Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases: important signaling modulators and therapeutic targets.

By catalyzing hydrolysis of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases are critical regulators of their intracellular concentrations and their biological effects. As these intracellular second messengers control many cellular homeostatic processes, dysregulation of their signals and signaling pathways initiate or modulate pathophysiological pathways related to various disease states, including erectile dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension, acute refractory cardiac failure, intermittent claudication, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and psoriasis. Alterations in expression of PDEs and PDE-gene mutations (especially mutations in PDE6, PDE8B, PDE11A, and PDE4) have been implicated in various diseases and cancer pathologies. PDEs also play important role in formation and function of multimolecular signaling/regulatory complexes, called signalosomes. At specific intracellular locations, individual PDEs, together with pathway-specific signaling molecules, regulators, and effectors, are incorporated into specific signalosomes, where they facilitate and regulate compartmentalization of cyclic nucleotide signaling pathways and specific cellular functions. Currently, only a limited number of PDE inhibitors (PDE3, PDE4, PDE5 inhibitors) are used in clinical practice. Future paths to novel drug discovery include the crystal structure-based design approach, which has resulted in generation of more effective family-selective inhibitors, as well as burgeoning development of strategies to alter compartmentalized cyclic nucleotide signaling pathways by selectively targeting individual PDEs and their signalosome partners.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 3 signaling complexes.

The superfamily of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases is comprised of 11 gene families. By hydrolyzing cAMP and cGMP, PDEs are major determinants in the regulation of intracellular concentrations of cyclic nucleotides and cyclic nucleotide-dependent signaling pathways. Two PDE3 subfamilies, PDE3A and PDE3B, have been described. PDE3A and PDE3B hydrolyze cAMP and cGMP with high affinity in a mutually competitive manner and are regulators of a number of important cAMP- and cGMP-mediated processes. PDE3B is relatively more highly expressed in cells of importance for the regulation of energy homeostasis, including adipocytes, hepatocytes, and pancreatic ß-cells, whereas PDE3A is more highly expressed in heart, platelets, vascular smooth muscle cells, and oocytes. Major advances have been made in understanding the different physiological impacts and biochemical basis for recruitment and subcellular localizations of different PDEs and PDE-containing macromolecular signaling complexes or signalosomes. In these discrete compartments, PDEs control cyclic nucleotide levels and regulate specific physiological processes as components of individual signalosomes which are tethered at specific locations and which contain PDEs together with cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases (PKA and PKG), adenylyl cyclases, Epacs (guanine nucleotide exchange proteins activated by cAMP), phosphoprotein phosphatases, A-Kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs), and pathway-specific regulators and effectors. This article highlights the identification of different PDE3A- and PDE3B-containing signalosomes in specialized subcellular compartments, which can increase the specificity and efficiency of intracellular signaling and be involved in the regulation of different cAMP-mediated metabolic processes.

Steroid-sparing effects of pentoxifylline in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Agents that target pro-inflammatory cytokines may be useful in pulmonary sarcoidosis. OBJECTIVE: To determine effectiveness of a non-selective cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor, pentoxifylline (POF). DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, SETTING: Clinical Research Center, National Institutes of Health. PATIENTS: 27 patients with biopsy-confirmed pulmonary sarcoidosis receiving prednisone. INTERVENTION: Placebo or POF (1200-2000 mg/day) for 10 months, as prednisone was tapered. MEASUREMENTS: Primary endpoints: sustained improvement in two or more pulmonary function parameters, or a combination of one pulmonary function parameter and dyspnea. RESULTS: Except for one patient, primary endpoints were not reached in POF-treated patients. Therefore, a post hoc analysis was performed. The observed relative risk reduction for flares associated with POF treatment was 54.9% (95% CI 0.21, 0.89) and the absolute risk reduction was 50.6% (95% CI 0.22, 0.80). Compared to placebo treatment, in the POF group, the mean prednisone dose was lower at 8 and 10 months (p = 0.007 and 0.01 respectively), and there was a trend towards less prednisone usage over the entire study period (p = 0.053), as determined by cumulative change analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Although our exploratory post hoc analysis suggested that POF reduced flares and had steroid-sparing effects, given the study limitations, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn regarding the efficacy of POF in pulmonary sarcoidosis. In addition, gastrointestinal side-effects, at the doses used, would seem to limit the use of POF in treating pulmonary sarcoidosis. Overall, however, this trial may provide a basis for using more specific, better-tolerated, PDE inhibitors in future clinical trials.

