Diacylglycerol synthesis de novo from glucose by pancreatic islets isolated from rats and humans.

Recent evidence has suggested that pancreatic islets isolated from rats synthesize 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol (DAG) de novo from glucose and that this process may constitute the long-sought link between the metabolism of glucose and the induction of insulin secretion. The cell-permeant diacylglycerol 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (200 microM) has been found here to amplify both the first and second phases of insulin secretion from perifused human islets. Measurements of the mass of endogenous DAG in human pancreatic islets by enzymatic and by mass spectrometric methods indicate that levels of 200 microM may be achieved under physiologic conditions. Conversion of [14C]glucose to [14C]DAG has been demonstrated here to occur within 60 s of exposure of rat and human islets to stimulatory concentrations of glucose. This process has been found to be a quantitatively minor contributor to the total islet DAG mass after acute stimulation with glucose, however, and glucose has been found not to induce a rise in total islet DAG content within 20 min of induction of insulin secretion. In contrast to the case with rodent islets, two pharmacologic inhibitors of DAG-induced activation of protein kinase C (staurosporine and sphingosine) have been found not to influence glucose-induced insulin secretion from isolated human islets. These findings indicate that de novo synthesis of DAG from glucose does not participate in acute signal-response coupling in islets.

Diacylglycerol accumulation and microvascular abnormalities induced by elevated glucose levels.

The present experiments were undertaken to examine the hypothesis that glucose-induced increased de novo synthesis of 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol (which has been observed in a number of different tissues, including retinal capillary endothelial cells exposed to elevated glucose levels in vitro) and associated activation of protein kinase C may play a role in mediating glucose-induced vascular functional changes. We report here that twice daily instillation of 30 mM glucose over 10 d in a rat skin chamber granulation tissue model induces approximately a 2.7-fold increase in diacylglycerol (DAG) levels (versus tissues exposed to 5 mM glucose) in association with marked increases in vascular clearance of albumin and blood flow. The glucose-induced increase in DAG levels as well as the vascular functional changes are prevented by addition of 3 mM pyruvate. Pharmacological activation of protein kinase C with the phorbol ester TPA in the presence of 5 mM glucose increases microvascular albumin clearance and blood flow, and similar effects are observed with 1-monoolein (MOG), a pharmacological inhibitor of the catabolism of endogenous DAG. A pharmacological inhibitor of protein kinase C (staurosporine) greatly attenuates the rise in microvascular albumin clearance (but not the rise in blood flow) induced by glucose or by MOG. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that elevated concentrations of glucose increase tissue DAG content via de novo synthesis, resulting in protein kinase C activation, and that these biochemical events are among the factors that generate the increased microvascular albumin clearance.

Interleukin 1 inhibits insulin secretion from isolated rat pancreatic islets by a process that requires gene transcription and mRNA translation.

Recombinant human IL 1 beta inhibits glucose-induced insulin secretion from isolated pancreatic islets and from purified beta-cells obtained by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of dispersed islet cells. Brief (1 h) exposure of isolated islets to IL 1 produces sustained inhibition of insulin secretion for at least 17 h after the IL 1 has been removed from the culture medium. An inhibitory effect of IL 1 on insulin secretion is not observed when islets are coincubated with an inhibitor of DNA transcription (actinomycin D). This finding indicates that the inhibitory effect of IL 1 on insulin secretion requires transcription of one or more genes during the first hour of exposure of islets to IL 1. The inhibitory effect of IL 1 on insulin secretion also requires mRNA translation, because three structurally distinct inhibitors of protein synthesis (cycloheximide, anisomycin, and puromycin) prevent IL 1-induced inhibition of insulin secretion when added to islets after the 1-h exposure to IL 1. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of islet proteins metabolically labeled with [35S]methionine demonstrates that IL 1 augments the expression of a 65-kD (pl approximately 6.5) protein by greater than 2.5-fold. These findings indicate that biochemical events occurring within 1 h of exposure of islets to IL 1 lead to an inhibition of insulin secretion that persists for at least 17 h after the removal of IL 1. One of the early biochemical effects of IL 1 on islets is gene transcription (0-1 h), which is followed by mRNA translation (after 1 h). Our results suggest that the inhibitory effect of IL 1 on insulin secretion is mediated by protein(s) whose synthesis is induced by IL 1.

