Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor (Ryr2)-mediated Calcium Signals Specifically Promote Glucose Oxidation via Pyruvate Dehydrogenase

Cardiac ryanodine receptor (Ryr2) Ca²⁺ release channels and cellular metabolism are both disrupted in heart disease. Recently, we demonstrated that total loss of Ryr2 leads to cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction, arrhythmia, and reduced heart rate. Acute total Ryr2 ablation also impaired metabolism, but it was not clear whether this was a cause or consequence of heart failure. Previous in vitro studies revealed that Ca²⁺ flux into the mitochondria helps pace oxidative metabolism, but there is limited in vivo evidence supporting this concept. Here, we studied heart-specific, inducible Ryr2 haploinsufficient (cRyr2Δ50) mice with a stable 50% reduction in Ryr2 protein. This manipulation decreased the amplitude and frequency of cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca²⁺ signals in isolated cardiomyocytes, without changes in cardiomyocyte contraction. Remarkably, in the context of well preserved contractile function in perfused hearts, we observed decreased glucose oxidation, but not fat oxidation, with increased glycolysis. cRyr2Δ50 hearts exhibited hyperphosphorylation and inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase, the key Ca²⁺-sensitive gatekeeper to glucose oxidation. Metabolomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic analyses revealed additional functional networks associated with altered metabolism in this model. These results demonstrate that Ryr2 controls mitochondrial Ca²⁺ dynamics and plays a specific, critical role in promoting glucose oxidation in cardiomyocytes. Our findings indicate that partial RYR2 loss is sufficient to cause metabolic abnormalities seen in heart disease.

Leptin induces fasting hypoglycaemia in a mouse model of diabetes through the depletion of glycerol

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Leptin has profound glucose-lowering effects in rodent models of type 1 diabetes, and is currently being tested clinically to treat this disease. In addition to reversing hyperglycaemia, leptin therapy corrects multiple lipid, energy and neuroendocrine imbalances in rodent models of type 1 diabetes, yet the precise mechanism has not been fully defined. Thus, we performed metabolic analyses to delineate the downstream metabolic pathway mediating leptin-induced glucose lowering in diabetic mice.

METHODS

Mice were injected with streptozotocin (STZ) to induce insulin-deficient diabetes, and were subsequently treated with 20 μg/day recombinant murine leptin or vehicle for 5 to 14 days. Energy-yielding substrates were measured in the liver and plasma, and endogenous glucose production was assessed by tolerance to extended fasting.

RESULTS

STZ-leptin-treated mice developed severe hypoketotic hypoglycaemia during prolonged fasting, indicative of suppressed endogenous ketone and glucose production. STZ-leptin mice displayed normal gluconeogenic and glycogenolytic capacity, but had depleted circulating glycerol and NEFA. The depletion of glycerol and NEFA correlated tightly with the kinetics of glucose lowering in response to chronic leptin administration, and was not mimicked by single leptin injection. Administration of glycerol acutely reversed fasting-induced hypoglycaemia in leptin-treated mice.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

The findings of this study suggest that the diminution of circulating glycerol reduces endogenous glucose production, contributing to severe fasting-induced hypoglycaemia in leptin-treated rodent models of type 1 diabetes, and support that depletion of glycerol contributes to the glucose-lowering action of leptin.

Complex regulation of PKCβ2 and PDK-1/AKT by ROCK2 in diabetic heart

Objectives

The RhoA/ROCK pathway contributes to diabetic cardiomyopathy in part by promoting the sustained activation of PKCβ2 but the details of their interaction are unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate if over-activation of ROCK in the diabetic heart leads to direct phosphorylation and activation of PKCβ2, and to determine if their interaction affects PDK-1/Akt signaling.

Methods

Regulation by ROCK of PKCβ2 and related kinases was investigated by Western blotting and co-immunoprecipitation in whole hearts and isolated cardiomyocytes from 12 to 14-week diabetic rats. Direct ROCK2 phosphorylation of PKCβ2 was examined in vitro. siRNA silencing was used to confirm role of ROCK2 in PKCβ2 phosphorylation in vascular smooth muscle cells cultured in high glucose. Furthermore, the effect of ROCK inhibition on GLUT4 translocation was determined in isolated cardiomyocytes by confocal microscopy.

Results

Expression of ROCK2 and expression and phosphorylation of PKCβ2 were increased in diabetic hearts. A physical interaction between the two kinases was demonstrated by reciprocal immunoprecipitation, while ROCK2 directly phosphorylated PKCβ2 at T641 in vitro. ROCK2 siRNA in vascular smooth muscle cells or inhibition of ROCK in diabetic hearts reduced PKCβ2 T641 phosphorylation, and this was associated with attenuation of PKCβ2 activity. PKCβ2 also formed a complex with PDK-1 and its target AKT, and ROCK inhibition resulted in upregulation of the phosphorylation of PDK-1 and AKT, and increased translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) to the plasma membrane in diabetic hearts.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that over-activation of ROCK2 contributes to diabetic cardiomyopathy by multiple mechanisms, including direct phosphorylation and activation of PKCβ2 and interference with the PDK-1-mediated phosphorylation and activation of AKT and translocation of GLUT4. This suggests that ROCK2 is a critical node in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy and may be an effective target to improve cardiac function in diabetes.

Cardiomyocyte ATP production, metabolic flexibility, and survival require calcium flux through cardiac ryanodine receptors in vivo

Ca(2+) fluxes between adjacent organelles are thought to control many cellular processes, including metabolism and cell survival. In vitro evidence has been presented that constitutive Ca(2+) flux from intracellular stores into mitochondria is required for basal cellular metabolism, but these observations have not been made in vivo. We report that controlled in vivo depletion of cardiac RYR2, using a conditional gene knock-out strategy (cRyr2KO mice), is sufficient to reduce mitochondrial Ca(2+) and oxidative metabolism, and to establish a pseudohypoxic state with increased autophagy. Dramatic metabolic reprogramming was evident at the transcriptional level via Sirt1/Foxo1/Pgc1α, Atf3, and Klf15 gene networks. Ryr2 loss also induced a non-apoptotic form of programmed cell death associated with increased calpain-10 but not caspase-3 activation or endoplasmic reticulum stress. Remarkably, cRyr2KO mice rapidly exhibited many of the structural, metabolic, and molecular characteristics of heart failure at a time when RYR2 protein was reduced 50%, a similar degree to that which has been reported in heart failure. RYR2-mediated Ca(2+) fluxes are therefore proximal controllers of mitochondrial Ca(2+), ATP levels, and a cascade of transcription factors controlling metabolism and survival.

ATP-citrate lyase reduction mediates palmitate-induced apoptosis in pancreatic beta cells

Elevated extracellular lipids, such as the free fatty acid palmitate, can induce pancreatic beta cell endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis, thereby contributing to the initiation and progression of type 2 diabetes. ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY), a key enzyme in cellular lipid production, was identified as a palmitate target in a proteomic screen. We investigated the effects of palmitate on ACLY activity and phosphorylation and its role in beta cell ER stress and apoptosis. We demonstrated that treatment of MIN6 cells, mouse islets and human islets with palmitate reduced ACLY protein levels. These in vitro results were validated by our finding that islets from high fat-fed mice had a significant decrease in ACLY, similar to that previously observed in type 2 diabetic human islets. Palmitate decreased intracellular acetyl-CoA levels to a similar degree as the ACLY inhibitor, SB-204990, suggesting a reduction in ACLY activity. ACLY inhibitors alone were sufficient to induce CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologues protein (CHOP)-dependent ER stress and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis. Similarly, even modest shRNA-mediated knockdown of ACLY caused a significant increase in beta cell apoptosis and ER stress. The effects of chemical ACLY inhibition and palmitate were non-additive and therefore potentially mediated by a common mechanism. Indeed, overexpression of ACLY prevented palmitate-induced beta cell death. These observations provide new evidence that ACLY expression and activity can be suppressed by exogenous lipids and demonstrate a critical role for ACLY in pancreatic beta cell survival. These findings add to the emerging body of evidence linking beta cell metabolism with programmed cell death.

