Purine and pyrimidine metabolism in human muscle and cultured muscle cells

Catabolism of cytoplasmic and intramitochondrial adenine nucleotides in C2C12 skeletal myotube under chemical hypoxia

Loss of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) and accumulation of inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP) are the major purine metabolic changes in the skeletal muscle during hypoxia. This study addressed whether chemical metabolic inhibition reflects those changes in cultured skeletal myotube. For this aim, mouse-derived C2C12 myotubes were cultured in Hank's balanced saline solution containing 2 mM sodium cyanide (CN) and/or 1 mM iodoacetic acid (IAA) up to 180 min. Inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation by CN induced a minimal change in the intracellular adenine nucleotide levels during 180 min. Blockage of glycolysis with IAA caused an over 90% decrease in adenine nucleotides both in the cytoplasmic and intramitochondrial spaces, accompanied with allantoin release. Since 1 mM allopurinol entirely inhibited the allantoin generation, xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase was found to play a key role in the purine catabolism in IAA-treated C2C12 myotubes. By the combined treatment with CN+IAA, ATP exhaustion and IMP accumulation was achieved with significant cell injury. These changes were comparable with those in skeletal muscles during hypoxia, indicating that our model with CN+IAA is well applicable to the investigation of hypoxia-induced myopathy.

Extracellular formation and uptake of adenosine during skeletal muscle contraction in the rat: role of adenosine transporters

1. The existence of adenosine transporters in plasma membrane giant vesicles from rat skeletal muscles and in primary skeletal muscle cell cultures was investigated. In addition, the contribution of intracellularly or extracellularly formed adenosine to the overall extracellular adenosine concentration during muscle contraction was determined in primary skeletal muscle cell cultures. 2. In plasma membrane giant vesicles, the carrier-mediated adenosine transport demonstrated saturation kinetics with Km = 177 +/- 36 microM and Vmax = 1.9 +/- 0.2 nmol x ml(-1) x s(-1) (0.7 nmol (mg protein)(-1) x s(-1)). The existence of an adenosine transporter was further evidenced by the inhibition of the carrier-mediated adenosine transport in the presence of NBMPR (nitrobenzylthioinosine; 72% inhibition) or dipyridamol (64% inhibition; P < 0.05). 3. In primary skeletal muscle cells, the rate of extracellular adenosine accumulation was 5-fold greater (P < 0.05) with electrical stimulation than without electrical stimulation. Addition of the adenosine transporter inhibitor NBMPR led to a 57% larger (P < 0.05) rate of extracellular adenosine accumulation in the electro-stimulated muscle cells compared with control cells, demonstrating that adenosine is taken up by the skeletal muscle cells during contractions. 4. Inhibition of ecto-5'-nucleotidase with AOPCP in electro-stimulated cells resulted in a 70% lower (P < 0.05) rate of extracellular adenosine accumulation compared with control cells, indicating that adenosine to a large extent is formed in the extracellular space during contraction. 5. The present study provides evidence for the existence of an NBMPR-sensitive adenosine transporter in rat skeletal muscle. Our data furthermore demonstrate that the increase in extracellular adenosine observed during electro-stimulation of skeletal muscle is due to production of adenosine in the extracellular space of skeletal muscle and that adenosine is taken up rather than released by the skeletal muscle cells during contraction.

Adenosine and nitric oxide in exercise-induced human skeletal muscle vasodilatation

