Differential time course of liver and kidney glucose-6 phosphatase activity during long-term fasting in rat correlates with differential time course of messenger RNA level

Intestinal gluconeogenesis: A translator of nutritional information needed for glycemic and emotional balance

At the interface between the outside world and the self, the intestine is the first organ receiving nutritional information. One intestinal function, gluconeogenesis, is activated by various nutrients, particularly diets enriched in fiber or protein, and thus results in glucose production in the portal vein in the post-absorptive period. The detection of portal glucose induces a nervous signal controlling the activity of the central nuclei involved in the regulation of metabolism and emotional behavior. Induction of intestinal gluconeogenesis is necessary for the beneficial effects of fiber or protein-enriched diets on metabolism and emotional behavior. Through its ability to translate nutritional information from the diet to the brain's regulatory centers, intestinal gluconeogenesis plays an essential role in maintaining physiological balance.

Diet-induced glial insulin resistance impairs the clearance of neuronal debris in Drosophila brain

Obesity significantly increases the risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders, yet the precise mechanisms underlying this connection remain unclear. Defects in glial phagocytic function are a key feature of neurodegenerative disorders, as delayed clearance of neuronal debris can result in inflammation, neuronal death, and poor nervous system recovery. Mounting evidence indicates that glial function can affect feeding behavior, weight, and systemic metabolism, suggesting that diet may play a role in regulating glial function. While it is appreciated that glial cells are insulin sensitive, whether obesogenic diets can induce glial insulin resistance and thereby impair glial phagocytic function remains unknown. Here, using a Drosophila model, we show that a chronic obesogenic diet induces glial insulin resistance and impairs the clearance of neuronal debris. Specifically, obesogenic diet exposure down-regulates the basal and injury-induced expression of the glia-associated phagocytic receptor, Draper. Constitutive activation of systemic insulin release from Drosophila insulin-producing cells (IPCs) mimics the effect of diet-induced obesity on glial Draper expression. In contrast, genetically attenuating systemic insulin release from the IPCs rescues diet-induced glial insulin resistance and Draper expression. Significantly, we show that genetically stimulating phosphoinositide 3-kinase (Pi3k), a downstream effector of insulin receptor (IR) signaling, rescues high-sugar diet (HSD)-induced glial defects. Hence, we establish that obesogenic diets impair glial phagocytic function and delays the clearance of neuronal debris.

Portal Glucose Infusion, Afferent Nerve Fibers, and Glucose and Insulin Tolerance of Insulin-Resistant Rats

BACKGROUND

The role of hepatoportal glucose sensors is poorly understood in the context of insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVES

We assessed the effects of glucose infusion in the portal vein on insulin tolerance in 2 rat models of insulin resistance, and the role of capsaicin sensitive nerves in this signal.

METHODS

Male Wistar rats, 8 weeks old, weighing 250-275 g, were used. Insulin and glucose tolerance were assessed following a 4-hour infusion of either glucose or saline through catheterization in the portal vein in 3 paradigms. In experiment 1, for diet-induced insulin resistance, rats were fed either a control diet (energy content: proteins = 22.5%, carbohydrates = 64.1%, and lipids = 13.4%) or a high-fat diet (energy content: proteins = 15.3%, carbohydrates = 40.3%, and lipids =44.4%) for 4 months. In experiment 2, for centrally induced peripheral insulin resistance, catheters were inserted in the carotid artery to deliver either an emulsion of triglycerides [intralipid (IL)] or saline towards the brain for 24 hours. In experiment 3, for testing the role of capsaicin-sensitive nerves, experiment 2 was repeated following a periportal treatment with capsaicin or vehicle.

RESULTS

In experiment 1, when compared to rats fed the control diet, rats fed the high-fat diet exhibited decreased insulin and glucose tolerance (P ≤ 0.05) that was restored with a glucose infusion in the portal vein (P ≤ 0.05). In experiment 2, infusion of a triglyceride emulsion towards the brain (IL rats) decreased insulin and glucose tolerance and increased hepatic endogenous production when compared to saline-infused rats (P ≤ 0.05). Glucose infusion in the portal vein in IL rats restored insulin and glucose tolerance, as well as hepatic glucose production, to controls levels (P ≤ 0.05). In experiment 3, portal infusion of glucose did not increase insulin tolerance in IL rats that received a periportal pretreatment with capsaicin.

CONCLUSIONS

Stimulation of hepatoportal glucose sensors increases insulin tolerance in rat models of insulin resistance and requires the presence of capsaicin-sensitive nerves.

