The effect of treatment of the rat with bacterial endotoxin on gluconeogenesis and pyruvate metabolism in subsequently isolated hepatocytes

Acute low-dose endotoxin treatment results in improved whole-body glucose homeostasis in mice

BACKGROUND

Obese individuals present with an increased inflammatory tone as compared to healthy, normal-weight individuals, which is associated with insulin resistance. One factor hypothesized to contribute to increased inflammation in obese and diabetic states is elevated blood endotoxin levels, a condition known as metabolic endotoxemia. In non-obese and insulin sensitive individuals, circulating endotoxin concentrations fluctuate over the course of the day with elevations in the post-prandial state that return to baseline levels in the post-absorptive state. Evidence suggests that high-fat feeding alters these fluctuations causing endotoxin levels to remain high throughout the day. The effects of alterations in endotoxin levels on glucose metabolism are not clearly understood.

PURPOSE/PROCEDURES

The goal of this study was to determine the effects of both short-term and long-term increases in endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) of a low magnitude on the glucose tolerance and insulin signaling in a human primary cell line as well as the effects of short-term endotoxin treatments on glucose homeostasis in a C57/Bl6 mouse model. First, we tested the hypothesis that short-term low-dose endotoxin treatments would augment insulin signaling and glycogen synthesis while long-term treatments would be disruptive in the cell culture model. Second, we examined if these short-term low dose treatments of endotoxin would contribute to similar improvements in whole-body glucose homeostasis in a mouse model.

MAIN FINDINGS

Contrary to our initial hypothesis, short-term endotoxin treatment had no effect on insulin signaling or glycogen synthesis, however long-term treatment indeed decreased glycogen synthesis (P<.05). Interestingly, short-term endotoxin treatment resulted in significant improvements in glucose homeostasis in the mouse model (P<.01); which is believed to be at least partly attributed to an inhibitory action of LPS on liver glucose production.

CONCLUSIONS

This research shows that low-magnitude, short-term changes in LPS can have significant effects on whole body glucose metabolism and this likely occurs through its direct actions on the liver. Additional studies are necessary to understand the mechanisms responsible for altered glucose metabolism in response to low magnitude changes in LPS levels.

Decreasing the frequency of energy supplementation from daily to three times weekly impairs growth and humoral immune response of preconditioning beef steers

We evaluated the effects of frequency of energy supplementation on growth and measurements of innate and humoral immune responses of preconditioning beef steers following vaccination. Angus steers ( = 24; 221 ± 6.3 kg; 177 ± 4 d of age) were weaned on d -7 and kept in a single drylot pen with free access to tall fescue hay and concentrate DMI at 0.5% of BW (50:50 mix of soyhulls and corn gluten pellets; DM basis) from d -7 to 0. On d 0, steers were stratified by BW and age and randomly assigned to 1 of 8 feedlot pens (3 steers/pen). Treatments were randomly assigned to pens (4 pens/treatment) and consisted of steers provided daily free access to ground tall fescue hay and similar weekly concentrate DMI (1% of BW times 7 d), which was divided and offered either daily (S7) or 3 times weekly (S3; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) from d 0 to 42. Individual BW was measured before feeding on d 0 and 42, after 12 h of feed and water withdrawal. Steers were vaccinated against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and clostridium on d 7 and 21. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein on d -7 and 4 h after concentrate supplementation on d 0, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 35, and 42. Steers offered concentrate daily had greater ( ≤ 0.02) BW on d 42, overall ADG, and total DMI, but similar ( = 0.14) G:F, than S3 steers. On days that S7 and S3 steers were offered concentrate, total DMI was greater and hay DMI was less for S3 vs. S7 steers ( ≤ 0.05). On days that only S7 steers were supplemented, hay DMI was greater, but total DMI was less for S3 vs. S7 steers ( ≤ 0.05). Mean CP and NEg intake were greater ( ≤ 0.03) for S7 vs. S3 steers. Plasma cortisol concentrations on d 7 and 28, and mean plasma haptoglobin concentrations, but not liver mRNA expression of haptoglobin ( = 0.75), were greater for S3 vs. S7 steers ( ≤ 0.03). Plasma IGF-1 concentrations on d 0 and urea nitrogen on d 1 and 3, relative to vaccination, were greater for S7 vs. S3 steers ( ≤ 0.008). Positive seroconversion to BVDV-1b on d 42 and mean serum BVDV-1b titers were greater for S7 vs. S3 steers ( ≤ 0.05). In summary, decreasing the frequency of concentrate supplementation from daily to three times weekly, during a 42-d preconditioning period, decreased growth performance, increased plasma concentrations of haptoglobin and cortisol, and decreased vaccine-induced antibody production against BVDV-1b of beef steers.