The vasoactive substances adenosine and nitric oxide (NO) are credible candidates in the local regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow. Adenosine and NO have both been shown to increase in skeletal muscle cells and interstitial fluid during exercise and the enzymes responsible for their formation, AMP 5'-nucleotidase and NO synthase (NOS), have been shown to be activated upon muscle contraction. In vitro as well as in vivo evidence suggest that the contraction-induced increase in interstitial adenosine concentration largely stems from extracellular formation via the membrane-bound ecto-form of AMP 5'-nucleotidase. It remains unclear whether the exercise-induced NO formation in muscle originates from endothelial NOS in the microvascular endothelium, or from neuronal NOS (nNOS) in nerve cells and muscle fibres. Functional evidence for the role of adenosine in muscle blood flow control stems from studies using adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists, adenosine deaminase or adenosine uptake inhibitors. The majority of these studies have been performed on laboratory animals and, although the results show some discrepancy, the majority of studies indicate that adenosine does participate in the regulation of muscle blood flow. In humans, evidence is lacking. The role of NO in the regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow has mainly been studied using NOS inhibitors. Despite a large number of studies in this area, the role of NO for the contraction-induced increase in skeletal muscle blood flow is uncertain. The majority, but not all, human and animal studies show that, whereas blockade of NOS reduces muscle blood flow at rest and in recovery from exercise, there is no effect on the exercise-induced increase in muscle perfusion. Conclusive evidence for the mechanisms underlying the precise regulation of the multiphased increase in skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise and the role and potency of various vasoactive substances, remain missing.

The effect of muscle contraction on the regulation of adenosine formation in rat skeletal muscle cells

1. The present study examined the effect of muscle contraction on the rate of extracellular adenosine formation and on the distribution of 5' nucleotidase in primary rat skeletal muscle cells in culture. Experiments were also performed to determine whether the muscle cells release a metabolite upon contraction which may influence the extracellular production of adenosine. 2. Muscle contraction, induced by electrical stimulation, increased (P < 0.05) the rate of adenosine formation in the presence of physiological concentrations (2 and 5 microM) of adenosine monophosphate (AMP). Muscle contraction also led to an increase (P < 0.05) in the maximal rate of extracellular adenosine formation from 4.09 +/- 0.19 to 7.04 +/- 0.27 micromol (g protein)-1 min-1. Similarly, homogenates of contracted muscle cells had a higher (by 19.5 +/- 10.5 %; P < 0.05) AMP 5' nucleotidase activity than homogenates of control cells. 3. Addition of buffer from contracted cells to control cells induced an elevation (18.4 +/- 5.3 %; P < 0.05) in the rate of adenosine formation. The rate of adenosine formation was also increased with decreased intracellular adenylate charge (P < 0.05). 4. Cell homogenates treated with detergent had a higher (by 58.0 +/- 16.3 %; P < 0.05) AMP 5' nucleotidase activity than untreated homogenates, suggesting the existence of an enclosed pool of 5' nucleotidase within the muscle cells. The rate of adenosine formation in the detergent-treated homogenates was similar for electrically stimulated and non-electrically stimulated cells. 5. The present data show that muscle contraction induces an enhanced extracellular adenosine production via an increase in the activity of ecto AMP 5' nucleotidase. The activity of 5' nucleotidase can be elevated via a compound released by muscle cells during contraction and by alteration in intracellular adenylate charge. It is furthermore proposed that the extracellular adenosine formation is increased by translocation of 5' nucleotidase from an enclosed intracellular pool to the muscle membrane.

Adenosine formation in contracting primary rat skeletal muscle cells and endothelial cells in culture

