Studies on regulatory mechanisms of heme biosynthesis in hepatocytes from experimental-diabetic rats

Isolated hepatocytes from rats with experimental diabetes exhibit increased content of cytochrome P-450 and cyclic AMP and normal activities of the regulatory enzymes delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase and ferrochelatase. The inducing effect exerted by phenobarbital on cytochrome P-450, delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase and ferrochelatase biosynthesis and cyclic AMP content in diabetic hepatic cells is markedly greater than that observed in normal hepatocytes. This stimulatory response is neither enhanced by added dibutyryl cyclic AMP nor repressed by glucose. The present results suggest that the heme pathway of diabetic hepatocytes is more susceptible to porphyrinogenic factors.     

Effect of glucose on induction of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase, ferrochelatase and cytochrome P-450 hemoproteins in isolated rat hepatocytes by phenobarbital and lead

In the present work we have been able to demonstrate that phenobarbital and lead exert an inducing effect on the biosynthesis of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase, ferrochelatase and cytochrome P-450 hemoproteins in isolated rat hepatocytes of normal adult rats. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP enhances the induction effect produced by phenobarbital in this in vitro system. Glucose inhibits the induction of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase and ferrochelatase. This repression effect can be reversed with increasing concentrations of dibutyryl cyclic AMP. No glucose effect was observed on the phenobarbital- and lead-mediated inductions of cytochrome P-450. he present results add more experimental evidence to support the concept that the last enzyme of the heme pathway is inducible, and as such may have a significant role in regulatory mechanisms of porphyrin and heme biosynthesis.     

Effect of glucose on induction of δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase,ferrochelatase and cytochrome P-450 hemoproteins in isolated rat hepatocytes by phenobarbital and lead

In the present work we have been able to demonstrate the phenobarbital and lead exert an inducing effect on the biosynthesis of δ-aminovulenic acid synthase, ferrochelatase and cytochrome P-450 hemoproteins in isolated rat hepatocytes of normal adult rats. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP enhances the induction effect produced by phenobarbital in this in vitro system. Glucose inhibits the induction of δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase and ferrochelatase. This repression effect can be reversed with increasing concentrations of dibutyryl cyclic AMP. No glucose effect was observed on the phenobarbital- and lead-mediated inductions of cytochrome P-450. The present results add more experimental evidence to support the concept that the last enzyme of the heme pathway is inducible, and as such may have a significant role in regulatory mechanisms of porphyrin and heme biosynthesis.     

Studies on regulatory mechanisms of heme biosynthesis in hepatocytes from normal and experimental-diabetic rats. Role of cAMP

In the present work we have been able to demonstrate the existence of some interrelationship between intracellular level of cAMP content and phenobarbital induction of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase, ferrochelatase, and cytochrome P-450 biosynthesis in isolated rat hepatocytes. The increase of the level of intracellular cAMP produced by activators of adenylate cyclase, inhibitors of phosphodiesterase, or added cyclic nucleotides is reflected by an increase of the phenobarbital induction effect. The greater induction observed in hepatocytes of diabetic rats may be due to a higher level of the intracellular cAMP. The lack of potentiation of added cAMP in diabetic cells is mainly due to the fact that the maximum induction that could be attained is already achieved by the effect of the preexisting high level of the endogenous cAMP.     

Effect of glucose on the induction of δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase and ferrochelatase in isolated rat hepatocytes by allylisopropylacetamide

The present work shows that allylisopropylacetamide exerts an inducing effect on δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase and ferrochelatase activities in isolated rat hepatocytes of normal adult rats. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP enhances the inducing effect produced in both enzymes. Glucose inhibits the induction of δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase and ferrochelatase in this in vitro system. A similar effect was observed with fructose and 2-deoxyglucose. No glucose effect was observed with galactose, mannose, glycerol, pyruvate and lactate. The glucose effect can be reversed with increasing concentrations of dibutyryl cyclic AMP. The simple in vitro method used in the present work promises to be a very useful tool for studies of regulatory mechanisms of porphyrin and heme biosynthesis in hepatocytes under normal and pathological conditions (hepatic porphyrias).     

Studies on regulatory mechanisms of heme biosynthesis in hepatocytes from normal and experimental-diabetic rats. Role of insulin

In the present work we demonstrate that insulin decreases the phenobarbital-induced activities of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase and ferrochelatase in isolated hepatocytes from normal and experimental-diabetic rats. Insulin concentrations required to produce significant inhibition in diabetic hepatocytes were higher than in normal cells. Under similar experimental conditions, insulin decreased the basal activities of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase and ferrochelatase in hepatocytes from normal rats; no inhibitory effect was observed on the basal activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase in hepatocytes from diabetic rats. Cytochrome P-450 content of both normal and diabetic cells was not affected by insulin in absence or presence of phenobarbital. The inhibitory action of insulin was exerted even when effective concentrations of glucagon, dexamethasone, or 8-(p-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP were present.     