Global metabolomic analysis of a mammalian host infected with Bacillus anthracis

Whereas DNA provides the information to design life and proteins provide the materials to construct it, the metabolome can be viewed as the physiology that powers it. As such, metabolomics, the field charged with the study of the dynamic small-molecule fluctuations that occur in response to changing biology, is now being used to study the basis of disease. Here, we describe a comprehensive metabolomic analysis of a systemic bacterial infection using Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax disease, as the model pathogen. An organ and blood analysis identified approximately 400 metabolites, including several key classes of lipids involved in inflammation, as being suppressed by B. anthracis. Metabolite changes were detected as early as 1 day postinfection, well before the onset of disease or the spread of bacteria to organs, which testifies to the sensitivity of this methodology. Functional studies using pharmacologic inhibition of host phospholipases support the idea of a role of these key enzymes and lipid mediators in host survival during anthrax disease. Finally, the results are integrated to provide a comprehensive picture of how B. anthracis alters host physiology. Collectively, the results of this study provide a blueprint for using metabolomics as a platform to identify and study novel host-pathogen interactions that shape the outcome of an infection.

Decreased hepatic gluconeogenesis in transgenic rats with increased circulating angiotensin-(1-7)

The renin-angiotensin (Ang) system (RAS) plays an important role in the control of glucose metabolism and glycemia. Several studies demonstrated that the effects of angiotensin-(1-7) are mainly opposite to the actions of biological angiotensin II. Recent studies have demonstrated that rats with increased circulating angiotensin-(1-7), acting through the G protein coupled receptor Mas, have enhanced glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, presenting improved metabolic parameters. However, there is no data regarding the role of angiotensin-(1-7)-Mas axis in hepatic glycemic metabolism. In the present study, the gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis was investigated in Sprague-Dawley (SD) and in TGR(A1-7)3292 (TGR) rats which present approximately twofold increase in plasma Ang-(1-7) levels compared to SD. The pyruvate administration in fasted rats showed a decreased synthesis of glucose in TGR compared to the SD rats, pointing to a downregulation of gluconeogenesis. Supporting this data, the mRNA evaluation of gluconeogenic enzymes showed a significant reduction in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase reinforced by a significantly diminished expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF-4α), responsible for the regulation of gluconeogenic enzymes. In conclusion our data show that the improved glucose metabolism induced by Ang-(1-7) could be due, at least in part, to a downregulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis.

Liver in sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome

In patients with sepsis and SIRS, the liver has two opposing roles: a source of inflammatory mediators and a target organ for the effects of the inflammatory mediators. The liver is pivotal in modulating the systemic response to severe infection, because it contains the largest mass of macrophages (Kupffer cells) in the body; these macrophages can clear the endotoxin and bacteria that initiate the systemic inflammatory response. This article summarizes the functional changes that take place in the liver during sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome and discusses the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie clinical outcomes.