AMP-activated protein kinase influences metabolic remodeling in H9c2 cells hypertrophied by arginine vasopressin

Substrate use switches from fatty acids toward glucose in pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy with an acceleration of glycolysis being characteristic. The activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) observed in hypertrophied hearts provides one potential mechanism for the acceleration of glycolysis. Here, we directly tested the hypothesis that AMPK causes the acceleration of glycolysis in hypertrophied heart muscle cells. The H9c2 cell line, derived from the embryonic rat heart, was treated with arginine vasopressin (AVP; 1 μM) to induce a cellular model of hypertrophy. Rates of glycolysis and oxidation of glucose and palmitate were measured in nonhypertrophied and hypertrophied H9c2 cells, and the effects of inhibition of AMPK were determined. AMPK activity was inhibited by 6-[4-(2-piperidin-1- yl-ethoxy)-phenyl]-3-pyridin-4-yl-pyrrazolo-[1,5-a]pyrimidine (compound C) or by adenovirus-mediated transfer of dominant negative AMPK. Compared with nonhypertrophied cells, glycolysis was accelerated and palmitate oxidation was reduced with no significant alteration in glucose oxidation in hypertrophied cells, a metabolic profile similar to that of intact hypertrophied hearts. Inhibition of AMPK resulted in the partial reduction of glycolysis in AVP-treated hypertrophied H9c2 cells. Acute exposure of H9c2 cells to AVP also activated AMPK and accelerated glycolysis. These elevated rates of glycolysis were not altered by AMPK inhibition but were blocked by agents that interfere with Ca2+ signaling, including extracellular EGTA, dantrolene, and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate. We conclude that the acceleration of glycolysis in AVP-treated hypertrophied heart muscle cells is partially dependent on AMPK, whereas the acute glycolytic effects of AVP are AMPK independent and at least partially Ca2+ dependent.

Regulation of mitochondrial aconitase by phosphorylation in diabetic rat heart

Mitochondrial dysfunction and protein kinase C (PKC) activation are consistently found in diabetic cardiomyopathy but their relationship remains unclear. This study identified mitochondrial aconitase as a downstream target of PKC activation using immunoblotting and mass spectrometry, and then characterized phosphorylation-induced changes in its activity in hearts from type 1 diabetic rats. PKCbeta(2) co-immunoprecipitated with phosphorylated aconitase from mitochondria isolated from diabetic hearts. Augmented phosphorylation of mitochondrial aconitase in diabetic hearts was found to be associated with an increase in its reverse activity (isocitrate to aconitate), while the rate of the forward activity was unchanged. Similar results were obtained on phosphorylation of mitochondrial aconitase by PKCbeta(2) in vitro. These results demonstrate the regulation of mitochondrial aconitase activity by PKC-dependent phosphorylation. This may influence the activity of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and contribute to impaired mitochondrial function and energy metabolism in diabetic hearts.

Exercise restores endothelial function independently of weight loss or hyperglycaemic status in db/db mice

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Exercise ameliorates oxidative stress-mediated diabetic vascular endothelial dysfunction through poorly defined mechanisms. We hypothesised that, in addition to improving metabolic parameters, upregulation of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) mediates exercise-induced reductions of oxidative stress and increased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, and also restores vasodilatation.

METHODS

Type 2 diabetic db/db and normoglycaemic wild-type mice were exercised at moderate intensity for 1 h a day for 7 weeks, leading to a 10% body weight loss. Sedentary animals or those undergoing a low-intensity exercise regimen causing non-significant weight loss were also used. We examined aortic endothelial cell function, NO bioavailability and various biomarkers of oxidative stress.

RESULTS

Moderate-intensity exercise lowered body weight, increased mitochondrial manganese SOD (MnSOD) and both total and phosphorylated (Ser1177) endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein production; it also reduced whole-body (plasma 8-isoprostane) and tissue oxidative stress (nitrotyrosine immunostaining or protein carbonyl levels in the aorta). Low-intensity exercise did not alter body weight; however, it upregulated cytosolic Cu/Zn-SOD instead of MnSOD, and still demonstrated all the above benefits in the db/db aorta. Importantly, both exercise protocols improved endothelial-dependent vasodilatation and NO bioavailability without altering hyperglycaemic status in db/db mice.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Exercise reverses diabetic vascular endothelial dysfunction independently of improvements in body weight or hyperglycaemia. Our data suggest that upregulation of eNOS and specific SOD isoforms could play important roles in improving NO bioavailability, as well as in reversing endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes patients through lifestyle modifications in the management of diabetes.

Metabolic actions of metformin in the heart can occur by AMPK-independent mechanisms

The metabolic actions of the antidiabetic agent metformin reportedly occur via the activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the heart and other tissues in the presence or absence of changes in cellular energy status. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that metformin has AMPK-independent effects on metabolism in heart muscle. Fatty acid oxidation and glucose utilization (glycolysis and glucose uptake) were measured in isolated working hearts from halothane-anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats and in cultured heart-derived H9c2 cells in the absence or in the presence of metformin (2 mM). Fatty acid oxidation and glucose utilization were significantly altered by metformin in hearts and H9c2 cells. AMPK activity was not measurably altered by metformin in either model system, and no impairment of energetic state was observed in the intact hearts. Furthermore, the inhibition of AMPK by 6-[4-(2-piperidin-1-yl-ethoxy)-phenyl]-3-pyridin-4-yl-pyyrazolo[1,5-a] pyrimidine (Compound C), a well-recognized pharmacological inhibitor of AMPK, or the overexpression of a dominant-negative form of AMPK failed to prevent the metabolic actions of metformin in H9c2 cells. The exposure of H9c2 cells to inhibitors of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) or protein kinase C (PKC) partially or completely abrogated metformin-induced alterations in metabolism in these cells, respectively. Thus the metabolic actions of metformin in the heart muscle can occur independent of changes in AMPK activity and may be mediated by p38 MAPK- and PKC-dependent mechanisms.

Regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) catalyses the formation of malonyl-CoA, an essential substrate for fatty acid synthesis in lipogenic tissues and a key regulatory molecule in muscle, brain and other tissues. ACC contributes importantly to the overall control of energy metabolism and has provided an important model to explore mechanisms of enzyme control and hormone action. Mammalian ACCs are multifunctional dimeric proteins (530-560 kDa) with the potential to further polymerize and engage in multiprotein complexes. The enzymatic properties of ACC are complex, especially considering the two active sites, essential catalytic biotin, the three-substrate reaction and effects of allosteric ligands. The expression of the two major isoforms and splice variants of mammalian ACC is tissue-specific and responsive to hormones and nutritional status. Key regulatory elements and cognate transcription factors are still being defined. ACC specific activity is also rapidly modulated, being increased in response to insulin and decreased following exposure of cells to catabolic hormones or environmental stress. The acute control of ACC activity is the product of integrated changes in substrate supply, allosteric ligands, the phosphorylation of multiple serine residues and interactions with other proteins. This review traces the path and implications of studies initiated with Dick Denton in Bristol in the late 1970s, through to current proteomic and other approaches that have been consistently challenging and immensely rewarding.