Intestinal glucose metabolism revisited

It is long known that the gut can contribute to the control of glucose homeostasis via its high glucose utilization capacity. Recently, a novel function in intestinal glucose metabolism (gluconeogenesis) was described. The intestine notably contributes to about 20-25% of total endogenous glucose production during fasting. More importantly, intestinal gluconeogenesis is capable of regulating energy homeostasis through a communication with the brain. The periportal neural system senses glucose (produced by intestinal gluconeogenesis) in the portal vein walls, which sends a signal to the brain to modulate hunger sensations and whole body glucose homeostasis. Relating to the mechanism of glucose sensing, the role of the glucose receptor SGLT3 has been strongly suggested. Moreover, dietary proteins mobilize intestinal gluconeogenesis as a mandatory link between their detection in the portal vein and their effect of satiety. In the same manner, dietary soluble fibers exert their anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects via the induction of intestinal gluconeogenesis. FFAR3 is a key neural receptor involved in the specific sensing of propionate to activate a gut-brain reflex arc triggering the induction of the gut gluconeogenic function. Lastly, intestinal gluconeogenesis might also be involved in the rapid metabolic improvements induced by gastric bypass surgeries of obesity.

Nutrient control of energy homeostasis via gut-brain neural circuits

Intestinal gluconeogenesis is a recently described function in intestinal glucose metabolism. In particular, the intestine contributes around 20-25% of total endogenous glucose production during fasting. Intestinal gluconeogenesis appears to regulate energy homeostasis via a neurally mediated mechanism linking the enterohepatic portal system with the brain. The periportal neural system is able to sense glucose produced by intestinal gluconeogenesis in the portal vein walls, which sends a signal to the brain to modulate energy and glucose homeostasis. Dietary proteins mobilize intestinal gluconeogenesis as a mandatory link between the sensing of these proteins in the portal vein and their well-known effect of satiety. Comparably, dietary soluble fibers exert their antiobesity and antidiabetic effects via the induction of intestinal gluconeogenesis. Finally, intestinal gluconeogenesis might be involved in the rapid metabolic improvements in energy homeostasis induced by gastric bypass surgeries of obesity.

Intestinal gluconeogenesis is crucial to maintain a physiological fasting glycemia in the absence of hepatic glucose production in mice

OBJECTIVE

Similar to the liver and kidneys, the intestine has been strongly suggested to be a gluconeogenic organ. However, the precise contribution of the intestine to endogenous glucose production (EGP) remains to be determined. To define the quantitative role of intestinal gluconeogenesis during long-term fasting, we compared changes in blood glucose during prolonged fasting in mice with a liver-deletion of the glucose-6 phosphatase catalytic (G6PC) subunit (LKO) and in mice with a combined deletion of G6PC in both the liver and the intestine (ILKO).

MATERIALS/METHODS

The LKO and ILKO mice were studied after 6h and 40 h of fasting by measuring metabolic and hormonal plasmatic parameters, as well as the expression of gluconeogenic enzymes in the liver, kidneys and intestine.

RESULTS

After a transient hypoglycemic episode (approximately 60 mg/dL) because of their incapacity to mobilize liver glycogen, the LKO mice progressively re-increased their plasma glucose to reach a glycemia comparable to that of wild-type mice (90 mg/dL) from 30 h of fasting. This increase was associated with a rapid induction of renal and intestinal gluconeogenic gene expression, driven by glucagon, glucocorticoids and acidosis. The ILKO mice exhibited a similar induction of renal gluconeogenesis. However, these mice failed to re-increase their glycemia and maintained a plasma glucose level of only 60 mg/dL throughout the 48 h-fasting period.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that intestinal glucose production is essential to maintain glucose homeostasis in the absence of hepatic glucose production during fasting. These data provide a definitive quantitative estimate of the capacity of intestinal gluconeogenesis to sustain EGP during long-term fasting.

Chronic effects of clozapine administration on insulin resistance in rats: evidence for adverse metabolic effects

Chronic treatment with the atypical antipsychotics clozapine has been associated with an increased risk for deterioration of glucose homeostasis, leading to hyperglycemia and insulin resistance diabetes. The present study mainly aimed to investigate possible mechanisms underlying clozapine-induced hyperglycemia. Male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into two groups (each consists of 12 rats). The first group received clozapine orally at a dose of 10mg/kg body weight daily for 6 weeks, while the other group received the drug vehicle only and served as the control group. At the end of the six weeks, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, as indicated by Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), were observed in the clozapine group as compared with the control group. This disturbance in glucose regulation was associated with non-significant changes in body weight, serum cortisol level, and hepatic glycogen content. The Clozapine group showed a significant increase in hepatic phosphorylase activity and in the gene expression level of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatse (G6Pase) enzymes compared to the control group. It can be concluded that clozapine-induced hyperglycemia and insulin resistance occur in a manner mostly independent of weight gain, and may be attributed to an increase in hepatic phosphorylase activity and increased expression level of G6Pase.