Arachidonic acid metabolism in isolated pancreatic islets. V. The enantiomeric composition of 12-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid indicates synthesis by a 12-lipoxygenase rather than a monooxygenase.

Recent evidence indicates that the arachidonate metabolite 12-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) or its precursor may act as a second messenger in stimulus-response coupling in a variety of cells including Aplysia neurons, adrenal glomerulosa cells, and pancreatic islets. The compound 12(S)-HETE is generated from the precursor 12(S)-hydroperoxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (12(S)-HPETE), which is a product of the 12-lipoxygenase enzyme. Some cells have recently been found to produce the enantiomer 12(R)-HETE, apparently via a cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase, and the biologic actions of 12(R)-HETE and 12(S)-HETE differ. We have examined the stereochemistry of 12-HETE from isolated pancreatic islets both radiochemically and by a new mass spectrometric method capable of quantitating subnanogram amounts of 12-HETE stereoisomers. Endogenous 12-HETE from islets was found to be exclusively the S-isomer. D-Glucose stimulated both insulin secretion and islet accumulation of 12(S)-HETE but not of 12(R)-HETE. Pharmacologic inhibition of islet 12-HETE biosynthesis also suppressed glucose-induced insulin secretion. These findings suggest that islet 12-HETE is a product of a 12-lipoxygenase rather than of a cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase and further implicate 12-lipoxygenase products in stimulus-secretion coupling.

CaM kinase II: a protein kinase with extraordinary talents germane to insulin exocytosis.

CaM kinase II, a multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, is expressed in the pancreatic beta-cell and is activated by glucose and other secretagogues in a manner correlating with insulin secretion. It is proposed that the activation of CaM kinase II mediates some of the actions of Ca2+ on the exocytosis of insulin secretory granules. This suggestion is supported by the localization of CaM kinase II to the insulin secretory granule and by the identification of two secretory-relevant proteins, MAP-2 and synapsin I, as endogenous substrates in the beta-cell. Mechanistically, CaM kinase II appears to be involved in secretory steps proximal to granule fusion at the plasmalemma, and may facilitate protracted secretion through control of the interaction of granules with the cell cytoskeleton and their mobilization from intracellular synthesis sites. Through its unique regulatory properties, however, CaM kinase II is predicted to serve in more specialized aspects of the secretory process. In particular, the ability of CaM kinase II to remain active after cell stimulation is suggested to represent a mechanism by which releasable pools of granules are replenished between stimuli.

Site-specific phosphorylation of synapsin I by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in pancreatic betaTC3 cells: synapsin I is not associated with insulin secretory granules.

Increasing evidence supports a physiological role of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) in the secretion of insulin from the pancreatic beta-cell, but the precise sites of action are not known. A role of this enzyme in neuroexocytosis is implicated by its phosphorylation of a vesicle-associated protein, synapsin I. Because of emerging similarities to the neuron with respect to exocytotic mechanisms, the expression and phosphorylation of synapsin I in the beta-cell have been studied. Synapsin I expression in clonal mouse beta-cells (betaTC3) and primary rat islet beta-cells was initially confirmed by immunoblot analysis. By immunoprecipitation, in situ phosphorylation of synapsin I was induced in permeabilized betaTC3 cells within a Ca2+ concentration range shown to activate endogenous CaM kinase II under identical conditions. Proteolytic digests of these immunoprecipitates revealed that calcium primarily induced the increased phosphorylation of sites identified as CaM kinase II-specific and distinct from protein kinase A-specific sites. Immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy verified synapsin I expression in betaTC3 cells and pancreatic slices but demonstrated little if any colocalization of synapsin I with insulin-containing dense core granules. Thus, although this study establishes that synapsin I is a substrate for CaM kinase II in the pancreatic beta-cell, this event appears not to be important for the mobilization of insulin granules.