An effect of dexamethasone on adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate content and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase activity of cultured hepatoma cells.

The effect of dexamethasone on adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) phosphodiesterase activity in cultured HTC hepatoma cells was investigated. Homogenates of these cells contain phosphodiesterase activity with two apparent Michaelis constants for cAMP (2-5 mum and 50 mum). At all substrate concentrations tested, phosphodiesterase activity was decreased 25-40% in cells incubated for 36 hr or more with 1 mum dexamethasone. Acid phosphatase activity in the same cells was not decreased. alpha-Methyl testosterone, 1 mum, was without effect on phosphodiesterase activity. Incubation for 10 min with epinephrine plus theophylline increased the cAMP content of the HTC cells 3- to 6-fold. In cells incubated for 72 hr with dexamethasone, the basal concentration of cAMP was slightly increased and the increment produced by epinephrine plus theophylline was markedly increased. We believe that in many cells the so-called permissive effects of steroid hormones on cAMP mediated processes may be due to an effect of these hormones on cAMP phosphodiesterase activity similar to that observed in HTC cells incubated with dexamethasone.

Effects of atrial natriuretic factor on cyclic guanosine monophosphate and cyclic adenosine monophosphate accumulation in microdissected nephron segments from rats.

Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) (1 microM) markedly increased cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) content in microdissected glomeruli (35-fold) and in microdissected inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCD) (20-fold). ANF caused little or no increase in cGMP content in other nephron segments. The threshold concentration for increased cGMP accumulation by ANF was 0.1-1 nM in IMCD, which is in the range reported for rat plasma. Sodium nitroprusside (1 mM), which selectively stimulates soluble guanylate cyclase, increased cGMP content in glomeruli but not in IMCD. ANF did not alter cAMP accumulation in the absence or presence of vasopressin (AVP) or parathyroid hormone (PTH) in outer and inner medullary tubule suspensions, or in microdissected proximal convoluted tubules (PCT), medullary thick ascending limbs (MAL) or IMCD. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that cGMP is a second messenger for a physiologic action of ANF in the inner medullary collecting duct. ANF apparently activates membrane-bound guanylate cyclase in this segment.

Guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate content of human umbilical artery.

Human umbilical arteries are unique vessels in that they close quickly and completely at birth. It has been suggested that cyclic uanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) in relaxation. This hypothesis has been evaluated in term gestational human umbilical artery segments incubated at 37 degrees C and in room air. (a) The basal cGMP content (1 pmol/mg protein) of artery segments incubated in room air was almost twice that of cAMP. (b) Bradykinin, histamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and K+ ion, which cause umbilical artery constriction, can increase the cGMP content of the artery segments within 30 s of exposure without altering the cAMP content. (c) Prostaglandin E1, but not isoproterenol, caused accumulation of cAMP which is consistent with reports that umbilical arteries lack functional beta-receptors and that only prostaglandin E1 can bring about relaxation of umbilical arteries. (d) 1 muM atropine blocked the effect of 100 muM acetylcholine on cGMP content without altering the responses to histamine, bradykinin, serotonin, or K+ ion. (e) Pyrilamine (an H1 antagonist), but not metiamide (an H2 antagonist), blocked the effect of histamine on cGMP from which it is inferred that histamine causes accumulation of cGMP in umbilical artery via its interaction with H1 receptors. The results are consistent with the view that metabolism of the two cyclic nucleotides is independently controlled in the human umbilical artery and that cGMP is involved in contraction of the artery at birth.