Deletion of the insulin receptor in the proximal tubule promotes hyperglycemia

Nearly all renal tubular epithelial cells express insulin receptor. The insulin receptor in the distal tubule appears to modulate BP, but the role of the insulin receptor in the proximal tubule is unknown. Here, we selectively knocked out the insulin receptor from the proximal tubules of mice. Western blotting confirmed a two- to three-fold reduction in renal cortical homogenate insulin receptor-β among knockout mice compared with wild-type littermates. Young knockout mice exhibited a mildly diabetic phenotype, evidenced by higher fasting plasma glucose levels than wild-type mice. Assessments by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp and a glucose tolerance test revealed no differences in insulin sensitivity or overt pancreatic function, respectively. Renal cortical mRNA expression and enzyme activity of glucose-6-phosphatase, which catalyzes the final step of glucose production, were significantly higher in knockout mice. Taken together, these results support a role for insulin receptor in the proximal tubule in the modulation of systemic glucose levels. Downregulation of the insulin receptor in the proximal tubule, which occurs in insulin-resistant states, may promote hyperglycemia through enhanced gluconeogenesis.

A synergy between incretin effect and intestinal gluconeogenesis accounting for the rapid metabolic benefits of gastric bypass surgery

The early improvement of glucose control taking place shortly after gastric bypass surgery in obese diabetic patients has long been mysterious. A recent study in mice has highlighted some specific mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. The specificity of gastric bypass in obese diabetic mice relates to major changes in the sensations of hunger and to rapid improvement of glucose parameters. The induction of intestinal gluconeogenesis plays a major role in diminishing hunger, and in restoring insulin sensitivity of endogenous glucose production. In parallel, the restoration of the secretion of glucagon-like peptide 1 and insulin plays a key additional role, in this context of recovered insulin sensitivity, to improve postprandial glucose tolerance. Therefore, a synergy between an incretin effect and intestinal gluconeogenesis is a key feature accounting for the rapid improvement of glucose control in obese diabetic patients after bypass surgery.

Hypothalamic integration of portal glucose signals and control of food intake and insulin sensitivity

Glycolysis is an essential metabolic function that lies at the core of any cellular life. Glucose homoeostasis is, thus, a crucial physiological function of living organisms. A system of plasma glucose-sensing in the portal vein plays a key role in this homoeostasis. Connected to the hypothalamus via the peripheral nervous system, the system allows the body to adapt its response to any variation of portal glycaemia. The hypothalamus controls food intake (exogenous glucose supply) and hepatic glycogenolysis (endogenous glucose supply). Intestinal gluconeogenesis, via the release of glucose into the portal vein, plays a key role in the control of hunger and satiety, and of endogenous glucose production through the modulation of liver insulin sensitivity. The induction of intestinal gluconeogenesis provides a physiological explanation for the satiety effects induced by protein-enriched diets. In particular, the influence of protein-enriched diets on the hypothalamus is comparable to the activation observed after glucose infusion into the portal vein. The induction of intestinal gluconeogenesis also offers an explanation for the early improvement in glycaemia control observed in obese diabetic patients treated by gastric-bypass surgery. In addition to intestinal gluconeogenesis, a number of gastrointestinal hormones involved in the control of food intake exert their effects, at least in part, via the peripheral afferent nervous system. These data emphasize the importance of the gut-brain axis in the understanding and treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Effect of aqueous Enicostemma littorale Blume extract on key carbohydrate metabolic enzymes, lipid peroxides and antioxidants in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

The present study investigates the effect of oral administration of an aqueous Enicostemma littorale whole plant extract on some key carbohydrate metabolic enzymes and antioxidant defence in alloxan-induced diabetes in rats. Rats were rendered diabetic by alloxan (150 mg kg−1 body weight) administration. Oral administration of E. littorale extract for 45 days increased the activity of hexokinase and decreased the activities of glucose 6-phosphatase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase significantly in the serum, liver and kidney of diabetic rats. The extract lowered the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and lipid hydroperoxides significantly in brain and increased it significantly in heart in diabetic rats. E. littorale administration increased the concentration of reduced glutathione and the activity of glutathione peroxidase in diabetic rats. The activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were increased significantly by E. littorale treatment in diabetic rats. The effect of a 2 g kg−1 dose was greater than that of a 1 g kg−1 dose. Insulin (6 units kg−1) normalized all the parameters in diabetic rats. Our study has provided evidence for the antidiabetic activity of E. littorale aqueous extract. This study can also be extrapolated to clinical studies in future.