Inhibition of cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase by vanadyl sulfate

Vanadium salts influence the activities of a number of mammalian enzymes in vitro but the mechanisms by which low concentrations of vanadium ameliorate the effects of diabetes in vivo remain poorly understood. The hypothesis that vanadium compounds act by inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatases has attracted most support. The studies described here further evaluate the possibility that vanadyl sulfate trihydrate (VS) can also inhibit 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) dependent protein kinase (PKA). Using conventional assay conditions, VS inhibited PKA only at high concentrations (IC50>400 microM); however, PKA inhibition was seen at dramatically lower concentrations of VS (IC50<10 microM) when sequestration of vanadyl ions was minimized. Vanadyl appears to be the effective PKA inhibitor because sodium orthovanadate did not inhibit PKA and inhibition by vanadyl was abolished by potential chelators such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or glycyl peptides. PKA inhibition by vanadyl appears to be mixed rather than strictly competitive or uncompetitive and may replicate the inhibitory effects of high concentrations of Mg2+. The effect of vanadyl on PKA provides a possible explanation for the effects of vanadium salts on fat tissue lipolysis and perhaps on other aspects of energy metabolism that are controlled by cAMP-dependent mechanisms. Considering the high degree of conservation of the active sites of protein kinases, vanadyl may also influence other members of this large protein family.

Inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase isoforms by pyridoxal phosphate

Mammalian isoforms of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC-1 and ACC-2) play important roles in synthesis, elongation, and oxidation of long-chain fatty acids, and the possible significance of ACC in the development of obesity has led to interest in the development of inhibitors. Here, we demonstrate that pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) is a linear and reversible inhibitor of ACC-1 and ACC-2. ACC from rat liver and white adipose tissue (largely ACC-1) exhibited an IC50 of approximately 200 microm, whereas ACC-2 from heart or skeletal muscle exhibited an IC50 exceeding 500 microm. ACC from rat liver was equally sensitive to PLP following extensive purification by avidin affinity chromatography. When added before citrate, PLP inhibited ACC with a Ki of approximately 100 microm, reducing maximal activity >90% and increasing the Ka for citrate approximately 5-fold but having little effect on substrate Km values. Pre-treatment with citrate increased the apparent Ki for ACC inhibition by PLP by approximately 4-fold. Inhibition of ACC was reversed by removal of PLP, either by washing or by reaction with hydroxylamine or amino-oxyacetate. ACC was irreversibly inhibited and radiolabeled, to a stoichiometry of approximately 0.4 mol[H]/mol subunit, in the presence of PLP plus [3H]borohydride. Studies with structurally related compounds demonstrated that the reactive aldehyde and negatively charged substituents of PLP contribute importantly to ACC inhibition. The studies reported here suggest a rationale to develop ACC inhibitors that are not structurally related to the substrates or products of the reaction and an approach to probe the citrate-binding site of the enzyme.

Glycolysis and pyruvate oxidation in cardiac hypertrophy--why so unbalanced?

Cardiac hypertrophy, induced by chronic pressure or volume overload, is associated with abnormalities in energy metabolism as well as characteristic increases in muscle mass and alterations in the structure of the heart. Hypertrophied hearts display increased rates of glycolysis and overall glucose utilization, but rates of pyruvate oxidation do not rise in step with rates of pyruvate generation. Glycolysis and glucose oxidation, therefore, become markedly less 'coupled' in hypertrophied hearts than in non-hypertrophied hearts. Because the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) contributes so powerfully to the control of glucose oxidation, we set out to test the hypothesis that the function of PDC is impaired in cardiac hypertrophy. In this review we describe evidence indicating that the alterations in glucose metabolism in hypertrophied hearts cannot be explained simply by changes in PDC expression or control. Additional mechanisms that may lead to an altered balance of pyruvate metabolism in cardiac hypertrophy are discussed, with commentaries on possible changes in pyruvate transport, NADH shuttles, lactate dehydrogenase, and amino acid metabolism.

5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-beta -D-ribofuranoside (AICAR) stimulates myocardial glycogenolysis by allosteric mechanisms

We tested the hypothesis that activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) promotes myocardial glycogenolysis by decreasing glycogen synthase (GS) and/or increasing glycogen phosphorylase (GP) activities. Isolated working hearts from halothane-anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats perfused in the absence or presence of 0.8 or 1.2 mM 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-beta-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR), an adenosine analog and cell-permeable activator of AMPK, were studied. Glycogen degradation was increased by AICAR, while glycogen synthesis was not affected. AICAR increased myocardial 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-beta-d-ribofuranotide (ZMP), the active intracellular form of AICAR, but did not alter the activity of GS and GP measured in tissue homogenates or the content of glucose-6-phosphate and adenine nucleotides in freeze-clamped tissue. Importantly, the calculated intracellular concentration of ZMP achieved in this study was similar to the K(m) value of ZMP for GP determined in homogenates of myocardial tissue. We conclude that the data are consistent with allosteric activation of GP by ZMP being responsible for the glycogenolysis caused by AICAR in the intact rat heart.

Mechanisms by which bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) normalizes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase expression in streptozotocin-diabetic rats in vivo

Vanadium treatment normalizes plasma glucose levels in streptozotocin-diabetic rats in vivo, but the mechanism(s) involved are still unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the in vivo effects of vanadium are mediated by changes in gluconeogenesis. Diabetic rats were treated with bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) (BMOV) in the drinking water (0.75-1 mg/ml, 4 wk) or, for comparison, with insulin implants (4 U/d) for the final week of study. As with insulin, BMOV lowered plasma glucose and normalized phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase) mRNA in the liver and kidney of diabetic rats. To determine the importance of reducing hyperglycemia per se, diabetic rats were treated either with a single ED(50) dose of BMOV (0.1 mmol/kg, ip) or with phlorizin (900 mg/kg.d, 5 d). BMOV rapidly restored PEPCK and G-6-Pase mRNA and normalized plasma glucose in responsive (50%) diabetic rats but had no effect on the nonresponsive hyperglycemic rats. Phlorizin corrected plasma glucose but had no effect on PEPCK mRNA and only partially normalized G-6-Pase mRNA. In conclusion, 1) BMOV inhibits PEPCK mRNA expression and activity by rapid mechanisms that are not reproduced simply by correction of hyperglycemia; and 2) BMOV inhibits G-6-Pase expression by complex mechanisms that depend, in part, on correction of hyperglycemia.

Energy metabolism in the hypertrophied heart

In response to a prolonged pressure- or volume-overload, alterations occur in myocardial fatty acid, glucose, and glycogen metabolism. Oxidation of long chain fatty acids has been found to be reduced in hypertrophied hearts compared to non-hypertrophied hearts. However, this observation depends upon the degree of cardiac hypertrophy, the severity of carnitine deficiency, the concentration of fatty acid in blood or perfusate, and the myocardial workload. Glycolysis of exogenous glucose is accelerated in hypertrophied hearts. Despite the acceleration of glycolysis, glucose oxidation is not correspondingly increased leading to lower coupling between glycolysis and glucose oxidation and greater H(+) production than in non-hypertrophied hearts. Although glycogen metabolism does not differ in the absence of ischemia, synthesis and degradation of glycogen are accelerated in severely ischemic hypertrophied hearts. These alterations in carbohydrate metabolism may contribute to the increased susceptibility of hypertrophied hearts to injury during ischemia and reperfusion by causing disturbances in ion homeostasis that reduce contractile function and efficiency to a greater extent than normal. As in non-hypertrophied hearts, pharmacologic enhancement of coupling between glycolysis and glucose oxidation (e.g., by directly stimulating glucose oxidation) improves recovery of function of hypertrophied hearts after ischemia. This observation provides strong support for the concept that modulation of energy metabolism in the hypertrophied heart is a useful approach to improve function of the hypertrophied heart during ischemia and reperfusion. Future investigations are necessary to determine if alternative approaches, such as glucose-insulin-potassium infusion and inhibitors of fatty acid oxidation (e.g., ranolazine, trimetazidine), also produce beneficial effects in ischemic and reperfused hypertrophied hearts.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase and the regulation of glucose oxidation in hypertrophied rat hearts

OBJECTIVE

Coupling of glucose oxidation to glycolysis is lower in hypertrophied than in non-hypertrophied hearts, contributing to the compromised mechanical performance of hypertrophied hearts. Here, we describe studies to test the hypothesis that low coupling of glucose oxidation to glycolysis in hypertrophied hearts is due to reduced activity and/or expression of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC).