Increased pyruvate flux capacities account for diet-induced increases in gluconeogenesis in vitro

High-fat (HF) and high-sucrose (SU) diets increase gluconeogenesis. The present study was designed to determine the contributions of pyruvate dehydrogenase, pyruvate carboxylase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and pyruvate kinase fluxes to this accelerated gluconeogenesis (GNEO) in the absence and presence of fatty acids. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed an HF, SU, or starch (ST) diet for 1 wk, and hepatocytes or mitochondria were isolated. In the absence of palmitate, the tracer estimated rates of GNEO (nmol. min(-1). mg(-1)) were elevated in hepatocytes isolated from SU (32.3 +/- 1.8) and HF (35.4 +/- 1.8) vs. ST (22.8 +/- 1.5). Pyruvate carboxylase and PEPCK flux rates (nmol. min(-1). mg(-1)) were increased in the SU (47.5 +/- 2.2 and 34.8 +/- 1.5) and HF (49.4 +/- 1.8 and 38.2 +/- 1.8) groups compared with the ST group (32.8 +/- 3.2 and 44.3 +/- 2.0). Palmitate (250-1,000 microM) stimulation of these fluxes was not significantly different among groups. Bromopalmitate, an inhibitor of fat oxidation, abolished differences in GNEO, pyruvate carboxylase, and PEPCK fluxes in HF and SU vs. ST. In isolated mitochondria, pyruvate carboxylation and palmitoyl carnitine oxidation were not significantly different among groups. The results of this study suggest that the increased gluconeogenic flux observed with HF and SU diets is associated with an increased pyruvate flux through pyruvate carboxylase and PEPCK. Moreover, the ability of bromopalmitate to normalize gluconeogenic fluxes suggests that endogenous fatty acids contribute to diet-induced increases in GNEO.

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes by alpha-lipoic acid

Recent work shows that septic or endotoxic shock is associated with lipopolysaccharide and cytokine mixture-induced nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in liver. Here we found that DL-alpha-lipoic acid inhibited but other thiol-containing antioxidants such as glutathione and N-acetylcysteine enhanced lipopolysaccharide and cytokine mixture (referred as LPS/CM)-induced NO synthesis in hepatocytes. The inhibitory action of alpha-lipoic acid on hepatocyte NO synthesis was as potent as that of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine without obvious cytotoxicity. Deletion by diethylmaleate or inhibition by buthionine sulfoximine of intracellular glutathione caused a significant decrease in hepatocyte NO synthesis, implying that increased intracellular reduced glutathione levels could not be the reason for alpha-lipoic acid inhibited NO synthesis. alpha-Lipoic acid inhibition of NO synthesis seems to be from alpha-lipoic acid improved carbohydrate metabolism in hepatocytes. Since alpha-lipoic acid is an essential compound existing naturally in physiological systems, it may serve as both a research and therapeutic agent for sepsis.

The importance of nitric oxide in the cytokine-induced inhibition of glucose formation by cultured hepatocytes incubated with insulin, dexamethasone, and glucagon

Culturing hepatocytes with a combination of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, and interleukin 1 beta plus lipopolysaccharide resulted in an induction of nitric oxide synthase and concomitant inhibition of both hepatic gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. The inhibition of gluconeogenesis was evident both under basal conditions and in cells stimulated acutely with glucagon. The stimulation of glycogen mobilization by glucagon was largely prevented by the presence of the cytokines. Chronic 24-h treatment of the cells with glucagon attenuated the cytokine response on both glucose output and NO formation in the dexamethasone-treated cells. This effect was antagonized by insulin. Inclusion of 1 mM NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester or 0.5 mM NG-monomethyl-L-arginine in the incubation abolished the increase in NO2- plus NO3- induced by the cytokine mixture and partially reversed the inhibitory effects on glucose mobilization in the presence of either insulin or glucagon, confirming the involvement of NO. In contrast the NO synthase inhibitors had little effect on either gluconeogenesis or glycogenolysis in the presence of dexamethasone alone, indicating that NO is only partially responsible for the inhibitory action of the cytokines, and the extent of its involvement depends upon the influence of other hormonal factors on the pathways. The antioxidant trolox also suppressed the inhibition of glucose release by the cytokines under conditions where nitric oxide synthase inhibitors were ineffective, suggesting that both reactive oxygen intermediates and NO may act as mediators, the relative importance of each depending upon the metabolic status of the cell.