Protein feeding promotes redistribution of endogenous glucose production to the kidney and potentiates its suppression by insulin

The aim of this study was to assess in rats the effect of protein feeding on the: 1) distribution of endogenous glucose production (EGP) among gluconeogenic organs, and 2) repercussion on the insulin sensitivity of glucose metabolism. We used gene expression analyses, a combination of glucose tracer dilution and arteriovenous balance to quantify specific organ release, and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps to assess EGP and glucose uptake. Protein feeding promoted a dramatic induction of the main regulatory gluconeogenic genes (glucose-6 phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) in the kidney, but not in the liver. As a consequence, the kidney glucose release was markedly increased, compared with rats fed a normal starch diet. Protein feeding ameliorated the suppression of EGP by insulin and the sparing of glycogen storage in the liver but had no effect on glucose uptake. Combined with the previously reported induction of gluconeogenesis in the small intestine, the present work strongly suggests that a redistribution of glucose production among gluconeogenic organs might occur upon protein feeding. This phenomenon is in keeping with the improvement of insulin sensitivity of EGP, most likely involving the hepatic site. These data shed a new light on the improvement of glucose tolerance, previously observed upon increasing the amount of protein in the diet, in type 2 diabetic patients.

The transcriptomic signature of fasting murine liver

Background

The contribution of individual organs to the whole-body adaptive response to fasting has not been established. Hence, gene-expression profiling, pathway, network and gene-set enrichment analysis and immunohistochemistry were carried out on mouse liver after 0, 12, 24 and 72 hours of fasting.

Results

Liver wet weight had declined ~44, ~5, ~11 and ~10% per day after 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours of fasting, respectively. Liver structure and metabolic zonation were preserved. Supervised hierarchical clustering showed separation between the fed, 12–24 h-fasted and 72 h-fasted conditions. Expression profiling and pathway analysis revealed that genes involved in amino-acid, lipid, carbohydrate and energy metabolism responded most significantly to fasting, that the response peaked at 24 hours, and had largely abated by 72 hours. The strong induction of the urea cycle, in combination with increased expression of enzymes of the tricarboxylic-acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, indicated a strong stimulation of amino-acid oxidation peaking at 24 hours. At this time point, fatty-acid oxidation and ketone-body formation were also induced. The induction of genes involved in the unfolded-protein response underscored the cell stress due to enhanced energy metabolism. The continuous high expression of enzymes of the urea cycle, malate-aspartate shuttle, and the gluconeogenic enzyme Pepck and the re-appearance of glycogen in the pericentral hepatocytes indicate that amino-acid oxidation yields to glucose and glycogen synthesis during prolonged fasting.

Conclusion

The changes in liver gene expression during fasting indicate that, in the mouse, energy production predominates during early fasting and that glucose production and glycogen synthesis become predominant during prolonged fasting.

Immunocytochemical localization of glucose 6-phosphatase and cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in gluconeogenic tissues reveals unsuspected metabolic zonation

Immunohistochemical analysis was used to define the precise cell-specific localization of Glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc6Pase) and cytosolic form of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C) in the digestive system (liver, small intestine and pancreas) and the kidney. Co-expression of Glc6Pase and PEPCK-C was shown to take place in hepatocytes, in proximal tubules of the cortex kidney and at the top of the villi of the small intestine suggesting that these tissues are all able to perform complete gluconeogenesis. On the other hand, intrahepatic bile ducts, collecting tubes of the nephron and the urinary epithelium in the calices of the kidney, as well as the crypts of the small intestine, express Glc6Pase without significant levels of PEPCK-C. In such cases, the function of Glc6Pase could be related to the transepithelial transport of glucose characteristic of these tissues, rather than to the neoformation of glucose. Lastly, PEPCK-C expression in the absence of Glc6Pase was noted in both the exocrine pancreas and the endocrine islets of Langerhans. Possible roles of PEPCK-C in exocrine pancreas might be the provision of gluconeogenic intermediates for further conversion into glucose in the liver, whereas PEPCK-C would be instrumental in pyruvate cycling, which has been suggested to play a regulatory role in insulin secretion by the beta-cells of the islets.