METHODS

We examined the effects of dichloroacetate (DCA), an inhibitor of PDC kinase, and of alterations in exogenous palmitate supply on coupling of glucose oxidation to glycolysis in isolated working hypertrophied and control hearts from aortic-constricted and sham-operated male Sprague-Dawley rats. It was anticipated that the addition of DCA or the absence of palmitate would promote PDC activation and consequently normalize coupling between glycolysis and glucose oxidation in hypertrophied hearts if our hypothesis was correct.

RESULTS

Addition of DCA or removal of palmitate improved coupling of glucose oxidation to glycolysis in control and hypertrophied hearts. However, coupling remained substantially lower in hypertrophied hearts. PDC activity in extracts of hypertrophied hearts was similar to or higher than in extracts of control hearts under all perfusion conditions. No differences were observed between hypertrophied and control hearts with respect to expression of PDC, PDC kinase, or PDC phosphatase.

CONCLUSIONS

Low coupling of glucose oxidation to glycolysis in hypertrophied hearts is not due to a reduction in PDC activity or subunit expression indicating that other mechanism(s) are responsible.

Lack of in vivo effect of vanadium on GLUT4 translocation in white adipose tissue of streptozotocin-diabetic rats

Vanadium treatment, in vivo, corrects the severe hyperglycemia observed in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. A number of metabolic effects of vanadium have been demonstrated in vitro and might contribute importantly to normalization of glucose homeostasis. However, many in vitro effects of vanadium occur at concentrations substantially higher than those achieved in vivo. Effects of vanadium on white adipose tissue have been particularly well characterized in vitro. To examine the relationship between in vitro and in vivo actions of vanadium, we examined the effects of vanadium treatment on acute glucose tolerance and adipose tissue GLUT4 control in vivo. In agreement with previous studies, vanadium treatment of STZ-diabetic rats restored normoglycemia with no appreciable restoration of insulin secretion. GLUT4 expression in white adipose tissue was reduced by 22% in STZ-diabetic rats compared with controls. Vanadium treatment did not significantly alter GLUT4 expression in controls, but completely restored normal expression levels in STZ-diabetic rats. In overnight-fasted control animals, GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane (PM) was maximally elevated (by 50%) in adipose tissue within 5 to 10 minutes after an intravenous (IV) glucose challenge. No glucose-induced translocation of GLUT4 was detected in diabetic rats, and peak PM GLUT4 content was 40% lower than in controls. Vanadium treatment did not increase peak PM GLUT4 content in either control or diabetic animals in response to a glucose load. Finally, the suppression of whole-body acute glucose tolerance in diabetic animals was only partially normalized by vanadium treatment. We conclude: (1) that concentrations of vanadium effective for maintaining normoglycemia in vivo (typically below 30 micromol/L) promote normal GLUT4 expression, but do not influence the subcellular localization of GLUT4 in white adipose tissue and (2) that in vivo effects of vanadium may not necessarily reflect the actions observed in vitro at supraphysiologic concentrations.

Mechanisms of vanadium action: insulin-mimetic or insulin-enhancing agent?

The demonstration that the trace element vanadium has insulin-like properties in isolated cells and tissues and in vivo has generated considerable enthusiasm for its potential therapeutic value in human diabetes. However, the mechanisms by which vanadium induces its metabolic effects in vivo remain poorly understood, and whether vanadium directly mimics or rather enhances insulin effects is considered in this review. It is clear that vanadium treatment results in the correction of several diabetes-related abnormalities in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and in gene expression. However, many of these in vivo insulin-like effects can be ascribed to the reversal of defects that are secondary to hyperglycemia. The observations that the glucose-lowering effect of vanadium depends on the presence of endogenous insulin whereas metabolic homeostasis in control animals appears not to be affected, suggest that vanadium does not act completely independently in vivo, but augments tissue sensitivity to low levels of plasma insulin. Another crucial consideration is one of dose-dependency in that insulin-like effects of vanadium in isolated cells are often demonstrated at high concentrations that are not normally achieved by chronic treatment in vivo and may induce toxic side effects. In addition, vanadium appears to be selective for specific actions of insulin in some tissues while failing to influence others. As the intracellular active forms of vanadium are not precisely defined, the site(s) of action of vanadium in metabolic and signal transduction pathways is still unknown. In this review, we therefore examine the evidence for and against the concept that vanadium is truly an insulin-mimetic agent at low concentrations in vivo. In considering the effects of vanadium on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, we conclude that vanadium acts not globally, but selectively and by enhancing, rather than by mimicking the effects of insulin in vivo.

Dichloroacetate improves postischemic function of hypertrophied rat hearts

OBJECTIVES

We sought to determine whether improving coupling between glucose oxidation and glycolysis by stimulating glucose oxidation during reperfusion enhances postischemic recovery of hypertrophied hearts.

BACKGROUND

Low rates of glucose oxidation and high glycolytic rates are associated with greater postischemic dysfunction of hypertrophied as compared with nonhypertrophied hearts.

METHODS

Heart function, glycolysis and glucose oxidation were measured in isolated working control and hypertrophied rat hearts for 30 min before 20 min of global, no-flow ischemia and during 60 min of reperfusion. Selected control and hypertrophied hearts received 1.0 mmol/liter dichloroacetate (DCA), an activator of pyruvate dehydrogenase, at the time of reperfusion to stimulate glucose oxidation.

RESULTS

In the absence of DCA, glycolysis was higher and glucose oxidation and recovery of function were lower in hypertrophied hearts than in control hearts during reperfusion. Dichloroacetate stimulated glucose oxidation during reperfusion approximately twofold in both groups, while significantly reducing glycolysis in hypertrophied hearts. It also improved function of both hypertrophied and control hearts. In the presence of DCA, recovery of function of hypertrophied hearts was comparable to or better than that of untreated control hearts.

CONCLUSIONS

Dichloroacetate, given at the time of reperfusion, normalizes postischemic function of hypertrophied rat hearts and improves coupling between glucose oxidation and glycolysis by increasing glucose oxidation and decreasing glycolysis. These findings support the hypothesis that low glucose oxidation rates and high glycolytic rates contribute to the exaggerated postischemic dysfunction of hypertrophied hearts.

Bimodal activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase by glutamate

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) catalyzes the formation of malonyl-CoA, an essential substrate for fatty acid biosynthesis and a potent inhibitor of fatty acid oxidation. Here, we provide evidence that glutamate may be a physiologically relevant activator of ACC. Glutamate induced the activation of both major isoforms of ACC, prepared from rat liver, heart, or white adipose tissue. In agreement with previous studies, a type 2A protein phosphatase contributed to the effects of glutamate on ACC. However, the protein phosphatase inhibitor microcystin LR did not abolish the effects of glutamate on ACC activity. Moreover, glutamate directly activated purified preparations of ACC when protein phosphatase activity was excluded. Phosphatase-independent ACC activation by glutamate was also reflected by polymerization of the enzyme as judged by size-exclusion chromatography. The sensitivity of ACC to direct activation by glutamate was diminished by treatment in vitro with AMP-activated protein kinase or cAMP-dependent protein kinase or by beta-adrenergic stimulation of intact adipose tissue. We conclude that glutamate, an abundant intracellular amino acid, induces ACC activation through complementary actions as a phosphatase activator and as a direct allosteric ligand for dephosphorylated ACC. This study supports the general hypothesis that amino acids fulfill important roles as signal molecules as well as intermediates in carbon and nitrogen metabolism.