The effect of polystyrene beads on cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate concentration in leukocytes.

After incubation with polystyrene latex beads for 5 min. the cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) content of human peripheral blood leukocyte suspensions was increased severalfold. Preparations enriched in mononuclear cells and containing only 0-20% polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and no visible platelets exhibited a quantitatively similar response. Purified fractions of cells containing 85-90% PMN responded to polystyrene beads with a much smaller increase in cyclic AMP content. Phagocytosis of paraffin oil emulsion in the unfractionated mixed human leukocyte preparation was associated with little or no change in cyclic AMP levels. There was no change in cyclic AMP content of rabbit alveolar macrophages or guinea pig PMN during phagocytosis of polystyrene beads. All of these observations are consistent with the view that particle uptake per se does not increase cyclic AMP levels in phagocytic cells. It seems probable that the increase in cyclic AMP concentration that results when unfractionated human blood leukocytes are incubated with polystyrene beads occurs in cells other than PMN.

Stimulation of monocyte cGMP by leukocyte dialysates. An antigen-independent property of dialyzable transfer factor.

We studied the effects of dialysates from leukocyte lysates containing dialyzable transfer factor activity and other leukocyte dialysates devoid of transfer factor activity on accumulation of cyclic nucleotides in human leukocytes. Dialysates from normal leukocytes produced 4- to 11-fold increases in leukocyte cGMP, and experiments with purified cell populations revealed that the increases were predominantly, if not entirely, in blood monocytes. Substances that increased monocyte cGMP could be obtained from several cell populations including mononuclear cells from Hypaque-Ficoll gradients, plastic-adherent monocytes, nonadherent lymphocytes, and neutrophils, but were not present in dialysates of leukemic lymphocytes from patients with the Sezary syndrome. Moreover, dialysates that increased leukocyte cGMP had essentially no effect on intracellular cAMP. Dialysates of lysed mononuclear cells contained serotonin, ascorbate, and an unidentified cholinergic activity, agents known to increase leukocyte cGMP. After passage of dialyzable transfer factor from mononuclear cells through a gel-filtration column, four fractions were obtained that increased leukocyte cGMP. Two of these fractions contained ascorbate; two other active fractions, including one that also caused conversion of delayed skin tests, did not contain detectable ascorbate or serotonin. The dialysate of lysed neutrophils also increased cGMP, but this activity was limited to the column fractions which contained ascorbic acid. These observations raise the possibility that alterations in monocyte cGMP content could modulate either the specific antigen-dependent, or, more likely, the antigen-independent activities in preparations of transfer factor.

The effect of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) and derivatives on guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate in human monocytes.

The effects of several putative mediators of inflammatory responses on the cyclic nucleotide content of mononuclear leukocytes from human peripheral blood were investigated. Incubation of mononuclear cells with 100 muM serotonin (a maximally effective concentration) for 5 min caused a five- to eightfold increase in their content of guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP)...

Receptors for bradykinin in intact cultured human fibroblasts. Identification and characterization by direct binding study.

Bradykinin receptors on cultured human fibroblasts were characterized using [2,3-prolyl-3,4-3H(N)]bradykinin as radioligand. During incubation with intact fibroblasts, intact [3H]bradykinin was lost much more rapidly at 37 degrees than at 4 degrees C as determined by bioassay, high-performance liquid chromatography, and ion-exchange chromatography, and is likely to be degraded. At 4 degrees, but not at 37 degrees C, bradykinin remained intact in the presence of 2 mM bacitracin, but not in the presence of soybean trypsin inhibitor or SQ-20881, an inhibitor of kininase II. Specific binding at 4 degrees C was saturable with a maximum number of binding sites of 230 +/- 18 fmol/mg protein (mean +/- SE, n = 4) and a dissociation constant of 4.6 +/- 0.5 nM (mean +/- SE, n = 4). Linear Scatchard plots, Hill coefficients close to unity (0.95-1.06), and the failure of excess bradykinin to influence dissociation kinetics are consistent with a single component binding system with no significant cooperativity. Na+ at physiological concentrations and Ca++ or Mg++ at 3-10 mM reduced binding by 25%. The relative potencies of bradykinin analogues and unrelated peptides in competing for [3H]bradykinin binding indicated a specificity of the binding sites consistent with that of a B2 type receptor. Potencies of the peptides in displacing [3H]bradykinin correlated with their abilities to release prostacyclin, determined as its metabolite 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. This system, the first in which bradykinin receptors on human cells have been characterized, should prove useful for investigation of the regulation of bradykinin-influenced biological processes.