Transcriptional regulation of the glucose-6-phosphatase gene by cAMP/vasoactive intestinal peptide in the intestine. Role of HNF4alpha, CREM, HNF1alpha, and C/EBPalpha

Gluconeogenesis is induced in both the liver and intestine by increased cAMP levels. However, hepatic and intestinal glucose production can have opposite effects on glucose homeostasis. Glucose release into the portal vein by the intestine increases glucose uptake and reduces food intake. In contrast, glucose production by the liver contributes to hyperglycemia in type II diabetes. Glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc6Pase) is the key enzyme of gluconeogenesis in both the liver and intestine. Here we specify the cAMP/protein kinase A regulation of the Glc6Pase gene in the intestine compared with the liver. Similarly to the liver, the molecular mechanism of cAMP/protein kinase A regulation involves cAMP-response element-binding protein, HNF4alpha, CAAT/enhancer-binding protein, and HNF1. In contrast to the situation in the liver, we find that different isoforms of CAAT/enhancer-binding protein and HNF1 contribute to the specific regulation of the Glc6Pase gene in the intestine. Moreover, we show that cAMP-response element binding modulator specifically contributes to the regulation of the Glc6Pase gene in the intestine but not in the liver. These results allow us to identify intestine-specific regulators of the Glc6Pase gene and to improve the understanding of the differences in the regulation of gluconeogenesis in the intestine compared with the liver.

A protein in crude cytosol regulates glucose-6-phosphatase activity in crude microsomes to regulate group size in Dictyostelium

Dictyostelium discoideum form groups of approximately 2 x 10(4) cells. The group size is regulated in part by a negative feedback pathway mediated by a secreted multipolypeptide complex called counting factor (CF). The CF signal transduction pathway involves CF-repressing internal glucose levels by increasing the K(m) of glucose-6-phosphatase. Little is known about how this enzyme is regulated. Glucose-6-phosphatase is associated with microsomes in both Dictyostelium and mammals. We find that the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase in crude microsomes from cells with high, normal, or low CF activity had a negative correlation with the amount of CF present in these cell lines. In crude cytosols (supernatants from ultracentrifugation of cell lysates), the glucose-6-phosphatase activity had a positive correlation with CF accumulation. The crude cytosols were further fractionated into a fraction containing molecules greater than 10 kDa (S>10K) and molecules less than 10 KDa (S<10K). S>10K from wild-type cells strongly repressed the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase in wild-type microsomes, whereas S>10K from countin(-) cells (cells with low CF activity) significantly increased the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase in wild-type microsomes by decreasing K(m). The regulatory activities in the wild-type and countin(-) S>10Ks are heat-labile and protease-sensitive, suggesting that they are proteins. S<10K from both wild-type and countin(-) cells did not significantly change glucose-6-phosphatase activity. Together, the data suggest that, as a part of a pathway modulating multicellular group size, CF regulates one or more proteins greater than 10 KDa in crude cytosol that affect microsome-associated glucose-6-phosphatase activity.

Induction of control genes in intestinal gluconeogenesis is sequential during fasting and maximal in diabetes

We studied in rats the expression of genes involved in gluconeogenesis from glutamine and glycerol in the small intestine (SI) during fasting and diabetes. From Northern blot and enzymatic studies, we report that only phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) activity is induced at 24 h of fasting, whereas glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase) activity is induced only from 48 h. Both genes then plateau, whereas glutaminase and glycerokinase strikingly rebound between 48 and 72 h. The two latter genes are fully expressed in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. From arteriovenous balance and isotopic techniques, we show that the SI does not release glucose at 24 h of fasting and that SI gluconeogenesis contributes to 35% of total glucose production in 72-h-fasted rats. The new findings are that 1) the SI can quantitatively account for up to one-third of glucose production in prolonged fasting; 2) the induction of PEPCK is not sufficient by itself to trigger SI gluconeogenesis; 3) G-6-Pase likely plays a crucial role in this process; and 4) glutaminase and glycerokinase may play a key potentiating role in the latest times of fasting and in diabetes.