Multiple-site phosphorylation of the 280 kDa isoform of acetyl-CoA carboxylase in rat cardiac myocytes: evidence that cAMP-dependent protein kinase mediates effects of beta-adrenergic stimulation

Two major forms of mammalian acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2), ACC-alpha and ACC-beta, have been described and the sequences of the isoforms deduced. ACC-beta is the predominant isoform expressed in heart and skeletal muscles, in which a major role of malonyl-CoA is probably to regulate fatty acid beta-oxidation. The regulatory properties of ACC-beta are incompletely defined but it is known that some cellular stresses lead to inhibition in parallel with the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMP-PK). Here we examine the phosphorylation state of ACC-beta within intact rat cardiac ventricular myocytes. Treatment of myocytes with the beta-adrenergic agonist isoprenaline (isoproterenol) led to increased ACC-beta phosphorylation that was maximal within 2 min and with 50 nM agonist. Effects of isoprenaline were revealed by the incorporation of 32P into ACC in cells incubated with [32P]Pi and also by a marked decrease (approx. 80%) in subsequent phosphorylation in vitro with cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Analysis of tryptic phosphopeptides revealed that ACC-beta was phosphorylated at multiple sites by incubation in vitro with PKA or AMP-PK. Treatment of myocytes with isoprenaline affected all the major phosphorylation sites of ACC-beta that were recognized in vitro by purified PKA, so that subsequent phosphorylation in vitro was greatly diminished after cell stimulation. beta-Adrenergic stimulation led to decreases in cellular malonyl-CoA concentrations but no changes in kinetic properties of ACC were detected after cell homogenization and partial purification of proteins. The results suggest that: (1) ACC-beta is rapidly phosphorylated at multiple sites within intact cardiac ventricular myocytes after beta-adrenergic stimulation, (2) ACC-beta is phosphorylated in vitro by PKA and AMP-PK at multiple sites, including at least one site accessible to each kinase, as well as kinase-selective sites, and (3) PKA is a physiologically significant ACC-beta kinase.

Cell volume and the metabolic actions of insulin

Insulin increases the volume of isolated hepatocytes and cells in perfused livers, but effects of the hormone on the volume of fat or muscle cells have not been demonstrated. Exogenous amino acids may stimulate swelling of liver cells and induce insulin-like effects on hepatic protein metabolism; however, swelling of liver cells can be induced by some treatment that do not induce insulin-like metabolic responses. Exogenous amino acids also influence protein metabolism of fat and muscle cells, but no relationship with cell volume has been established and no corresponding effects on metabolism of carbohydrates or lipids have been observed. Three families of mitogen-activated protein kinases are activated after changes in extracellular osmolarity but they appear to play little or no role in the metabolic actions of insulin. Direct evidence against a metabolic role for the extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK-1 and ERK-2 is discussed. The c-Jun N-terminal kinases (also called stress-activated protein kinases) and the mammalian homologs of the yeast Hog protein kinase are strongly activated by environmental stresses associated with catabolic metabolism. We conclude that cell volume and protein metabolism may be correlated in liver but there is no compelling evidence that the effects of insulin on metabolism of liver, fat, or muscle cells can be accounted for by changes in cell volume. The effects of insulin on cell volume may represent a discrete aspect of the complete physiological response rather than an obligatory intermediate step in metabolic signalling.

Vanadate induces normolipidemia and a reduction in the levels of hepatic lipogenic enzymes in obese Zucker rat

The effects of vanadate administration on the plasma lipids and hepatic lipogenic enzymes were investigated in Zucker (fa/fa) rat, a model for obesity and non insulin-dependent diabetes. These animals were administered sodium orthovanadate through drinking water for a period of four months. The plasma levels of insulin, triacylglycerols and total cholesterol were significantly (p < 0.001) elevated in untreated obese control rats as compared to the lean animals. In the livers of obese rats, the number of insulin receptors decreased by 60% and the activities of lipogenic enzymes acetyl-CoA carboxylase and ATP-citrate lyase increased by 4.7- and 5.6-folds, respectively. The messenger RNA for ATP-citrate lyase as measured by Northern blot analysis showed a parallel increase in obese control rats. Treatment of these rats with vanadate caused 56-77% decreases in the plasma levels of insulin, triacylglycerols and total cholesterol. The insulin receptor numbers in vanadate-treated obese rats increased (119%) compared to levels in untreated obese animals. The elevated activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and ATP-citrate lyase observed in livers of obese rats were significantly reduced by vanadate. The messenger RNA for ATP-citrate lyase also decreased in vanadate-treated obese rats back to the lean control levels. This study demonstrates that vanadate exerts potent actions on lipid metabolism in diabetic animals in addition to the recognized effects on glucose homeostasis.

Evidence for selective effects of vanadium on adipose cell metabolism involving actions on cAMP-dependent protein kinase

The insulin-like effects of vanadium in vivo are likely to be achieved at micromolar concentrations. Demonstrated effects of vanadium on adipose tissue of streptozotocin-diabetic rats include inhibition of basal and stimulated rates of lipolysis and effects on fat cell protein phosphorylation. The studies described below examined the effects of vanadium (to a maximum concentration of 0.5 mM) on adipose cells or tissue in vitro. Vanadium, added as a vanadyl-albumin complex or as sodium orthovanadate, produced a marked (greater than 50%) inhibition of isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis. Inhibition of lipolysis equivalent to that seen with insulin, was achieved with approximately 100 microM vanadium. In contrast, no insulin-like stimulation of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis was observed with vanadium below 0.5 mM. Surprisingly, the antilipolytic effects of vanadium persisted in the presence of cilostamide, an inhibitor of the insulin-sensitive isoform of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. Studies with purified preparations of the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase revealed dose-dependent inhibition with vanadyl-glutathione (to a maximum of approximately 40% inhibition). Equivalent inhibition of cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of Kemptide (approximately 50%) was observed upon incubation of freshly-prepared fat-pad supernatant fractions with vanadyl-glutathione. These results suggest that effects of low concentrations of vanadium may be mediated, at least in part, by actions on the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

CD14-dependent activation of protein kinase C and mitogen-activated protein kinases (p42 and p44) in human monocytes treated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide

To investigate mechanisms of mononuclear phagocyte cell signaling, the effects of bacterial LPS on protein kinase activities in normal human peripheral blood monocytes were examined. Incubation of intact monocytes with LPS brought about time- and concentration-dependent increases in myelin basic protein (MBP) phosphotransferase activity in high speed supernatants of cell lysates. Anion-exchange chromatography on Mono Q demonstrated that LPS treatment resulted in two principal peaks of stimulated MBP kinase activity. Evidence was obtained to indicate that the first eluted peak of MBP kinase activity is accounted for by p42 and p44 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. Thus, 1) MBP kinase activity within peak 1 was quantitatively precipitated by anti-MAP kinase Abs, 2) the enzyme effectively phosphorylated a specific peptide substrate, 3) peak 1 contained proteins of subunit size M(r) 42,000 and M(r) 44,000 that reacted specifically with anti-MAP kinase Abs, and that 4) were recognized by anti-phosphotyrosine Abs only after stimulation of cells with LPS. Studies of the second peak of LPS-stimulated MBP kinase activity indicate that it is an isoform of protein kinase C (PKC) because: 1) enzyme activity was quantitatively immunoprecipitated by anti-PKC Abs, 2) the activity of the enzyme was potently and selectively inhibited by a specific peptide modeled on the autoinhibitory domain of PKC, and 3) the presence of a protein of subunit size M(r) 80,000 recognized by anti-PKC Abs. Because the second peak of MBP kinase activity (like the first) was active in the absence of added calcium and in the presence of 2 mM EGTA, it appears to be a type II, calcium-independent isoform of PKC. Abs to CD14 completely abrogated LPS-induced activation of both Mono Q peaks of MBP phosphotransferase activity. These results indicate that LPS coordinately activates both an apparently calcium-independent PKC and MAP kinase in mononuclear phagocytes and these responses appear to be initiated by signaling through the cell surface receptor, CD14.