Role of metabolic intermediates in lipopolysaccharide/cytokine-mediated production of nitric oxide in isolated mouse hepatocytes

Induction of nitric oxide synthase by bacterial endotoxin in vivo can be mimicked by treating cultured hepatocytes with a combination of lipopolysaccharide and cytokines (LPS/cytokines), but the role of LPS/cytokine-induced nitric oxide in hepatocyte glucose metabolism is ambiguous. In this study, intermediary metabolite effects on LPS/cytokine-induced hepatocyte nitric oxide synthesis were examined. Pyruvate, lactate, oxaloacetate, and fumarate all showed some inhibitory effects on hepatocyte nitric oxide synthesis. However, these metabolic intermediates could not improve the mitochondrial respiration of LPS/cytokine-treated hepatocytes. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity (or flux) relating factors, glucocorticoids and cAMP, also blocked LPS/cytokine-induced nitric oxide synthesis. Insulin was much less potent than cAMP and glucocorticoids, and phorbol ester did not show any effect on hepatocyte nitric oxide synthesis. These results suggest that LPS/cytokine-induced nitric oxide synthesis is related, at least partly, to phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity (or flux) in hepatocytes.

Inhibition of glycerol metabolism in hepatocytes isolated from endotoxic rats

Sepsis or endotoxaemia inhibits gluconeogenesis from various substrates, the main effect being related to a change in the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase transcription rate. In addition, sepsis has been reported to affect the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. We have studied glycerol metabolism in hepatocytes isolated from rats fasted and injected 16 h previously with lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli. Endotoxin inhibited glycerol metabolism and led to a very large accumulation of glycerol 3-phosphate; the cytosolic reducing state was increased. Furthermore glycerol kinase activity was increased by 33% (P<<0.01). The respiratory rate of intact cells was significantly decreased by sepsis, with glycerol or octanoate as exogenous substrates, whereas oxidative phosphorylation (ATP-to-O ratio or respirations in state 4, state 3 and the oligomycin-insensitive state as well as the uncoupled state) was unchanged in permeabilized hepatocytes. Hence the effect on energy metabolism seems to be present only in intact hepatocytes. An additional important feature was the observation of a significant increase in cellular volume in cells from endotoxic animals, which might account for the alterations induced by sepsis.

Effect of multiple cytokines plus bacterial endotoxin on glucose and nitric oxide production by cultured hepatocytes

Treatment of cultured hepatocytes with a combination of cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma and interleukin-1 beta, plus lipopolysaccharide resulted in a time-dependent induction of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (as measured by NO2- (+) NO3- production) and inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis and glycogen breakdown. The inhibition of glucose release was comparable with the observed following treatment of rats with lipopolysaccharide or treatment of isolated hepatocytes with artificial NO donors. In addition, this effect was also evident with all substrates tested that enter the gluconeogenic pathway below the level of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, suggesting that this combination of cytokines may underlie the inhibition of gluconeogenesis observed in endotoxic shock. The maximal inhibition of glucose output required the presence of all the cytokines plus lipopolysaccharide, whereas the induction of NO synthase was independent of the lipopolysaccharide when the cytokines were employed. Inclusion of interferon-gamma was essential to obtain a maximal response for either parameter. Inclusion of 1 mM N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine in the incubation abolished the increase in NO2- (+) NO3- observed with the complete cytokine mixture and various combinations; however, it failed to prevent the inhibition in glucose output, indicating that mechanisms other than NO underlie the cytokine-induced inhibition of glucose release.