The glucose-6-phosphatase system

Glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), an enzyme found mainly in the liver and the kidneys, plays the important role of providing glucose during starvation. Unlike most phosphatases acting on water-soluble compounds, it is a membrane-bound enzyme, being associated with the endoplasmic reticulum. In 1975, W. Arion and co-workers proposed a model according to which G6Pase was thought to be a rather unspecific phosphatase, with its catalytic site oriented towards the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum [Arion, Wallin, Lange and Ballas (1975) Mol. Cell. Biochem. 6, 75--83]. Substrate would be provided to this enzyme by a translocase that is specific for glucose 6-phosphate, thereby accounting for the specificity of the phosphatase for glucose 6-phosphate in intact microsomes. Distinct transporters would allow inorganic phosphate and glucose to leave the vesicles. At variance with this substrate-transport model, other models propose that conformational changes play an important role in the properties of G6Pase. The last 10 years have witnessed important progress in our knowledge of the glucose 6-phosphate hydrolysis system. The genes encoding G6Pase and the glucose 6-phosphate translocase have been cloned and shown to be mutated in glycogen storage disease type Ia and type Ib respectively. The gene encoding a G6Pase-related protein, expressed specifically in pancreatic islets, has also been cloned. Specific potent inhibitors of G6Pase and of the glucose 6-phosphate translocase have been synthesized or isolated from micro-organisms. These as well as other findings support the model initially proposed by Arion. Much progress has also been made with regard to the regulation of the expression of G6Pase by insulin, glucocorticoids, cAMP and glucose.

Regulation of liver and kidney glucose-6-phosphatase gene expression in hemorrhage and resuscitation

The authors have recently demonstrated that increased gene expression of glucose-6-phosphatase (Glu-6-Pase) in hemorrhagic hypotension (HH) and following lactated Ringer's resuscitation (LR) is associated with a decrease in insulin and an increase in corticosterone concentrations.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the in-vivo role of hormones the authors used insulin (IN), phentolamine and propranolol (PP) as an adrenergic blocker, and cyclic somatostatin (CS) as a glucagon blocker to prevent the induction of Glu-6-Pase gene expression in liver and kidney following HH and LR.

METHODS

Hemorrhage was induced in fasted anesthetized rats, and the reduction of blood pressure to 40 mm Hg for a duration of 30 minutes was accomplished by withdrawal or infusion of shed blood. The resuscitated group underwent hemorrhage followed by fluid resuscitation with lactated Ringer's solution.

RESULTS

Neither PP nor CS treatment could block the induction of Glu-6-Pase messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) following either HH or LR. However, the administration of IN significantly prevented the increase of Glu-6-Pase mRNA level and activity in both liver and kidney following HH and LR. This was associated with a normalization of plasma glucose, corticosterone, and glucagon levels and glucose-6-phosphate concentrations in liver and kidney toward prehemorrhage levels.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that in-vivo treatment with insulin during hemorrhagic hypotension and resuscitation is capable of preventing the increase in Glu-6-Pase gene expression in liver and kidney responsible for the observed hyperglycemia.

Differential role of hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 in the regulation of glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit gene transcription by cAMP in liver- and kidney-derived cell lines

In liver and kidney, the terminal step in gluconeogenesis is catalyzed by glucose-6-phosphatase. To examine the effect of the cAMP signal transduction pathway on transcription of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), G6Pase-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) fusion genes were transiently transfected into either the liver-derived HepG2 or kidney-derived LLC-PK cell line. Co-transfection of an expression vector encoding the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) markedly stimulated G6Pase-CAT fusion gene expression, and mutational analysis of the G6Pase promoter revealed that multiple regions are required for this PKA response in both the HepG2 and LLC-PK cell lines. A sequence in the G6Pase promoter that resembles a cAMP response element is required for the full PKA response in both HepG2 and LLC-PK cells. However, in LLC-PK cells, but not in HepG2 cells, a hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 (HNF-1) binding site was critical for the full induction of G6Pase-CAT expression by PKA. Changing this HNF-1 motif to that for the yeast transcription factor GAL4 reduces the PKA response in LLC-PK cells to the same degree as deleting the HNF-1 site. However, co-transfection of this mutated construct with chimeric proteins comprising the GAL4-DNA binding domain ligated to the coding sequence for HNF-1alpha, HNF-1beta, HNF-3, or HNF-4 completely restored the PKA response. Thus, we hypothesize that, in LLC-PK cells, HNF-1 is acting as an accessory factor to enhance PKA signaling through the cAMP response element by altering G6Pase promoter conformation or accessibility rather than specifically affecting some component of the PKA signal transduction pathway.

