Effect of exogenous adenosine and monensin on glycolytic flux in isolated perfused normoxic rat hearts: role of pyruvate kinase

We studied the effect of exogenous adenosine in isolated perfused normoxic rat hearts on glycolytic flux through pyruvate kinase (PK). We compared its effect with that of myxothiazol, an inhibitor of mitochondrial ATP production. Moreover, we tested whether an increase of membrane ionic flux with monensin is linked to a stimulation of glycolytic flux through PK. After a 20-min stabilization period adenosine, myxothiazol or monensin were administrated to the perfusate continuously at various concentrations during 10 min. The contraction was monitored and the lactate production in coronary effluents evaluated. The amount of adenine nucleotides and phosphoenolpyruvate was measured in the frozen hearts. Myxothiazol induced a decrease of the left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP : -40%) together with a stimulation of glycolytic flux secondary to PK activation. In contrast, adenosine primarily reduced heart rate (HR: -30%) with only marginal effects on LVDP. This was associated with an inhibition of glycolysis at the level of PK. The Na+ ionophore monensin affected HR (+14%) and LVDP (+25%). This effect was associated with a stimulation of glycolysis secondary to the stimulation of PK. These results provide new information of action of adenosine in the heart and support the concept of a direct coupling between glycolysis and process regulating sarcolemmal ionic fluxes.

Differential metabolic fate of the carbon skeleton and amino-N of [13C]alanine and [15N]alanine ingested during prolonged exercise

The decarboxylation/oxidation and the deamination of 13C- and [15N]alanine ingested (1 g/kg or 73.7 +/- 2 g) during prolonged exercise at low workload (180 min at 53 +/- 2% maximal O2 uptake) was measured in six healthy male subjects from V13CO2 at the mouth and [15N]urea excretion in urine and sweat. Over the exercise period, 50.6 +/- 3.5 g of exogenous alanine were oxidized (68.7 +/- 4.5% of the load), providing 10.0 +/- 0.6% of the energy yield vs. 4.8 +/- 0.4, 47.6 +/- 4.3, and 37.4 +/- 4.7% for endogenous proteins, glucose, and lipids, respectively. Alanine could have been oxidized after conversion into glucose in the liver and/or directly in peripheral tissues. In contrast, only 13.0 +/- 3.2 mmol of [(15)N]urea were excreted in urine and sweat (10.6 +/- 0.4 and 2.4 +/- 0.5 mmol, respectively), corresponding to the deamination of 2.3 +/- 0.3 g of exogenous alanine (3.1 +/- 0.4% of the load). These results confirm that the metabolic fate of the carbon skeleton and the amino-N moiety of exogenous alanine ingested during prolonged exercise at low workload are markedly different. The large positive nitrogen balance (8.5 +/- 0.3 g) suggests that in this situation protein synthesis could be increased when a large amount of a single amino acid is ingested.

The lactate paradox in human high-altitude physiological performance

For many years, physiologists have puzzled over the observation that, during maximum aerobic exercise, high-altitude natives generate lower-than-expected amounts of lactate; the higher the altitude, the lower the postexercise blood lactate peak. This paradoxical situation may be caused mainly by upregulated metabolic control contributions from cell ATP demand and ATP supply pathways.

Use of an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor to maintain glucose homoeostasis during postprandial exercise in intensively treated Type 1 diabetic subjects

AIM

We evaluated the effects of an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, acarbose, on glucose homoeostasis during postprandial exercise in Type 1 diabetic subjects.

METHODS

Seven Type 1 diabetic subjects with good glycaemic control on ultralente-regular insulin were randomized in a single blind cross-over study to acarbose 100 mg or placebo taken with a mixed meal (600 kcal, 75 g carbohydrates), followed 90 min later by 30 min of exercise at 50% maximum aerobic capacity. Glucose turnover was measured by tracer (d-[6,6,2H2]glucose) methodology, and intestinal glucose absorption was quantified using carbohydrate polymers labelled with [13C]glucose.

RESULTS

Acarbose resulted in a significant decrease in the postprandial glycaemic rise (mean +/- SEM 2.9 +/- 0.6 vs. 5.0 +/- 0.7 mmol/l; P < 0.005) and in the glycaemic nadir during exercise (- 0.8 +/- 0.6 vs. 0.9 +/- 1.3 mmol/l below baseline; P < 0.05). Total glucose appearance increased similarly under the two treatments during the postprandial (27.0 vs. 27.9 micromol per kg per min) and exercise (33.9 vs. 33.5 micromol per kg per min) periods. Mean glucose absorption was significantly delayed by acarbose (7.8 vs. 10.2 micromol per kg per min; P < 0.02), but was compensated by the lack of postprandial suppression of hepatic glucose production (106% of basal hepatic glucose production vs. 81%; P < 0.006). Episodes of hypoglycaemia were no different (three vs. six).