Descriptive and mechanistic considerations of interleukin 1 and insulin secretion.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) may be mediated in part by an autoimmune mechanism, as suggested by associated cytologic and serologic phenomena, e.g., insulitis, beta-cell necrosis, and the presence of both islet cell and insulin antibodies. Immunological approaches to the prediction and intervention in the progression of beta-cell destruction in this disease are under evaluation. A recent hypothesis is that cytokines, including interleukin 1 (IL-1), play causative roles in such autoimmune processes. Several studies have convincingly demonstrated that IL-1 is a potent modulator of beta-cell function and can potentiate or inhibit glucose-induced insulin secretion, depending on the concentration and length of exposure to IL-1. IL-1 alone or in concert with other cytokines is cytotoxic to beta-cells. The cellular mechanisms responsible for the potent effects of IL-1 on the beta-cell are unknown and just beginning to emerge. Although speculative at this time, this perspective delineates cellular mechanisms that are likely to represent possible primary sites for the IL-1 action on beta-cells. A mechanistic understanding of the effects of IL-1 on the beta-cell may clarify its role in modulating insulin release in vivo or yield insight into the pathogenesis of IDDM.

Interleukin 1-induced prostaglandin E2 accumulation by isolated pancreatic islets.

Recombinant human interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1) has been found to induce prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) accumulation by isolated rat islets of Langerhans at concentrations similar to those at which the cytokine inhibits glucose-induced insulin secretion and islet glucose oxidation. Maximal stimulation of PGE2 accumulation (5 times control value) occurred at 200 pM IL-1, and half-maximal stimulation occurred at 25 pM IL-1. Significant augmentation of PGE2 accumulation by IL-1 required 10-18 h of exposure to the cytokine. Islets that had been pretreated with IL-1 for 18 h showed elevated rates of PGE2 production at basal (3-mM) and stimulatory (16.5-mM) glucose concentrations and converted exogenous arachidonic acid to PGE2 at twice the maximal rate of control islets. Exogenous PGE2 did not mimic the inhibitory effects of IL-1 on glucose-induced insulin secretion or glucose oxidation. To rule out the possibility that endogenous PGE2 is involved in the inhibitory effects of IL-1, the effect of a cyclooxygenase inhibitor on IL-1-treated islets was examined. Pharmacological blockade of PGE2 biosynthesis by 10 microM indomethacin did not influence the inhibitory effects of IL-1 on glucose-induced insulin secretion or glucose oxidation. Thus, exogenous PGE2 does not mimic the effects of IL-1 on islets, and inhibition of endogenous PGE2 biosynthesis does not suppress the effects of IL-1 on islets. These results suggest that PGE2 is not a principal mediator of the inhibitory effects of IL-1 on glucose-induced insulin secretion or glucose oxidation.

Arachidonic acid metabolism and insulin secretion by isolated human pancreatic islets.

Isolated human pancreatic islets converted [3H8]arachidonate to compounds with the high-performance liquid-chromatographic mobility of cyclooxygenase products, including prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), PGF2 alpha, and the lipoxygenase product 12-HETE. Human islet synthesis of PGE2, PGF2 alpha, and 12-HETE from endogenous arachidonate was demonstrated with stable isotope dilution-gas chromatographic-negative ion-chemical ionization-mass spectrometric analysis. Pharmacologic inhibition of arachidonate metabolism by both lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathways with BW 755C strongly suppressed glucose-induced insulin secretion from perifused human islets, and the selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin enhanced insulin secretion. These findings are similar to those reported for islets isolated from rats and suggest that arachidonate metabolites may modulate glucose-induced insulin secretion in humans.

Regulation of insulin gene transcription by a Ca(2+)-responsive pathway involving calcineurin and nuclear factor of activated T cells.