Upregulation of hepatic glucose 6-phosphatase gene expression in rats treated with an inhibitor of glucose-6-phosphate translocase

The multicomponent hepatic glucose 6-phosphatase (Glc-6-Pase) system catalyzes the terminal step of hepatic glucose production and plays a key role in the regulation of blood glucose. We used the chlorogenic acid derivative S 3483, a reversible inhibitor of the glucose-6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) translocase component, to demonstrate for the first time upregulation of Glc-6-Pase expression in rat liver in vivo after inhibition of Glc-6-P translocase. In accordance with its mode of action, S 3483-treatment of overnight-fasted rats induced hypoglycemia and increased blood lactate, hepatic Glc-6-P, and glycogen. The metabolic changes were accompanied by rapid and marked increases in Glc-6-Pase mRNA (above 35-fold), protein (about 2-fold), and enzymatic activity (about 2-fold). Maximal mRNA levels were reached after 4 h of treatment. Glycemia, blood lactate, and Glc-6-Pase mRNA levels returned to control values, whereas Glc-6-P and glycogen levels decreased but were still elevated 2 h after S 3483 withdrawal. The capacity for Glc-6-P influx was only marginally increased after 8.5 h of treatment. Prevention of hypoglycemia by euglycemic clamp did not abolish the increase in Glc-6-Pase mRNA induced by S 3483 treatment. A similar pattern of hypoglycemia and possibly of associated counterregulatory responses elicited by treatment with the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase inhibitor 3-mercaptopicolinic acid could account for only a 2-fold induction of Glc-6-Pase mRNA. These findings suggest that the significant upregulation of Glc-6-Pase gene expression observed after treatment of rats in vivo with an inhibitor of Glc-6-P translocase is caused predominantly either by S 3483 per se or by the compound-induced changes of intracellular carbohydrate metabolism.

Regulatory role of glucose-6 phosphatase in the repletion of liver glycogen during refeeding in fasted rats

We analyzed the biochemical mechanisms involved in the liver glycogen repletion upon refeeding for 360 min in 48 and 96 h-fasted rats. In 48 h-fasted rats, the glycogen synthesis involved a rapid and further sustained induction of glucokinase (GK) (increased twice from 90 min) and a rapid but transient activation of glycogen synthase a (GSa) (maximal increase by 150% at 90 min). It did not involve the inhibition of glycogen phosphorylase a (GPa). In 96 h-fasted rats, the glycogen repletion did not involve the induction of GK for the first 180 min of refeeding. It involved a slow activation of GSa (maximal 150% increase at 180 min) and a rapid inhibition of GPa (significant from 90 min, maximal 50% inhibition by 180 min). In both groups of rats, there was a progressive inhibition of the glucose-6 phosphatase (Glc6Pase) activity (maximal suppression by 30% in both groups at 360 min). These results highlighted a key role for the inhibition of Glc6Pase activity in the liver glycogen repletion upon refeeding.

Up-regulation of liver glucose-6-phosphatase in rats fed with a P(i)-deficient diet

Because P(i) deprivation markedly affects the Na/P(i) co-transporter in kidney and has been related to insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, the effect of a P(i)-deficient diet on the liver microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) system was investigated. Rats were fed with a control diet (+P(i)) or a diet deficient in phosphate (-P(i)) for 2 days and killed on the morning of the third day, after an overnight fast (fasted) or not (fed). Kinetic parameters of P(i) transport (t((1/2)) and equilibration) into liver microsomes were not changed by the different nutritional conditions. In contrast, it was found that G6Pase activity was significantly increased in the (-P(i)) groups. This was due to an increase in the V(max) of the enzyme, without change in the K(m) for G6P. There was no correlation between liver microsomal glycogen content and G6Pase activity, but both protein abundance and mRNA of liver 36 kDa catalytic subunit of G6Pase (p36) were increased. The mRNA of the putative G6P translocase protein (p46) was changed in parallel with that of the catalytic subunit, but the p46 immunoreactive protein was unchanged. These findings indicate that dietary P(i) deficiency causes increased G6Pase activity by up-regulation of the expression of the 36 kDa-catalytic-subunit gene.

Glucose-6-phosphatase mRNA levels in kidney isolated tubule suspensions are increased by dexamethasone and decreased by insulin

The strong induction of renal glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) during starvation has been suggested to be responsible for the increased role of the kidney in glucose production during long-term fasting. To investigate whether this induction may be caused by a direct hormonal effect on the renal proximal tubular cell, we incubated rat renal tubule suspensions in the presence of glucocorticoids or insulin for 6 hours; normoxia was required, since hypoxic conditions were associated with markedly decreased G6Pase mRNA levels despite maintenance of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. The G6Pase mRNA level was increased twofold to threefold by 10(-8) to 10(-5) mol/L dexamethasone (DXM), whereas the most effective concentration of insulin, 10(-9) mol/L, induced only a 40% decrease. These results suggest that the increased role of the kidney in glucose production during long-term starvation could be linked to a direct effect of glucocorticoids on renal G6Pase.