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that, in Type 1 diabetic subjects, acarbose results in a better glycaemic profile during postprandial exercise and suggest that it could lead to a lower risk of exercise-induced hypoglycaemia due to delayed glucose absorption and less suppression of hepatic glucose production.

Effects of acute exercise on the gluconeogenic capacity of periportal and perivenous hepatocytes

The present study was conducted to examine the effect of a single bout of exercise (rodent treadmill, 60 min at 26 m/min, 0% grade) on the gluconeogenic activity of periportal hepatocytes (PP-H) and perivenous hepatocytes (PV-H) in fasted (18 h) rats. Isolated PP-H and PV-H, obtained by selective destruction following liver perfusion with digitonin and collagenase, were incubated with saturating concentrations of alanine (Ala; 20 mM) or a mixture of lactate and pyruvate (Lac+Pyr; 20:2 mM) to determine the glucose production flux (J(glucose)) in the incubation medium. Results show that, in the resting conditions, J(glucose) from all exogenous substrates was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in PP-H than in PV-H. Exercise, compared with rest, resulted in a higher J(glucose) (P < 0.01) from Lac+Pyr substrate in the PV-H but not in the PP-H, resulting in the disappearance of the difference in J(glucose) between PP-H and PV-H. Exercise, compared with rest, led to a higher J(glucose) (P < 0.01) from Ala substrate in both PP-H and PV-H. However, the exercise-induced increase in J(glucose) (gluconeogenic activity) from Ala substrate was higher in PV-H than in PP-H, resulting, as from Lac+Pyr substrate, in the disappearance (P > 0.05) of the difference of J(glucose) between PP-H and PV-H. It is concluded that exercise differentially stimulates the gluconeogenic activity of PV-H to a larger extent than PP-H, indicative of a heterogeneous metabolic response of hepatocytes to exercise.

Oxidation of [(13)C]glycerol ingested along with glucose during prolonged exercise

The respective oxidation of glycerol and glucose (0.36 g/kg each) ingested simultaneously immediately before exercise (120 min at 68 +/- 2% maximal oxygen uptake) was measured in six subjects using (13)C labeling. Indirect respiratory calorimetry corrected for protein and glycerol oxidation was used to evaluate the effect of glucose + glycerol ingestion on the oxidation of glucose and fat. Over the last 80 min of exercise, 10.0 +/- 0.8 g of exogenous glycerol were oxidized (43% of the load), while exogenous glucose oxidation was 21% higher (12.1 +/- 0.7 g or 52% of the load). However, because the energy potential of glycerol is 18% higher than that of glucose (4.57 vs. 3.87 kcal/g), the contribution of both exogenous substrates to the energy yield was similar (4.0-4.1%). Total glucose and fat oxidation were similar in the placebo (144.4 +/- 13.0 and 60.5 +/- 4.2 g, respectively) and the glucose + glycerol (135.2 +/- 12.0 and 59.4 +/- 6.5 g, respectively) trials, whereas endogenous glucose oxidation was significantly lower than in the placebo trial (123.7 +/- 11.7 vs. 144.4 +/- 13.0 g). These results indicate that exogenous glycerol can be oxidized during prolonged exercise, presumably following conversion into glucose in the liver, although direct oxidation in peripheral tissues cannot be ruled out.

Mechanisms of increased gluconeogenesis from alanine in rat isolated hepatocytes after endurance training

This work aimed at further investigating the mechanisms by which liver gluconeogenic capacity from alanine is improved after training in rats, with an isolated hepatocyte model. Compared with controls in hepatocytes from trained rats incubated with gluconeogenic precursors (20 mM), the glucogenic flux (J(glucose)) was increased by 64% from alanine (vs. 21% for glycerol, 18% for lactate-pyruvate 10:1, and 10% for dihydroxyacetone). Maximal intracellular alanine accumulation capacity was also increased by 50%. Further experiments conducted on perifused hepatocytes showed that the putative adaptation at the level of the phosphoenolpyruvate-pyruvate cycle, which could be involved in the increased J(glucose) from lactate-pyruvate, was not involved in the increased J(glucose) from alanine after training. For alanine concentration higher than approximately 1 mM, an increased flux through alanine aminotransferase appeared responsible for the increased J(glucose). This could, in turn, depend on an increased supply of cytosolic 2-oxoglutarate because of the higher mitochondrial respiration observed in hepatocytes from trained rats and the activation of the malate-aspartate shuttle. At lower alanine concentration, the increase in J(glucose) appeared to be entirely due to the improved transport capacity.