Induction of delta-aminolevulinate synthase and cytochrome P-450 hemoproteins in hepatocyte culture. Effect of glucose and hormones

Addition of glucose to cultured chick embryo hepatocytes caused a concentration-dependent impairment of phenobarbital-mediated induction of delta-aminolevulinate (ALA) synthase resembling the "glucose effect" observed in rodents in vivo. This glucose effect occurred in the complete absence of extrahepatic factors such as serum and hormones. Fructose, glycerol, and lactate mimicked the inhibitory glucose effect on ALA synthase induction, whereas 2-deoxyglucose and 3-O-methylglucose augmented the induction evoked by phenobarbital. 2-Deoxyglucose reversed the effect of glucose, glycerol, and lactate on ALA synthase induction suggesting that the glucose effect is mediated by free glucose or glucose 6-phosphate or a nonglycolytic metabolite of glucose 6-phosphate. The phenobarbital-mediated induction of cytochrome P-450 hemoprotein(s) and its monooxygenase function were concomitantly diminished by glucose. However, this inhibitory effect or glucose was reversible by the addition of exogenous heme or ALA suggesting that the primary target of the glucose effect is ALA synthase induction and not synthesis of apocytochrome P-450. Glucagon and dibutyryl cAMP enhanced the induction of ALA synthase and cytochrome P-450 by phenobarbital and partially counteracted the glucose effect on both enzymes suggesting that the glucose effect may be mediated by changes in cAMP levels. Although insulin did not alter induction of ALA synthase, it impaired induction of cytochrome P-450 even in the presence of glucagon and cAMP. These data may be relevant for the treatment with glucose and heme of patients with "inducible" hepatic porphyria.     

Induction of cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase by glucagon in primary cultured rat hepatocytes

The activity and the mRNA content of cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) were examined in cultured rat hepatocytes. Addition of glucagon (1 x 10(-7) M) in the presence of dexamethasone (1 x 10(-7) M) caused about 2-fold increase in the activity and mRNA content. Dibutyryl cAMP (1 x 10(-4) M) could replace glucagon for this effect. Maximal induction of cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase mRNA was observed 8 h after their additions. Insulin (1 x 10(-7) M) did not inhibit the enzyme induction by glucagon or dibutyryl cAMP. These results suggest that the cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase gene is regulated by cAMP, and not by insulin.     

Rapid changes in the concentration of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA in rat liver and kidney. Effects of insulin and cyclic AMP

Starvation and diabetes both caused a marked increase in the concentration of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate caroboxykinase mRNA while the administration of insulin to diabetic rats or refeeding glucose to starved animals caused a marked reduction in the levels of enzyme mRNA as measured by hybridization using a cDNA probe.l The Administration of dibutyryl cAMP to a starved-refed cat caused an 8-fold induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA in 1 h. Triamcinolone plus acidosis induced the levels of enzyme mRNA in kidney 3-fold within 6 h, however, starvation for 24h had only marginal effects. In all of the above conditions, the levels of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA measured by hybridization assay agreed well with the relative levels of translatable mRNA for the enzyme. The half-time of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA, determined after the administration of either alpha-amanitin or cordycepin to starved animals, was approximately 40 min. However, cycloheximide either alone or together with cordycepin, not only prevented the decrease in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA sequence abundance, but induced it 2-fold. Cycloheximide itself, when injected into 21-day fetal rats in utero caused an induction of enzyme mRNA equal to that noted when dibutyryl cAMP was administered. The mRNA for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase is approximately 2.8 kb in length, but nuclei from the livers of diabetic rats contain a number of putative precursor RNA species for the enzyme, up to 6.5 kb in size, all containing a poly(A) tail. Two hours after refeedng glucose to a starved rat, these nuclear RNA species could no longer be detected by hybridization to our cDNA probe.     