Autoregulation of bradykinin receptors and bradykinin-induced prostacyclin formation in human fibroblasts.

The interaction of bradykinin (BK) with its specific receptors on intact cultured human fibroblasts results in production of prostaglandins, including prostacyclin (PGI2), and accumulation of cyclic AMP. Incubation of cells with 1 microM BK for 5 min at 37 degrees C led to a marked reduction (75-90%) in BK-induced PGI2 release and in total number of [3H]BK-binding sites with no change in dissociation constant (6.1 and 7.6 nM for control and BK-treated cells, respectively). The decrease in receptor number did not result from BK transferred from the first incubation into the binding assay. BK-induced receptor loss was temperature dependent; exposure of cells to BK at 4 degrees C had little or no effect on receptor number. After incubation with BK for approximately equal to 15 min, further incubation in the absence of BK for 30 min at 37 degrees C almost completely restored both receptor number and BK-induced PGI2 release. With more prolonged exposure to BK (greater than 1 h), restoration of receptors was inversely related to the length of exposure and the concentration of BK. Recovery was unaffected by cycloheximide. During prolonged incubation without removal of BK, cells began to recover receptors by 5 h; greater than 99% of the bradykinin initially present disappeared by 3 h. Bacitracin greatly retarded BK disappearance and totally prevented recovery. These observations provide direct evidence that the number of BK receptors on cultured human fibroblasts can be regulated by BK itself. In addition, it appears that BK-degrading systems, by influencing local concentrations of the peptide, may play an important role in the autoregulation of BK receptors. The presence of highly active degradation systems might serve to protect target tissues from developing chronic insensitivity to BK and, perhaps, similar peptides.

Sarcoplasmic reticulum-associated cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase activity in normal and failing human hearts.

Sarcoplasmic reticulum-associated cAMP phosphodiesterase activity was examined in microsomes prepared from the left ventricular myocardium of eight heart transplant recipients with end-stage idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and six unmatched organ donors with normal cardiac function. At cAMP concentrations less than or equal to 1.0 microM, sarcoplasmic reticulum-associated cAMP phosphodiesterase activity was functionally homogeneous. cAMP phosphodiesterase activity was inhibited competitively by cGMP (Ki = 0.031 +/- 0.008 microM) and the cilostamide derivative OPC 3911 (Ki = 0.018 +/- 0.004 microM), but was essentially insensitive to rolipram. Vmax and Km were 781.7 +/- 109.2 nmol/mg per min and 0.188 +/- 0.031 microM, respectively, in microsomes prepared from nonfailing hearts and 793.9 +/- 68.9 nmol/mg per min and 0.150 +/- 0.027 microM in microsomes prepared from failing hearts. Microsomes prepared from nonfailing and failing hearts did not differ with respect to either the ratio of cAMP phosphodiesterase activity to ATP-dependent Ca2+ accumulation activity or the sensitivity of cAMP phosphodiesterase activity to inhibition by OPC 3911. These data suggest that the diminished inotropic efficacy of phosphodiesterase inhibitors in failing human hearts does not result from changes in the level, kinetic properties, or pharmacologic sensitivity of sarcoplasmic reticulum-associated cAMP phosphodiesterase activity.

