to 1 mM amiloride, suggesting that the rise in pH was mediated by the Na+/H+ exchanger. However, PMA and thrombin activated Na+/H+ exchange by distinctly different mechanisms. The rate of cytoplasmic alkalinization caused by 30 nM PMA was slower than 10 nM thrombin. The PMA-induced pH change was sensitive to the protein kinase inhibitors staurosporine (50 nM) and H-7 (100 microM). No increase in intracellular calcium was observed after PMA treatment and the cytoplasmic alkalinization caused by PMA was not sensitive to the drug TMB8 (200 microM) or the intracellular calcium-chelator BAPTA. In contrast, the thrombin-induced rise in cytoplasmic pH was insensitive to 50 nM staurosporine and only partially reduced with 100 microM H-7. The thrombin-induced activation of Na+/H+ exchange was inhibited by 200 microM TMB8 or pretreatment with BAPTA. PMA caused translocation of PKC activity from a cytoplasmic to membrane fraction whereas thrombin did not. Pretreatment with 50 nM staurosporine significantly reduced measurable PKC activity with or without PMA treatment. PMA and thrombin were also examined for their ability to induce DNA synthesis in growth-arrested WS-1 human fibroblasts. Unlike thrombin, PMA did not stimulate [3H]-thymidine incorporation in cells serum-deprived for 48 hours. In addition, PMA inhibited thrombin-induced DNA synthesis when added at the same time or as late as 10 hours after thrombin addition. Therefore, thrombin and PMA activate Na+/H+ exchange by distinct pathways, but only the thrombin-induced pathway correlates with a mitogenic response.     

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) promotes phosphorylation at threonine-654 of the EGF receptor: possible role of protein kinase C in homologous regulation of the EGF receptor

Treatment of cells with tumor-promoting phorbol diesters, which causes activation of protein kinase C, leads to phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor at threonine-654. Addition of phorbol diesters to intact cells causes inhibition of the EGF-induced tyrosine-protein kinase activity of the EGF receptor and it has been suggested that this effect of phorbol diesters is mediated by the phosphorylation of the receptor by protein kinase C. We measured the activity of protein kinase C in A431 cells by determining the incorporation of [32P]phosphate into peptides containing threonine-654 obtained by trypsin digestion of EGF receptors. After 3 h of exposure to serum-free medium, A431 cells had no detectable protein kinase C activity. Addition of EGF to these cells resulted in [32P] incorporation into threonine-654 as well as into tyrosine residues. This indicates that EGF promotes the activation of protein kinase C in A431 cells. The phosphorylation of threonine-654 induced by EGF was maximal after only 5 min of EGF addition and the [32P] incorporation into threonine-654 reached 50% of the [32P] in a tyrosine-containing peptide. This indicates that a significant percentage of the total EGF receptors are phosphorylated by protein kinase C. A variety of external stimuli activate Na+/H+ exchange, including EGF, phorbol diesters, and hypertonicity. To ascertain whether activation of protein kinase C is an intracellular common effector of all of these systems, we measured the activity of protein kinase C after exposure of A431 cells to hyperosmotic conditions and observed no effect on phosphorylation of threonine-654, therefore, activation of Na+/H+ exchange by hypertonic medium is independent of protein kinase C activity. Since stimulation of protein kinase C by phorbol diesters results in a decrease in EGF receptor activity, the stimulation of protein kinase C activity by addition of EGF to A431 cells contributes to a feedback mechanism which results in the attenuation of EGF receptor function.     

Role of extracellular electrolytes in the activation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase by epidermal growth factor, insulin-like growth factor 1, and insulin in ZR-75-1 cells

Activation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase by epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) was studied in the human mammary tumor cell line ZR-75-1 in isotonic buffers. In contrast to growth factor-dependent S6 phosphorylation which is strongly dependent on extracellular pH (Chambard, J. C., and J. Pouyssegur. 1986. Exp. Cell Res. 164:282-294.) preincubation of cells in buffers with different pH values ranging from 7.5 to 6.5 had no effect on basal or EGF-stimulated S6 kinase activity. Replacement of extracellular Na+ with choline or replacement of extracellular Ca++ with EGTA also did not inhibit stimulation of S6 kinase by EGF. When intracellular Ca++ was buffered with the permeable Ca++ chelator quin2, EGF stimulation was reduced 50%. A similar inhibition of the EGF response was observed when cells were incubated in buffers with high K+ concentrations or in the presence of the K+ ionophore valinomycin. Insulin and IGF1 stimulation of S6 kinase were also inhibited by high K+ concentrations and by buffering intracellular Ca++. In contrast to the responses to EGF, insulin- and IGF1-activation of S6 kinase was enhanced when glucose was present and depended on the presence of bicarbonate in the medium. The results indicate that ionic signals generated by growth factors and insulin, such as increases in intracellular pH or Na+, do not seem to be involved in the activation of S6 kinase. However, effects of growth factors or insulin on membrane potential and/or K+ fluxes and redistribution of intracellular Ca++ may play a role in the activation process. Furthermore, the mechanism of insulin activation of S6 kinase is distinct from the growth factors by its dependency on extracellular bicarbonate.     