Stimulative effect of non-parenchymal liver cells on ability of tyrosine aminotransferase induction in hepatocytes

Hepatocytes and non-parenchymal liver cells were isolated from adult rat liver and co-cultured for 48 hours as a monolayer on polystyrene culture dishes. The ability of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) induction in hepatocytes was examined in the presence of dexamethasone and dibutyryl cAMP. Non-parenchymal cells greatly enhance the ability of TAT induction of hepatocytes. A soluble factor with molecular weight of more than 10,000 is responsible for this enhancement, because conditioned medium prepared from non-parenchymal cells is also stimulatory. Non-parenchymal cells restored the ability in hepatocytes damaged with the addition of D-galactosamine. Conditioned medium prepared from non-parenchymal cells treated with D-galactosamine had higher activity of enhancement than the medium from normal cells. The soluble factor might be released in response to some signal of injury. Hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells were immobilized within Ca-alginate, and although immobilized hepatocytes rapidly lost the ability to induce TAT, hepatocytes co-immobilized with non-parenchymal cells maintained the ability during 4 days of culture. These results indicated that non-parenchymal liver cells, as well as hepatocytes, could be used to construct a bioartificial liver support system.     

Phosphorylation/Dephosphorylation steps are crucial for the induction of CYP2B1 and CYP2B2 gene expression by phenobarbital.

The effects of several protein kinase activators and protein phosphatase inhibitors on the phenobarbital (PB)-induced gene expression of CYP2B1 and CYP2B2 (CYP2B1/2B2) in adult rat hepatocytes were investigated. Insulin, epidermal growth factor, interleukin 6, cAMP, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, tumor necrosis factor alpha, vanadate, and okadaic acid were found to suppress the induction of CYP2B1/2B2 at mRNA and protein levels in hepatocytes. cAMP and vanadate completely suppressed the induction of CYP2B1/2B2 gene expression in both rat hepatocytes and liver. The addition of genistein to vanadate-treated hepatocytes partially recovered the induction of CYP2B1/2B1 gene expression by PB. These results of the present study demonstrate that phosphorylation/dephosphorylation steps are crucial for the induction of CYP2B1/2B2 gene expression by PB.     

Glucocorticoid, androgen, and retinoic acid regulation of glutathione S-transferase gene expression in hamster smooth muscle tumor cells.

A mu class glutathione S-transferase gene (hGSTYBX) is expressed in the DDT1MF-2 hamster smooth muscle tumor cell line. This gene is glucocorticoid responsive, and near maximal induction was found to occur within 24 h. The induced mRNA was very stable with a half-life of more than 48 h. Serum had no effect on either constitutive or glucocorticoid induced hGSTYBX expression. Although dibutyryl cAMP, phenobarbital, and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate did not alter hGSTYBX expression, testosterone and retinoic acid were each able to increase hGSTYBX expression in a concentration dependent manner. These results demonstrate a unique pattern of responsiveness of the hamster gene compared to the glutathione S-transferase genes of other species.     

Glycogenolysis is directed towards ascorbate synthesis by glutathione conjugation

Using isolated rat hepatocytes we have shown that glutathione (GSH) depletion by glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-catalyzed conjugation with 1-bromoheptane or phorone was accompanied by a significant elevation in ascorbate synthesis. Glycogenolysis was also stimulated without a significant rise in glucose synthesis. Furthermore, when glycogenolysis was stimulated in control hepatocytes by increasing intracellular cAMP levels (with glucagon or dibutyryl cAMP), cellular glucose levels, but not ascorbate levels, increased. These data suggest that GSH depletion can stimulate ascorbate synthesis independently of glucose synthesis and that hepatocytes can direct glycogenolysis towards ascorbate synthesis during GSH conjugation.     

Regulation of apolipoprotein E synthesis and mRNA by diet and hormones

Rats were fasted or fasted and refed simple purified diets so the effects of individual carbohydrates or fats could be studied. Freshly isolated hepatocytes from these animals were used to measure both apoE synthesis and mRNA levels so any changes in apoE synthesis that might occur without changes in its mRNA could be detected. Some of these experiments were done with both sexes. Both fasting and fasting and refeeding a 60% glucose fat-free diet significantly increased spoE synthesis. However, cyclic AMP is not likely to rapidly mediate the effect of fasting since dibutyryl cAMP slightly lowered (rather than increased) apoE synthesis and mRNA when injected into rats for 4.5 h. Dietary fat had no effect either in the absence of carbohydrate or when consumption of carbohydrate was constant in pair-fed rats. ApoE mRNA levels remained normal for 4 days in primary hepatocytes cultured in medium that had only amino acids as an energy source. Added hormones or fructose had no significant effect. Thus, only fasting and fasting and refeeding glucose were able to significantly change apoE synthesis or mRNA levels. Synthesis of apoE may be regulated to increase when apoE is secreted with very low density lipoprotein or when apoE in secreted high density lipoprotein is needed to acquire cholesteryl esters for the synthesis of bile salts and acids by liver.