Distinctive anatomical patterns of gene expression for cGMP-inhibited cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases.

Type III cGMP-inhibited phosphodiesterases (PDE3s) play important roles in hormonal regulation of lipolysis, platelet aggregation, myocardial contractility, and smooth muscle relaxation. We have recently characterized two PDE3 subtypes (PDE3A and PDE3B) as products of distinct but related genes. To elucidate their biological roles, in this study we compare cellular patterns of gene expression for these two enzymes during rat embryonic and postnatal development using in situ hybridization. PDE3B [corrected] mRNA is abundant in adipose tissue and is also expressed in hepatocytes throughout development. This mRNA is also highly abundant in embryonic neuroepithelium including the neural retina, but expression is greatly reduced in the mature nervous system. Finally, PDE3B [corrected] mRNA is localized in spermatocytes and renal collecting duct epithelium in adult rats. PDE3B mRNA is highly expressed in the cardiovascular system, including myocardium and arterial and venous smooth muscle, throughout development. It is also abundant in bronchial, genitourinary and gastrointestinal smooth muscle and epithelium, megakaryocytes, and oocytes. PDE3A [corrected] mRNA demonstrates a complex, developmentally regulated pattern of gene expression in the central nervous system. In summary, the two different PDE3s show distinctive tissue-specific patterns of gene expression suggesting that PDE3B [corrected] is involved in hormonal regulation of lipolysis and glycogenolysis, while regulation of myocardial and smooth muscle contractility appears to be a function of PDE3A [corrected]. In addition, the present findings suggest previously unsuspected roles for these enzymes in gametogenesis and neural development.

Protein kinase A-dependent activation of PDE4 (cAMP-specific cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase) in cultured bovine vascular smooth muscle cells.

Incubation of cultured bovine vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) with forskolin increased cAMP as measured by an increase in cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activation (PKA ratio). Forskolin also produced a concentration- and time-dependent increase in activity (3-5-fold within 15 min) of a PDE4 (cAMP-specific cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase). The increase in PDE4 activity was not affected by cycloheximide and thus not likely due to increased synthesis of the enzyme. Activation, which was preserved during partial purification of the enzyme by chromatography on Sephacryl S-200 and MonoQ, was most likely due to a covalent modification. Incubation of cell homogenates with the catalytic subunit of PKA (PKA(c)) induced a approximately 5-fold activation of PDE4 with a time course similar to that in intact cells after forskolin addition. The forskolin-mediated activation was reversed during incubation of homogenates at room temperature for two hours. Addition of PKA(c) resulted in rapid reactivation of PDE4. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that rapid, reversible activation of PDE4 in cultured VSMC is mediated by PKA.

Solubilization and characterization of hormone- responsive phosphodiesterase activity of rat fat cells.

Fat cells particulate phosphodiesterase activity can be solubilized in high yield (80--100%) in a buffer system (30 mM Tris - HCl, pH 8.0) containing non-ionic detergents (0.1% Brij 30, 1.0% Triton X-100), salt (3.0 mM MgSO4, 5.0 mM NaBr) and dithiothreitol (5.0 mM). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the solubilized enzyme activity indicated the presence of two bands of activities of different electrophoretic mobilities, both of which hydrolyzed cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP. The solubilized activity eluted from DEAE Bio-Gel columns as a somewhat broad profile with at least two peaks of activity. Activity against both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP eluted in similar but not identical patterns. The solubilized enzyme and DEAE column eluates wxhibited low (less than 1 micronM) Michaelis constants for cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP. In addition, the increases in phosphodiesterase activity induced by incubation of intact fat cells with insulin or adrenocorticotropic hormone are maintained in the solubilized state.

Effects of choleragen on hormonal responsiveness of adenylate cyclase in human fibroblasts and rat fat cells.