CD14-dependent activation of protein kinase C and mitogen-activated protein kinases (p42 and p44) in human monocytes treated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide

To investigate mechanisms of mononuclear phagocyte cell signaling, the effects of bacterial LPS on protein kinase activities in normal human peripheral blood monocytes were examined. Incubation of intact monocytes with LPS brought about time- and concentration-dependent increases in myelin basic protein (MBP) phosphotransferase activity in high speed supernatants of cell lysates. Anion-exchange chromatography on Mono Q demonstrated that LPS treatment resulted in two principal peaks of stimulated MBP kinase activity. Evidence was obtained to indicate that the first eluted peak of MBP kinase activity is accounted for by p42 and p44 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. Thus, 1) MBP kinase activity within peak 1 was quantitatively precipitated by anti-MAP kinase Abs, 2) the enzyme effectively phosphorylated a specific peptide substrate, 3) peak 1 contained proteins of subunit size M(r) 42,000 and M(r) 44,000 that reacted specifically with anti-MAP kinase Abs, and that 4) were recognized by anti-phosphotyrosine Abs only after stimulation of cells with LPS. Studies of the second peak of LPS-stimulated MBP kinase activity indicate that it is an isoform of protein kinase C (PKC) because: 1) enzyme activity was quantitatively immunoprecipitated by anti-PKC Abs, 2) the activity of the enzyme was potently and selectively inhibited by a specific peptide modeled on the autoinhibitory domain of PKC, and 3) the presence of a protein of subunit size M(r) 80,000 recognized by anti-PKC Abs. Because the second peak of MBP kinase activity (like the first) was active in the absence of added calcium and in the presence of 2 mM EGTA, it appears to be a type II, calcium-independent isoform of PKC. Abs to CD14 completely abrogated LPS-induced activation of both Mono Q peaks of MBP phosphotransferase activity. These results indicate that LPS coordinately activates both an apparently calcium-independent PKC and MAP kinase in mononuclear phagocytes and these responses appear to be initiated by signaling through the cell surface receptor, CD14.

Gamma interferon induces rapid and coordinate activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) and calcium-independent protein kinase C in human monocytes

Gamma interferon plays an important role in regulating the functional properties of mononuclear phagocytes. In the present study, the role of activated protein kinases in the mechanism of action of gamma interferon cell signaling in human peripheral blood monocytes was investigated. Analysis in vitro of 100,000 x g cytosolic fractions from untreated and interferon-treated cells showed that agonist treatment resulted in time- and concentration-dependent increases in phosphotransferase activity when myelin basic protein (MBP) was used as the substrate. Anion-exchange chromatography of high-speed supernatants prepared from detergent extracts of interferon-treated cells revealed two discrete peaks of MBP phosphotransferase activity. Immunoblotting of fractions from these peaks with antiphosphotyrosine antibodies and with antibodies that specifically recognize the family of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases detected a MAP kinase with a subunit M(r) of 42,000 in the earliest-eluting peak (peak 1). Phosphorylation of the 42,000-M(r) protein on tyrosine was observed only after treatment of cells with interferon. The contribution of MAP kinase to the interferon-stimulated activity in peak 1 was confirmed by quantitative immunoprecipitation with anti-MAP kinase and antiphosphotyrosine antibodies. The conclusion that the interferon-activated MBP kinase in peak 1 could be accounted for by an activated MAP kinase was also supported by the finding that fractions from Mono Q peak 1 demonstrated activity towards a MAP kinase-specific substrate. The later-eluting peak of interferon-activated MBP phosphotransferase activity appeared to be accounted for by an activated protein kinase C (PKC). This conclusion is based upon analyses of immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation experiments with antibodies to PKC and was also supported by the observed inhibition of this kinase with a PKC pseudosubstrate peptide. The interferon-stimulated PKC present in Mono Q peak 2 was active in the absence of calcium ions, suggesting that it is a calcium-independent isoform of PKC.

Unique structural features and differential phosphorylation of the 280-kDa component (isozyme) of rat liver acetyl-CoA carboxylase

Rat liver acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC, EC 6.4.1.2) exhibits major and minor subunits (M(r) of 265,000 and 280,000 respectively), the structure and function of which are compared in this study. The two subunits copurified and each contained biotin as demonstrated by avidin reactivity and direct determination of biocytin. In agreement with previous studies, the ACC subunits could be distinguished with specific monoclonal antibodies and differential tissue expression. We now report extensive differences in primary structure revealed by peptide mapping, mass spectrometric analysis of peptides following reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, and microsequencing of selected peptides. Four peptides derived from the 265-kDa subunit were sequenced and matched sequences within the predicted structure of rat 265-kDa ACC. Although one identical peptide sequence was detected within both subunits (residues 2009-2024 of the 265-kDa subunit), 12 peptides derived from the 280-kDa subunit exhibited entirely novel sequences or matched partially (average 70% identity) with sequences within the 265-kDa subunit. The 280-kDa subunit may also exhibit distinct functional properties, since the initial rate of phosphorylation was at least 10-fold greater than that of the 265-kDa subunit in the presence of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Two-dimensional mapping demonstrated that the tryptic phosphopeptides released from the two ACC subunits are distinct. These structural studies suggest that the 265- and 280-kDa components (isozymes) of ACC are so distinct they may be encoded by separate genes, while the differential phosphorylation observed in vitro suggests a key role for the 280-kDa subunit in regulating enzyme activity within intact cells.

Analytical and micropreparative peptide mapping by high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry of proteins purified by gel electrophoresis

We report the use of microbore reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography connected on-line to an electrospray mass spectrometer for the separation/detection of peptides derived by proteolytic digestion of proteins separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A small fraction (typically 10% of the total) of the peptides eluting from the column was diverted through a flow-splitting device into the ion source of the mass spectrometer, whereas the majority of the peptide samples was collected for further analyses. We demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining reproducible peptide maps from submicrogram amounts of protein applied to the gel and good correlation of the signal detected by the mass spectrometer with peptide detection by UV absorbance. Furthermore, independently verifiable peptide masses were determined from subpicomole amounts of peptides directed into the mass spectrometer. The method was used to analyze the 265-kDa and the 280-kDa isoforms of the enzyme acetyl-CoA carboxylase isolated from rat liver. The results provide compelling evidence that the two enzyme isoforms are translation products of different genes and suggest that these approaches may be of general utility in the definitive comparison of protein isoforms. We furthermore illustrate that knowledge of peptide masses as determined by this technique provides a major advantage for error-free data interpretation in chemical high-sensitivity peptide sequence analysis.