The glucose-6 phosphatase gene is expressed in human and rat small intestine: regulation of expression in fasted and diabetic rats

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Glucose-6 phosphatase (Glc6Pase) is the last enzyme of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, previously assumed to be expressed in the liver and kidney only, conferring on both tissues the capacity to produce endogenous glucose in blood.

METHODS

Using Northern blotting and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and a highly specific Glc6Pase assay, we studied expression of the Glc6Pase gene in human and in rat tissues (fasted and diabetic).

RESULTS

The Glc6Pase gene is expressed in the duodenum and jejunum in normal fed rats and in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum in humans. The Glc6Pase messenger RNA (mRNA) abundance was increased eightfold and sixfold in the duodenum and jejunum of streptozotocin diabetic rats. It was normalized in both tissues after 10 hours of insulin treatment. Glc6Pase activity was increased by 300% in the duodenum and jejunum in diabetic rats compared with normal rats. The Glc6Pase mRNA abundances and enzymatic activities were increased in a similar manner in both tissues in 48-hour-fasted rats. Normalization of mRNA abundance was achieved after refeeding for 7 hours. In addition, Glc6Pase mRNA and activity were also expressed in the ileum during fasting in rats.

CONCLUSIONS

These data show that the small intestine has the ability to release endogenous glucose and strongly suggest that its contribution to systemic glucose production might be increased in situations of insulinopenia (type 1 diabetes) and insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes and others).

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase translocates onto liver endoplasmic reticulum and may account for the inhibition of glucose-6-phosphatase during refeeding

By using a rapid procedure of isolation of microsomes, we have shown that the liver glucose-6-phosphatase activity was lowered by about 30% (p < 0.001) after refeeding for 360 min rats previously unfed for 48 h, whereas the amount of glucose-6-phosphatase protein was not lowered during the same time. The amount of the regulatory subunit (p85) and the catalytic activity of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) were higher by a factor of 2.6 and 2.4, respectively (p < 0.01), in microsomes from refed as compared with fasted rats. This resulted from a translocation process because the total amount of p85 was the same in the whole liver homogenates from fasted and refed rats. The amount of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) was also higher by a factor of 2.6 in microsomes from refed rats (p < 0. 01). Microsome-bound IRS1 was only detected in p85 immunoprecipitates. These results strongly suggest that an insulin-triggered mechanism of translocation of PI3K onto microsomes occurs in the liver of rats during refeeding. This process, via the lipid products of PI3K, which are potent inhibitors of glucose-6-phosphatase (Mithieux, G., Danièle, N., Payrastre, B., and Zitoun, C. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 17-19), may account for the inhibition of the enzyme and participate to the inhibition of hepatic glucose production occurring in this situation.

Liver microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase is competitively inhibited by the lipid products of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

We have studied the effect of various phospholipids on the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc6Pase) in untreated and detergent-treated rat liver microsomes. Glc6Pase is inhibited in the presence of phosphoinositides in a dose-dependent manner within a range of concentration 0.5-10 microM. The order of efficiency in untreated microsomes is: phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3,4,5P3 > PI3,4P2 = PI4,5P2 > PI3P = PI4P > PI. In contrast, Glc6Pase is not inhibited in the presence of phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine, diacylglycerol, and inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate at concentrations up to 100 microM. The mechanism of Glc6Pase inhibition by PI4,5P2, PI3,4P2, and PI3,4,5P3 is competitive in both untreated and detergent-treated microsomes. In untreated microsomes, the Ki for PI3,4,5P3 (1.7 +/- 0.3 microM, mean +/- S.D. n = 3) is significantly lower (p < 0.01) than that for PI3, 4P2 (5.0 +/- 0.8 microM) and for PI4,5P2 (4.7 +/- 0.7 microM). In detergent-treated microsomes, Glc6Pase is less sensitive to the inhibition and there is no difference anymore among the Ki values for the three compounds: 8.3 +/- 0.8, 11.1 +/- 0.5 and 8.9 +/- 0.4 microM for PI3,4,5P3, PI3,4P2, and PI4,5P2, respectively. This inhibition phenomenon might be of special importance with regards to the insulin's inhibition of hepatic glucose production.