Na+/H+ exchange activation mediates the lipopolysaccharide-induced proliferation of human B lymphocytes and is impaired in malignant B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes

In various mammalian cell types the stimulation of the plasma membrane amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ exchange and the resulting increase of intracellular pH (pHi) play a key role in the initiation of cell proliferation. In the present work we have investigated whether Na+/H+ exchange is involved in normal human B cell proliferation and whether it is also operating in malignant B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) lymphocytes. Our results show that: 1) normal human B cells contain an operating Na+/H+ exchanger, as inferred by their ability to recover pHi after acid-loading in a HCO3- -free medium and by evidences that LPS and phorbol ester PMA elicit a pHi rise inhibitable by either 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride (EIPA) or a Na+-free medium; 2) LPS-induced proliferation of normal human B cells is strongly inhibited when the amiloride analog EIPA (5 microM) is present in the culture medium (after 72 h the proportion of B cells incorporation bromodeoxyuridine falls from 13.9 +/- 3.9% to 2.8 +/- 1.1%); 3) EIPA does not affect BdR incorporation when B cells proliferation is induced by the co-mitogenic activity of IL-4 and low m.w. B cell growth factor (BCGF); 4) B-CLL cells, which proliferate in response to IL-4/BCGF but not to LPS, fail to increase pHi above their pHi resting levels when challenged with LPS or PMA and pHi recovery after acid-loading is highly impaired. These results lead to conclude that Na+/H+ exchange operation is necessary for LPS-(but not for IL-4/BCGF)-induced proliferation of human normal B lymphocytes and that Na+/H+ exchange activation is impaired in malignant B-CLL lymphocytes.     

Amiloride inhibits phorbol ester-stimulated Na+/H+ exchange and protein kinase C. An amiloride analog selectively inhibits Na+/H+ exchange

The human leukemic cell line, HL-60, differentiates in response to tumor-promoting phorbol esters. Recently, we have reported that one of the first events evoked by phorbol esters in HL-60 cells is the stimulation of Na+-dependent H+ efflux. In efforts to determine whether stimulation of Na+/H+ exchange by phorbol esters is coupled to induction of cellular differentiation, we found that 1) amiloride, a frequently used inhibitor of Na+/H+ exchange, rapidly inhibits phorbol ester-stimulated protein phosphorylation in vivo and protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation in vitro, both with potency similar to that with which amiloride inhibits Na+/H+ exchange; 2) an amiloride analog, dimethylamiloride, is a far more potent inhibitor of Na+/H+ exchange than is amiloride, while being no more potent than amiloride in inhibiting phorbol ester/protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation; and 3) at concentrations sufficient to completely inhibit Na+/H+ exchange, amiloride blocked phorbol ester-induced adhesion of HL-60 cells (adhesion being a property indicative of the differentiated state), but dimethylamiloride (as well as ethylisopropylamiloride, another very potent amiloride analog) did not. Thus, dimethylamiloride represents a potential tool for distinguishing protein kinase C-coupled from Na+/H+ exchange-coupled events in phorbol ester-stimulated cells.     

The hormone-sensitive hepatic Na+-pump. Evidence for regulation by diacylglycerol and tumor promoters

Ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ uptake by isolated rat hepatocytes was studied to elucidate how Ca2+-mobilizing hormones stimulate the Na+-pump. Stimulation of this uptake was observed with concentrations of vasopressin ([8-arginine]vasopressin, AVP), angiotensin II, and norepinephrine which elicited Ca2+ mobilization and phosphorylase activation. These results suggested that changes in cytosolic Ca2+, mediated by inositol trisphosphate, might trigger sodium pump stimulation by AVP. However, in hepatocytes incubated in Ca2+-free Krebs-Henseleit buffer, Na+-pump activity was not altered over 15 min by either 1.5 mM EGTA or 1.5 mM Ca2+. Furthermore, incubation of cells in 5 mM EGTA for 15-30 min drastically impaired the ability of AVP to increase cytosolic Ca2+, but only modestly attenuated AVP-stimulated Na+-pump activity. Two tumor promoters, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and mezerein, stimulated Na+/K+-ATPase-mediated transport activity. Similarly, addition of synthetic diacylglycerols or of exogenous phospholipase C from Clostridium perfringens to increase endogenous diacylglycerol levels also resulted in a stimulation of the Na+-pump in the absence of changes in cytosolic or total cellular Ca2+ levels. Stimulation of the Na+-pump by the combination of maximal concentrations of PMA and AVP did not produce an additive response, and both agents displayed a transient time course, suggesting that the two agents share a common mechanism. Stimulation of the Na+-pump by AVP and PMA was not blocked by amiloride analogs which inhibit Na+/H+ exchange, but these compounds blocked the action of insulin. These data suggest that the elevated Na+/K+-ATPase-mediated transport activity observed in hepatocytes following exposure to Ca2+-mobilizing hormones is a consequence of stimulated diacylglycerol formation and may involve protein kinase C.     