1. The present study examined the capacity for adenosine formation, uptake and metabolism in contracting primary rat muscle cells and in microvascular endothelial cells in culture. 2. Strong and moderate electrical simulation of skeletal muscle cells led to a significantly greater increase in the extracellular adenosine concentration (421 +/- 91 and 235 +/- 30 nmol (g protein)-1, respectively; P < 0.05) compared with non-stimulated muscle cells (161 +/- 20 nmol (g protein)-1). The ATP concentration was lower (18%; P < 0.05) in the intensely contracted, but not in the moderately contracted muscle cells. 3. Addition of microvascular endothelial cells to the cultured skeletal muscle cells enhanced the contraction-induced accumulation of extracellular adenosine (P < 0.05), whereas endothelial cells in culture alone did not cause extracellular accumulation of adenosine. 4. Skeletal muscle cells were found to have ecto-forms of several enzymes involved in nucleotide metabolism, including ATPases capable of converting extracellular ATP to ADP and AMP. 5. Adenosine added to the cell medium was taken up by muscle cells and incorporated into the adenine nucleotide pool so that after 30 min of incubation, over 95% of the adenosine label was present in ATP, ADP and AMP. A similar extent of incorporation of adenosine into the nucleotide pool was evident in the endothelial cells. 6. The present data suggest that contracting muscle cells induce an elevation in the extracellular adenosine concentration. Addition of endothelial cells to muscle cells enhances the contraction-induced formation of adenosine. Adenosine taken up by muscle and endothelial cells from the extracellular space is not likely to be used for storage in intracellular pools, but may serve to regulate muscle extracellular adenosine levels.

Validation and steady-state analysis of a power-law model of purine metabolism in man

The paper introduces a model of human purine metabolism in situ. Chosen from among several alternative system descriptions, the model is formulated as a Generalized Mass Action system within Biochemical Systems Theory and validated with analyses of steady-state and dynamic characteristics. Eigenvalue and sensitivity analyses indicate that the model has a stable and robust steady-state. The model quite accurately reproduces numerous biochemical and clinical observations in healthy subjects as well as in patients with disorders of purine metabolism. These results suggest that the model can be used to assess biochemical and clinical aspects of human purine metabolism. It provides a means of exploring effects of enzyme deficiencies and is a potential tool for identifying steps of the pathway that could be the target of therapeutical intervention. Numerous quantitative comparisons with data are given. The model can be used for biomathematical exploration of relationships between enzymic deficiencies and clinically manifested diseases.

Expression of different isoenzymes of adenylate deaminase in cultured human muscle cells. Relation to myoadenylate deaminase deficiency

Adenylate deaminase activity was determined in cultured muscle cells of different maturation grades and muscle biopsies from normal subjects and four patients with a primary myoadenylate deaminase (MAD) deficiency. Adenylate deaminase activity was much lower in cultured human muscle cells than in normal muscle. The activity increased with maturation. The ratio of activities measured at 5 and 2 mM AMP decreased in the order: immature muscle cells greater than more mature muscle cells greater than muscle. Adenylate deaminase activity was detectable in muscle cell cultures of MAD-deficient patients. However, both at 2 and 5 mM AMP this activity was significantly lower than in cultured cells with the same high maturation grade obtained from control subjects, whereas the ratio between the activities at 5 and 2 mM AMP was higher. The observations indicate that transition from a fetal to an adult muscle isoenzyme of adenylate deaminase takes place in human cultured muscle cells during maturation. In cultures obtained from MAD-deficient patients this transition does not occur and only the fetal isoenzyme is present.

Effects of growth medium, electrical stimulation and paralysis on various enzyme activities in cultured rat muscle cells. Comparison with activities in rat muscles in vivo

1. Replacement of fetal calf serum and chicken embryo extract by Ultroser G and rat brain extract during the proliferation phase resulted in a higher maturation grade of cultured rat muscle cells after 7 days of differentiation, on base of the percentage of the muscle specific isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MM). 2. Furthermore, the activities of creatine kinase, citrate synthase, cytochrome c oxidase and hexokinase were significantly higher. 3. Compared to the enzyme activities in m. quadriceps of 10 day-old rat and m. quadriceps, m. soleus and m. extensor digitorum longus of young adult rats, the metabolic capacity of cultured myotubes most closely resembles that of the first muscle. 4. Paralysis with tetrodotoxin caused a slight decrease of the creatine kinase activity and the percentage of CK-MM of cultured myotubes and an increase of the activities of hexokinase, phosphorylase and AMP deaminase. 5. Electrical stimulation performed at different frequencies and time periods had no effect on the enzyme activities of cultured rat muscle cells. 6. Only the AMP deaminase activity was decreased after intense electrical stimulation.