Oxidation of an oral [13C]glucose load at rest and prolonged exercise in trained and sedentary subjects

The purpose of this study was to compare the oxidation of [13C]glucose (100 g) ingested at rest or during exercise in six trained (TS) and six sedentary (SS) male subjects. The oxidation of plasma glucose was also computed from the volume of 13CO2 and 13C/12C in plasma glucose to compute the oxidation rate of glucose released from the liver and from glycogen stores in periphery (mainly muscle glycogen stores during exercise). At rest, oxidative disposal of both exogenous (8.3 +/- 0.3 vs. 6.6 +/- 0.8 g/h) and liver glucose (4.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 2.6 +/- 0.4 g/h) was higher in TS than in SS. This could contribute to the better glucose tolerance observed at rest in TS. During exercise, for the same absolute workload [140 +/- 5 W: TS = 47 +/- 2.5; SS = 68 +/- 3 %maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max)], [13C]glucose oxidation was higher in TS than in SS (39.0 +/- 2.6 vs. 33.6 +/- 1.2 g/h), whereas both liver glucose (16.8 +/- 2.4 vs. 24.0 +/- 1.8 g/h) and muscle glycogen oxidation (36.0 +/- 3.0 vs. 51.0 +/- 5.4 g/h) were lower. For the same relative workload (68 +/- 3% VO2 max: TS = 3.13 +/- 0.96; SS = 2.34 +/- 0.60 l O2/min), exogenous glucose (44.4 +/- 1.8 vs. 33.6 +/- 1.2 g/h) and muscle glycogen oxidation (73.8 +/- 7.2 vs. 51.0 +/- 5.4 g/h) were higher in TS. However, despite a higher energy expenditure in TS, liver glucose oxidation was similar in both groups (22.2 +/- 3.0 vs. 24.0 +/- 1.8 g/h). Thus exogenous glucose oxidation was selectively favored in TS during exercise, reducing both liver glucose and muscle glycogen oxidation.

Oxidation of 13C-glucose and 13C-fructose ingested as a preexercise meal: effect of carbohydrate ingestion during exercise

The oxidation of 13C-labeled glucose and fructose ingested as a preexercise meal between 180 and 90 min before exercise was measured on 6 subjects when either a placebo or sucrose was ingested during the exercise period. Labeled hexose oxidation, which occurred mainly during the first hour of exercise, was not significantly modified when sucrose was ingested, but exogenous glucose oxidation was significantly higher than exogenous fructose oxidation in both situations. The results suggest that the absorption rate of exogenous hexoses was high when exercise was initiated but diminished thereafter, and that glucose and fructose released from sucrose ingested during exercise did not compete with glucose or fructose ingested before exercise for intestinal absorption, for conversion into glucose in the liver (for fructose), or for uptake and oxidation of glucose in peripheral tissues. However, as already shown, in terms of availability for oxidation of carbohydrates provided by the preexercise meal, glucose should be favored over fructose.

Respective oxidation of 13C-labeled lactate and glucose ingested simultaneously during exercise

The purpose of this experiment was to measure, by using 13C labeling, the oxidation rate of exogenous lactate (25 g, as Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ salts) and glucose (75 g) ingested simultaneously (in 1,000 ml of water) during prolonged exercise (120 min, 65 +/- 3% maximum oxygen uptake in 6 male subjects). The percentage of exogenous glucose and lactate oxidized were similar (48 +/-3 vs. 45 +/- 5%, respectively). However, because of the small amount of oral lactate that could be tolerated without gastrointestinal discomfort, the amount of exogenous lactate oxidized was much smaller than that of exogenous glucose (11.1 +/- 0.5 vs. 36.3 +/- 1.3 g, respectively) and contributed to only 2.6 +/- 0.4% of the energy yield (vs. 8.4 +/- 1.9% for exogenous glucose). The cumulative amount of exogenous glucose and lactate oxidized was similar to that observed when 100 g of [13C]glucose were ingested (47.3 +/- 1.8 vs. 50.9 +/- 1.2 g, respectively). When [13C]glucose was ingested, changes in the plasma glucose 13C/12C ratio indicated that between 39 and 61% of plasma glucose derived from exogenous glucose. On the other hand, the plasma glucose 13C/12C ratio remained unchanged when [13C]lactate was ingested, suggesting no prior conversion into glucose before oxidation.