Choleragen increases cyclic AMP content of confluent human fibroblasts. Maximally effective concentrations of isoproterenol and prostaglandin E1 also induce large increases in cyclic AMP content of human fibroblasts and in confluent cultures the effect of prostaglandin E1 is much greater than that of isoproterenol. After incubation with choleragen, the increment in cyclic AMP produced by 2 muM isoproterenol is increased and approaches that produced by5.6 muM prostaglandin E1. Although the concentration of isoproterenol which produces a maximal increase in cyclic AMP is similar in both control and choleragen-treated cells. In choleragen-treated cells, although the response to 5.6 muM prostaglandin E1 is reduced by as much as 50%, the concentration of prostaglandin E1 required to induce a maximal increase in cyclic AMP is 1/10 that required in control cells. Thus the capacities of intact human fibroblasts to respond to isoproterenol and prostaglandin E1 can be altered independently during incubation of intact cells with choleragen. Differences in responsiveness to the two agonists were not demonstrable in adenylate cyclase preparation from control or choleragen-treated cells. In rat fat cells, the effects of choleragen on cyclic AMP content were much smaller than those in fibroblasts. In contrast to its effect on intact fibroblast choleragen treatment of rat fat cells did not alter the accumulation of cyclic AMP in response to a maximally effective concentration of isoproterenol. The responsiveness of adenylate cyclase preparations to isoproterenol was also not altered by exposure of fat cells to choleragen.

Purification and properties of the cGMP-inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase from bovine aortic smooth muscle.

Pure cGMP-inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase (cGI-PDE) in micrograms quantities was isolated from bovine aortic smooth muscle after more than 5000-fold purification using DEAE ion-exchange and affinity chromatography with a derivative of the specific cGI-PDE inhibitor cilostamide conjugated as a ligand to aminoethyl agarose (CIT-agarose). The cGI-PDE, which constituted about half of the high affinity cAMP-PDE activity of a tissue homogenate, was identified with a 105-kDa protein on SDS-PAGE through use of antibodies towards the human platelet, bovine cardiac and bovine adipose tissue cGI-PDE in Western blot and immunoprecipitation/immunoinactivation analysis. As observed during purification of the enzyme from other tissues the enzyme protein was exquisitely sensitive to proteolytic nicking during purification, resulting in several 30-77-kDa polypeptide fragments. Rapid immunoprecipitation from fresh tissue extracts was the only was found to partially prevent the proteolysis. The native enzyme had apparent molecular sizes of approx. 100,000 or, mainly approx. 220,000 by gel chromatography, presumably indicating the presence of monomeric and dimeric forms. The enzyme hydrolyzed cAMP and cGMP with normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics with Km of 0.16 and 0.09 microM, respectively, with Vmax for hydrolysis of cAMP of 0.3 compared to 3.1 mumol/min per mg protein for cAMP. The enzyme was potently and selectively inhibited by cGMP (IC50 approximately 0.25 microM) and the cardiotonic/vasodilatory drugs OPC-3911 (a cilostamide derivative), milrinone and CI-930 (IC50 approximately 0.05, 0.40 and 0.25 microM, respectively). The cGI-PDE was phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase as has been reported for the analogous enzymes in heart, adipose tissue and platelets. The identification of a cGI-PDE in the aortic smooth muscle and its inhibitor specificity is consistent with the hypothesis that inhibition of this enzyme is important in the mechanism through which these drugs produce vasorelaxation.

Single-step affinity purification, partial structure and properties of human platelet cGMP inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase.