Evidence for a protein regulator from rat liver which activates acetyl-CoA carboxylase

1. A regulator of acetyl-CoA carboxylase has been identified in high-speed supernatant fractions from rat liver. The regulator was found to activate highly purified acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2-3-fold at physiological citrate concentrations (0.1-0.5 mM). The effects of the regulator on acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity were dose-dependent, and half-maximal activation occurred in 7-8 min at 30 degrees C. 2. The acetyl-CoA carboxylase regulator was non-dialysable and was inactivated by heating or by exposure to carboxypeptidase. The regulator was enriched from rat liver cytosol by first removing the endogenous acetyl-CoA carboxylase and then using a combination of purification steps, including (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography. The regulator activity appeared to be a protein with a molecular mass of approx. 75 kDa, which could be eluted from mono-Q with approx. 0.35 M KCl as a single peak of activity. 3. Studies of the effects of the regulator on phosphorylation or subunit size of acetyl-CoA carboxylase indicated that the changes in enzyme activity are most unlikely to be explained by dephosphorylation or by proteolytic cleavage. 4. The regulator co-migrates with acetyl-CoA carboxylase through several purification steps, including ion-exchange chromatography and precipitation with (NH4)2SO4; however, the proteins may be separated by Sepharose-avidin chromatography, and the association between the proteins is also disrupted by addition of avidin in solution. Furthermore, the binding of the regulator itself to DEAE-cellulose is altered by the presence of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Taken together, these observations suggest that the effects of the regulator on acetyl-CoA carboxylase may be explained by direct protein-protein interaction in vitro.

Long-term effectiveness of oral vanadyl sulphate in streptozotocin-diabetic rats

Recent studies have demonstrated the insulin-like effects of oral vanadyl sulphate in the streptozotocin-diabetic rat, including the amelioration of hyperglycaemia and the prevention of diabetes-related cardiac and adipose tissue dysfunction. However, the possibility that vanadyl treatment, routinely initiated at 3 days after the induction of diabetes, had prevented the full cytotoxic destruction of the beta cell, and thus accounted for the apparent anti-diabetic properties of vanadyl was questioned. Hence in the present study, we examined the effectiveness of vanadyl sulphate as a glucose-lowering and anti-diabetic agent when administration was delayed from the time of induction of diabetes. Male Wistar rats were injected with a single intravenous dose of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). Vanadyl sulphate was administered in the drinking water at a concentration of 0.75 mg/ml from 3, 10 and 17 days after the streptozotocin injection and treatment was then maintained for 5 months. Vanadyl intake was accompanied by lowered serum levels of triglyceride and cholesterol with no associated enhancement in circulating insulin. Vanadyl-treated diabetic animals showed improved glucose tolerance while insulin release in vivo was still markedly lower than in non-diabetic rats. Adipose tissue function, as expressed by basal and epinephrine-stimulated lipolysis in isolated adipose tissue, was also normalized in vanadyl-treated diabetic animals. These responses were all observed whether vanadyl treatment was initiated 3, 10 or 17 days after induction of diabetes. Finally, prolonged treatment with vanadyl sulphate (in this case up to 5 months) did not cause any apparent hepatic toxicity as assessed histologically. Diabetes-induced morphological changes in the kidney were also prevented by vanadyl treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Defective stimulus-response coupling in human monocytes infected with Leishmania donovani is associated with altered activation and translocation of protein kinase C

Stimulus-response coupling through protein kinase C (PKC) was shown to be defective in mononuclear phagocytes (M phi) infected with Leishmania donovani. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced oxidative burst activity and protein phosphorylation were markedly attenuated in infected M phi. These results were not explained either by quantitative alterations in amounts of PKC or by altered phorbol ester binding but were related to defects in kinase activation. Analysis in vitro of the kinetic properties of PKC from infected M phi revealed an approximately 2-fold increase in the concentration of 1,2-dioleoyl-rac-glycerol required to achieve half-maximal kinase activation. Evidence for abnormal PKC activation in vivo was reflected by attenuation of PMA-induced translocation of enzyme to the particulate fraction of infected cells. These results provide direct evidence that infection with Leishmania inhibits activation of, and therefore intracellular signaling dependent on, PKC. Inhibition of stimulus-response coupling through PKC provides a basis for understanding impairment of cellular activation by Leishmania and may contribute to chronic infection.

Identification of a major maturation-activated acetyl-CoA carboxylase kinase in sea star oocytes as p44mpk

Maturation-activated protein-serine/threonine kinases were investigated in the high-speed supernatant fractions from sea-star oocytes harvested at the time of germinal vesicle breakdown. One of the major stimulated protein kinases able to phosphorylate acetyl-CoA carboxylase in these extracts was found to co-purify with a 44 kDa myelin basic protein kinase (p44mpk) that is activated with a similar time course during oocyte maturation. Purified sea-star oocyte p44mpk phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase (purified from rat liver) predominantly on serine and to a small extent on threonine. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase occurred principally on a tryptic phosphopeptide which displayed electrophoretic and chromatographic properties very similar to those of the peptide that has previously been shown to undergo increased phosphorylation in response to insulin in rat adipocytes [Brownsey & Denton (1982) Biochem. J. 202, 77-86]. The acetyl-CoA carboxylase was phosphorylated at a similar rate and to a similar extent by casein kinase II, which was also purified from maturing sea-star oocytes. Although casein kinase II was also activated approximately 3-fold near the time of nuclear envelope breakdown, it was responsible for only a minor component of the total enhanced acetyl-CoA carboxylase kinase activity measured in the soluble extracts from maturing oocytes. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase was a relatively poor substrate for the major S6 peptide kinase activity that was also stimulated during resumption of meiosis in the oocytes. The properties of the p44mpk are reminiscent of those of a microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) kinase that is activated in response to insulin and other mitogens in mammalian cells [Ray & Sturgill (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 3753-3757; Hoshi, Nishida & Sakai (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 5396-5401]. It is intriguing that several of the mammalian protein kinases that are acutely activated after mitogenic prompting of quiescent mouse fibroblasts (i.e. G0 to G1 transition), such as MAP-2 kinase, casein kinase II and S6 kinase II, have counterparts that are activated during M-phase in maturing sea star oocytes.

Sustained prevention of myocardial and metabolic abnormalities in diabetic rats following withdrawal from oral vanadyl treatment

Earlier studies revealed a general amelioration of diabetes-induced alterations in the rat following chronic oral vanadyl treatment. Recently, some streptozotocin-diabetic animals treated similarly were observed to remain euglycemic after withdrawal from vanadyl. In the present study, the diabetic profile of these animals (STZ-T) was investigated. After 3 weeks of treatment with vanadyl followed by 13 weeks of withdrawal, plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, lipids, and thyroid hormones in the STZ-T animals were returned to control levels. Myocardial dysfunction and increased glycerol output from adipose tissue in untreated-diabetic (STZ) rats were also found to be normalized in the STZ-T group. Furthermore, there was no evidence of cataracts in these animals compared with age-matched STZ rats. These findings indicate that short-term oral treatment of diabetic rats with vanadyl induces beneficial changes that persist following withdrawal of the treatment. The results of these studies may suggest a possible new treatment protocol that could be incorporated into the management of diabetes.

Oral vanadyl sulfate in treatment of diabetes mellitus in rats

Recent reports have suggested that vanadium in the form of vanadyl (+IV) possesses insulin-like activity. Therefore, in the present study we examined the effects of administering oral vanadyl to diabetic animals. Wistar rats made diabetic with streptozotocin and age-matched controls were maintained for 10 wk in the absence and presence of vanadyl sulfate trihydrate in the drinking water. In the presence of vanadyl, decreases in rate of growth and circulating levels of insulin were the only significant alterations recorded in control animals. In contrast, diabetic animals treated with vanadyl, despite having lower body weights and insulin levels, had normal plasma concentrations of glucose, lipid, creatinine, and thyroid hormone. In addition, abnormalities in isolated working heart function and glycerol output from adipose tissue of diabetic animals were also corrected after vanadyl treatment. These results suggest that vanadium when used in the vanadyl form is effective in diminishing the diabetic state in the rat by substituting for and replacing insulin or possibly by enhancing the effects of endogenous insulin.