Administration of Escherichia coli endotoxin to rat increases liver mass and hepatocyte volume in vivo

We have established, in vivo, an increase in liver mass and hepatocyte volume after a single intraperitoneal administration, to fasted rats, of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (0127:B8) at 3 mg/kg. The phenomenon was time- and dose-dependent and could be prevented by treatment with polyclonal antiserum against tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) before the endotoxin injection. Endotoxin caused an increase of 26% in the hepatic mass compared with fasted controls at 24 h. An increase of 27% in the hepatic water content underlay the altered hepatic mass which could not be accounted for by a change in the volume of hepatic blood and/or interstitial fluid (measured in vivo), suggesting an expansion in the hepatocellular volume. This is supported by an increase of 25% in the K+ content of the endotoxic livers. Morphometric study confirmed a 15% increase in hepatocyte volume after endotoxin administration. The data are discussed in the light of possible metabolic effects of increased hepatocyte volume.

Substrate cycling between pyruvate and oxaloacetate in awake normal and 3,3'-5-triiodo-L-thyronine-treated rats

Substrate cycling between pyruvate and oxaloacetate was assessed in awake 24-h fasted normal and triiodothyronine (T3)-treated rats. After a 20- or 60-min infusion of [3-13C]alanine (99% enriched, 12 mg/min) the 13C enrichments of liver glucose and alanine carbons were analyzed by 13C and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Substrate cycling from phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate [via pyruvate kinase (PK)] and from oxaloacetate to pyruvate [via malic enzyme (ME)] relative to the pyruvate carboxylase (PC) flux [i.e., (PK+ME)/PC] was assessed by the ratio of the 13C enrichment of C-2 alanine relative to that in C-5 glucose. In the normal rats (PK+ME)/PC was 0.26 +/- 0.07 (n = 7, t = 20 min) and 0.37 +/- 0.08 (n = 4, t = 60 min). In the T3-treated rats the (PK+ME)/PC increased four- to fivefold to 1.03 +/- 0.19 (n = 8, t = 20 min) and to 1.83 +/- 0.19 (n = 3, t = 60 min) (P < 0.05 vs. normal rats). The liver enzyme activity of PK did not change with T3 treatment (normal 14.22 +/- 5.25 U/g liver vs. T3 treated 13.40 +/- 1.10 U/g liver), whereas both the enzyme activity ratio of PK (normal 0.47 +/- 0.15 vs. T3 treated 0.77 +/- 0.03, P < 0.05) and the activity of ME (normal 0.89 +/- 0.30 U/g liver vs. T3 treated 4.25 +/- 0.60 U/g liver, P < 0.05) increased with T3 treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis by nitric oxide: a comparison with endotoxic shock

Isolated hepatocytes incubated in the presence of the NO donors S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and 3-morpholino-sydnonimine (SIN-1) displayed a time- and dose-dependent inhibition of glucose synthesis from lactate plus pyruvate as the substrate which correlated with NO production, but not nitrite production. Neither the parent compound of SNAP, N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (NAP), nor nitrite or nitrate had any significant effect on glucose output, indicating that the inhibition was due to the generation of NO within the incubation medium. The concentrations of NO required for this effect (< 800 nM) are within the range reported to occur in intact tissues and in vivo. The magnitude of the inhibitory effect of SNAP (approximately 50%) was comparable with that of endotoxin treatment of the rat with lactate plus pyruvate as the substrate. When the effect of SNAP on glucose synthesis and lactate plus pyruvate synthesis from a number of different substrates was examined, this showed a pattern comparable with that observed after endotoxin treatment of the rat, suggesting that NO may be the inhibitory mediator of the effects of bacterial endotoxin on hepatic gluconeogenesis. The NO donor had no effect on the flux through 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase, supporting the concept that the primary site of inhibition of gluconeogenesis by both NO and endotoxin resides at the level of phosphoenolpyruvate formation.