The human platelet cilostamide- and cGMP-inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase (cGI-PDE) was rapidly purified approximately 19,000-fold to apparent homogeneity using single step affinity chromatography on the isothiocyanate derivative of cilostamide coupled to aminoethyl agarose. Within 24 h, 30 micrograms of enzyme protein was obtained from 20 ml of packed platelets. Vmax for cAMP and cGMP was 6.1 and 0.9 mumol/min per mg protein, respectively. Several polypeptides (110/105, 79, 62, 55/53 kDa) were identified after SDS-PAGE, all of which were immunologically related to cGI-PDE and represented approx. 5, 20, 50 and 20% of the total protein, respectively. Limited proteolysis of the cGI-PDE with chymotrypsin produced a major fragment of approximately 47 kDa (and at least two smaller peptides) with catalytic activity and sensitivity to cGMP and OPC 3911 similar to controls. Phosphorylation of the cGI-PDE by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase) resulted in maximal incorporation of 0.6-1.8 mol of 32P/mol 110/105 and 79 kDa polypeptides; much lower and variable amounts of phosphate were incorporated into the 62 and 55/53 kDa polypeptides. After digestion of cGI-PDE with several proteinases a number of peptides were isolated and sequenced. Most of the peptide sequences obtained could be aligned within the carboxy terminal domain of the deduced sequence of the human cardiac cGI-PDE. These and other results suggest that the subunit size of the intact platelet cGI-PDE is 110 kDa and that proteolytic fragments of 79, 62 and 55/53 kDa are produced during purification. The smaller fragments (62 and 55/53 kDa) contain the catalytic domain; the larger fragments (110 and 79 kDa) also contain the regulatory domain with phosphorylation sites for A-kinase.

Evidence for the key role of the adipocyte cGMP-inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase in the antilipolytic action of insulin.

Enhancement of cAMP degradation by increased cGMP-inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase (cGI-PDE) activity is thought to be an important component of the mechanism whereby insulin counteracts catecholamine-induced lipolysis in adipocytes. In this study the selective cGI-PDE inhibitor OPC3911 was used to evaluate this role of cGI-PDE activation in intact rat adipocytes with special reference to changes in cAMP levels measured as cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAMP-PK) activity ratios. OPC3911 completely blocked (IC50 = 0.3 microM) the maximal inhibitory effect of insulin on noradrenaline-induced lipolysis and the net dephosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase and other intracellular target proteins for insulin action, whereas insulin-induced lipogenesis was not changed. The effect of OPC3911 on cAMP-PK activity ratios at different levels of lipolysis achieved by noradrenaline stimulation revealed that the reduction of cAMP-PK caused by 1 nM insulin was completely blocked by 3 microM OPC3911. The effect of OPC3911 was not due to an excessive increase in cellular cAMP resulting in 'supramaximal' lipolysis unresponsive to insulin. These data demonstrate that reduction in cAMP levels by the activation of cGI-PDE may be sufficient to account for the antilipolytic action of insulin.

A novel insulin secretagogue is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor.

The arylpiperazine L-686,398 was described as an oral hypoglycemic agent and is shown to be an insulin secretagogue in vitro. The characteristics of its activity were similar to those of the incretin glucagon-like peptide I (GLP-I). We demonstrate that both the peptide and L-686,398 increase the accumulation of cAMP in isolated ob/ob mouse pancreatic islet cells, but by different mechanisms. Although GLP-I activates adenylate cyclase, the arylpiperazine has no effect on this enzyme or on the binding of 125I-labeled GLP-I to its receptor on RINm5F rat insulinoma cell membranes. However, L-686,398 inhibits the total cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity in homogenates of ob/ob mouse pancreatic islets with an EC50 of approximately 50 mumol/l. To determine the mechanism of PDE inhibition by the arylpiperazine and to examine its specificity, we studied the kinetics of arylpiperazine inhibition of two recombinant PDEs. The arylpiperazine is a competitive inhibitor of both a human heart type III PDE and a rat type IV-D PDE. Inhibition of the type III and IV isozymes are characterized by Ki values of 27 and 5 mumol/l, respectively. Although not extremely potent, the arylpiperazine does exhibit modest selectivity between these PDEs. The observation that L-686,398 acts as a PDE inhibitor suggests that exploration for beta-cell-specific PDE isoforms may reveal novel PDEs as targets for the development of therapeutically useful glucose-dependent insulin secretagogues.