Biosynthetic capacity of hummingbird liver

Hummingbirds have one of the highest mass-specific metabolic rates among vertebrate animals. High activities of pyruvate carboxylase (an enzyme involved in gluconeogenesis) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (an enzyme involved in fatty acid synthesis) in hummingbird liver indicate that biosynthetic capacity is adjusted to cope with the high metabolic fuel requirements imposed by small size and hovering flight. This high biosynthetic capacity is supported by a correspondingly high oxidative capacity, as judged qualitatively by the abundance of mitochondria in electron micrographs and quantitatively by the presence of high citrate synthase activity (a Krebs cycle enzyme). To support their high metabolic fuel requirements, hummingbirds may possess the most biosynthetically active livers in nature.

Studies on protein phosphorylation using subcellular fractions from insulin-treated white adipose tissue of rats

In these studies the incorporation of 32P into proteins within subcellular fractions, obtained from rat white adipose tissue upon incubation in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP, was investigated. A stable increase in the activity of protein serine(threonine) kinase in high-speed supernatant fractions was observed following treatment of intact tissue with insulin. Protein kinase activity associated with the plasma membrane fraction of cells was diminished in response to insulin, but the decrease was apparently insufficient to account for increases observed in corresponding supernatant fractions. A range of assay conditions was employed to characterize the insulin-stimulated protein serine(threonine) kinase in in supernatant fractions. The insulin-stimulated protein serine(threonine) kinase displays properties that indicate it is distinct from a number of well-characterized protein kinases, including those regulated by cAMP, calcium ions (in the presence or absence of calmodulin or mixtures of phosphatidylserine-diacylglycerol), polyamines, or heparin. There were no apparent effects of insulin on incorporation of 32P into added casein or histones II-S or III-S. The protein serine(threonine) kinase activity (or activities) described here displays properties that also appear to differ from the properties of previously described insulin-stimulated activities able to catalyze the phosphorylation of the ribosomal protein S6. The differences in properties may, in part, be explained by the use of different cell types, but may also indicate that treatment of cells with insulin leads to activation of more than one protein serine(threonine) kinase.

Studies on insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, ATP citrate lyase and other proteins in rat epididymal adipose tissue. Evidence for activation of a cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase

Protein kinase activity in high-speed supernatant fractions prepared from rat epididymal adipose tissue previously incubated in the absence or presence of insulin was investigated by following the incorporation of 32P from [gamma-32P]ATP into phosphoproteins separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electro-phoresis. Incorporation of 32P into several endogenous proteins in the supernatant fractions from insulin-treated tissue was significantly increased. These included acetyl-CoA carboxylase and ATP citrate lyase (which exhibit increased phosphorylation within fat-cells exposed to insulin), together with two unknown proteins of subunit Mr 78000 and 43000. The protein kinase activity increased by insulin was distinct from cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, was not dependent on Ca2+ and was not appreciably affected by dialysis or gel filtration. The rate of phosphorylation of added purified fat-cell acetyl-CoA carboxylase and ATP citrate lyase was also increased by 60-90% in high-speed-supernatant fractions prepared from insulin-treated tissue. No evidence for any persistent changes in phosphoprotein phosphatase activity was found. It is concluded that insulin action on acetyl-CoA carboxylase, ATP citrate lyase and other intracellular proteins exhibiting increased phosphorylation involves an increase in cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase activity in the cytoplasm. The possibility that the increase reflects translocation from the plasma membrane, perhaps after phosphorylation by the protein tyrosine kinase associated with insulin receptors, is discussed.

The role of phosphorylation in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis by insulin and other hormones

Insulin stimulates fatty acid synthesis in white and brown fat cells as well as in liver and mammary tissue. Hormones that increase cellular cyclic AMP concentrations inhibit fatty acid synthesis, at least in white adipose tissue and liver. These changes in fatty acid synthesis occur within minutes. In white fat cells, they are brought about not only by changes in glucose transport but also changes in the activities of pyruvate kinase, pyruvate dehydrogenase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The basis of the alterations in pyruvate kinase activity in fat cells is not understood. Unlike the liver isoenzyme, the isoenzyme present in fat cells does not appear to be phosphorylated either in the absence or presence of hormones. The changes in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in fat cells are undoubtedly due to changes in phosphorylation of the alpha subunits. Insulin appears to act by causing the parallel dephosphorylation of all three sites. The persistence of the effect of insulin during the preparation and subsequent incubation of mitochondria has allowed the demonstration that insulin acts mainly by stimulating pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase rather than inhibiting the kinase. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase within fat cells is phosphorylated on a number of different sites. The exposure of cells to insulin leads to activation of the enzyme and this is associated with increased phosphorylation of a specific site on the enzyme. Exposure to adrenalin, which results in a marked diminution in activity, also causes a small increase in the overall level of phosphorylation, but this increase is due to an enhanced phosphorylation of different sites; probably those phosphorylated by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase is one of a number of proteins in fat cells that exhibit increased phosphorylation with insulin. Others include ATP-citrate lyase, the ribosomal protein S6, the beta subunit of the insulin receptor and a heat and acid stable protein of Mr 22000. Changes in phosphorylation of ATP-citrate lyase do not appear to result in any appreciable changes in catalytic activity. A central aspect of insulin action may be the activation and perhaps release of a membrane-associated protein kinase. Plasma membranes from fat cells have been shown to contain a cyclic-nucleotide-independent kinase able to phosphorylate and activate acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Furthermore, high-speed supernatant fractions from cells previously exposed to insulin contain elevated levels of the same or similar kinase activity capable of phosphorylating both ATP-citrate lyase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

Reversibility of the insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of ATP citrate lyase and a cytoplasmic protein of subunit Mr 22000 in adipose tissue

Exposure of rat epididymal adipose tissue to insulin leads to a 2-fold increase in incorporation of [32P]phosphate into ATP citrate lyase and a cytoplasmic protein of Mr 22000. A smaller increase and decrease in incorporation into cytoplasmic proteins of Mr 63000 and 20000 respectively were also observed. Subsequent addition of anti-insulin serum largely reversed these changes within 15 min, indicating that the alterations in 32P incorporation represented changes in net phosphate content of the proteins.

Evidence that insulin activates fat-cell acetyl-CoA carboxylase by increased phosphorylation at a specific site

1. A new rapid method for the purification of fat-cell acetyl-CoA carboxylase is described; the key step is sedimentation after specific polymerization by citrate. 2. Incubation of epididymal fat-pads or isolated fat-cells with insulin or adrenaline leads to a rapid increase or decrease respectively in the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase measured in fresh tissue extracts. The persistence of the effect of insulin through high dilution of tissue extracts and through purification involving precipitation with (NH4)2SO4 suggests that the enzyme undergoes a covalent modification after exposure of intact tissue to the hormone. The opposed effects of insulin and adrenaline are not adequately explained through modification of a common site on acetyl-CoA carboxylase, since these hormones bring about qualitatively different alterations in the kinetic properties of the enzyme measured in tissue extracts. 3. The state of phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase within intact fat-cells exposed to insulin was determined, and results indicate a small but consistent rise in overall phosphorylation of the Mr-230000 subunit after insulin treatment. 4. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase from fat-cells previously incubated in medium containing [32P]phosphate was purified by immunoprecipitation and then digested with performic acid and trypsin before separation of the released phosphopeptides by two-dimensional analysis. Results obtained show that the exposure of fat-cells to insulin leads to a 5-fold increase in incorporation of 32P into a peptide which is different from those most markedly affected after exposure of fat-cells to adrenaline. 5. These studies indicate that the activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase in cells incubated with insulin is brought about by the increased phosphorylation of a specific site on the enzyme, possibly catalysed by the membrane-associated cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase described by Brownsey, Belsham & Denton [(1981) FEBS Lett. 124, 145-150].