Activation of 45Ca2+ influx and 22Na+/H+ exchange by epidermal growth factor and vanadate in A431 cells is independent of phosphatidylinositol turnover and is inhibited by phorbol ester and diacylglycerol

Both epidermal growth factor (EGF) and vanadate can activate 45Ca2+ influx into A431 epidermal carcinoma cells, without a detectable lag period possibly via a voltage-independent calcium channel. 22Na+/H+ exchange and 45Ca2+ uptake are mutually independent. Neither EGF nor vanadate induce any significant change in the steady-state levels of [1,3-3H]glycerol-labeled diacylglycerol, myo-[2-3H]inositol-labeled inositol trisphosphate or in 32P-labeled polyphosphoinositides or phosphatidic acid over the first 10 min of treatment, suggesting that the EGF receptor is not directly coupled to phosphatidylinositol turnover and that the two ion fluxes are not induced via a kinase C-dependent pathway. An increase in turnover of polyphosphoinositides can be detected in EGF-stimulated cells by nonequilibrium labeling with [32P]phosphate, but the increase shows a lag of about 1 min under the conditions used to detect 45Ca2+ influx. Chelation of free Ca2+ decreases but does not abolish the EGF-stimulated turnover. Preincubation with tetradecanoylphorbol acetate or 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol inhibits the increase in 45Ca2+ uptake by both EGF and vanadate. Tetradecanoylphorbol acetate alone does not alter the basal rate of influx when added together with 45Ca2+. Surprisingly, the activation by vanadate and its inhibition by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate are unaffected by down-regulation of the EGF receptors through prior incubation with growth factor. Therefore, in A431 cells the activation of Na+/H+ exchange and Ca2+ influx appear to be independent of phosphatidylinositol turnover, and the EGF receptor does not itself function as a Ca2+ channel. Vanadate apparently activates influx through a mechanism distinct from or distal to the EGF receptor.     

Osmotic activation of the Na+/H+ antiport in protein kinase C-depleted lymphocytes

The Na+/H+ antiport of rat thymic lymphocytes is activated when protein kinase C is stimulated by phorbol esters. A similar activation of the antiport is obtained when the cells are treated with hypertonic solutions. We tested the possibility that protein kinase C also mediates the osmotic activation of Na+/H+ exchange. Protein kinase C was depleted by preincubation of thymocytes for 24 hr in the presence of high concentrations of phorbol ester. Disappearance of the enzyme was assessed by direct measurement of phosphotransferase activity, and by the loss of biological responses to phorbol esters. The Na+/H+ antiport in protein kinase C-depleted cells was not stimulated by addition of phorbol ester, but responded normally to hypertonic treatment. The results indicate that the osmotic activation of countertransport does not require stimulation of protein kinase C.     

Ionic responses and growth stimulation induced by nerve growth factor and epidermal growth factor in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells

Rat pheochromocytoma cells (clone PC12) respond to nerve growth factor (NGF) by the acquirement of a phenotype resembling neuronal cells. In an earlier study we showed that NGF causes an increase in Na+,K+ pump activity, as monitored by ouabain-sensitive Rb+ influx. Here we show that addition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to PC12 cells resulted in a stimulation of Na+,K+ pump activity as well. The increase of Na+,K+ pump activity by NGF or EGF was due to increased Na+ influx. This increased Na+ influx was sensitive to amiloride, an inhibitor of Na+,H+ exchange. Furthermore, no changes in membrane potential were observed upon addition of NGF or EGF. Amiloride-sensitive Na+,H+ exchange in PC12 cells was demonstrated by H+ efflux measurements and the effects of weak acids on Na+ influx. These observations suggest that both NGF and EGF activate an amiloride-sensitive, electroneutral Na+,H+ exchange mechanism in PC12 cells. These findings were surprising in view of the opposite ultimate biological effects of NGF and EGF, e.g., growth arrest vs. growth stimulation. However, within 24 h after addition, NGF was found to stimulate growth of PC12 cells, comparable to EGF. In the presence of amiloride, this stimulated growth by NGF and EGF was abolished. In contrast, amiloride did not affect NGF-induced neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. From these observations it is concluded that in PC12 cells: (a) NGF has an initial growth stimulating effect; (b) neurite outgrowth is independent of increased amiloride-sensitive Na+ influx; and (c) growth stimulation by NGF and EGF is associated with increased amiloride-sensitive Na+ influx.