Immunosuppressants such as FK506 (tacrolimus), the primary cellular target of which is calcineurin, decrease beta-cell insulin content and preproinsulin mRNA expression. This study offers an explanation for this effect by establishing that calcineurin is an important regulator of insulin gene expression through the activation of a transcription factor, nuclear factor of activated T cells. Three putative nuclear factor of activated T cells binding sites were located within the proximal region of the rat insulin I gene promoter (-410 to +1 bp). Expression of nuclear factor of activated T cells in both clonal (INS-1) and primary (islet) beta-cells was confirmed by immunoblot and immunocytochemical analyses. Moreover, nuclear factor of activated T cells DNA-binding activity was detected in INS-1 and islet nuclear extracts by EMSAs. Activation of the insulin gene promoter by glucose or elevated extracellular K(+) (to depolarize the beta-cell) was totally prevented by FK506 (5-10 microM). K(+)-induced promoter activation was suppressed (>65%) by a 2-bp mutation of a single nuclear factor of activated T cells binding site in -410 rInsI. Both stimulants also activated a minimal promoter-reporter construct containing tandem nuclear factor of activated T cells consensus sequences. The effects of FK506 on K(+)-induced nuclear factor of activated T cells reporter or insulin gene promoter activity were not mimicked by rapamycin, indicating specificity toward calcineurin. These findings suggest that the activation of calcineurin by beta-cell secretagogues that elevate cytosolic Ca(2+) plays a fundamental role in maintenance of insulin gene expression via the activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells.

Parallel effects of arachidonic acid on insulin secretion, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity and protein kinase C activity in pancreatic islets.

A potential role of arachidonic acid in the modulation of insulin secretion was investigated by measuring its effects on calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C in islet subcellular fractions. The results were interpreted in the light of arachidonic acid effects on insulin secretion from intact islets. Arachidonic acid could replace phosphatidylserine in activation of cytosolic protein kinase C (K0.5 of 10 microM) and maximum activation was observed at 50 microM arachidonate. Arachidonic acid did not affect the Ca2+ requirement of the phosphatidylserine-stimulated activity. Arachidonic acid (200 microM) inhibited (greater than 90%) calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity (K0.5 = 50-100 microM) but modestly increased basal phosphorylation activity (no added calcium or calmodulin). Arachidonic acid inhibited glucose-sensitive insulin secretion from islets (K0.5 = 24 microM) measured in static secretion assays. Maximum inhibition (approximately 70%) was achieved at 50-100 microM arachidonic acid. Basal insulin secretion (3 mM glucose) was modestly stimulated by 100 microM arachidonic acid but in a non-saturable manner. In perifusion secretion studies, arachidonic acid (20 microM) had no effect on the first phase of glucose-induced secretion but nearly completely suppressed second phase secretion. At basal glucose (4 mM), arachidonic acid induced a modest but reproducible biphasic insulin secretion response which mimicked glucose-sensitive secretion. However, phosphorylation of an 80 kD protein substrate of protein kinase C was not increased when intact islets were incubated with arachidonic acid, suggesting that the small increases in insulin secretion seen with arachidonic acid were not mediated by protein kinase C. These data suggest that arachidonic acid generated by exposure of islets to glucose may influence insulin secretion by inhibiting the activity of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase but probably has little effect on protein kinase C activity.

Correlation of the activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II with the initiation of insulin secretion from perifused pancreatic islets.

An experimental procedure has been designed to permit the simultaneous assessment of the activation status of the multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) with insulin secretion in perifused islets. By this procedure, the activation of CaM kinase II by glucose correlated closely with the initial and sustained phases of insulin secretion within a 30-min test period. By contrast, islets (160-200/tube) in static incubations neither supported second-phase insulin secretion nor CaM kinase II activation beyond 10-15 min. This was not the result of the accumulation of insulin, because the introduction of insulin (40-160 ng/ml) into the perifusion medium failed to mimic the suppression of glucose-induced insulin secretion or CaM kinase II activation. A similar addition of SRIF (0.01-1 microM) or epinephrine (1 microM) profoundly suppressed insulin secretion although failing to significantly influence CaM kinase II activation. Finally, on withdrawal of glucose from perifused islets, insulin secretion rapidly returned to basal rates, but CaM kinase II deactivation was significantly delayed. The correlation of kinase activation with the initiation of insulin secretion suggests that CaM kinase II may be important in the regulation of glucose-induced insulin secretion. The observed dissociation of these parameters in the presence of inhibitory hormones or after the withdrawal of a glucose stimulus, however, suggests that the kinase is not directly involved in the final steps of insulin exocytosis.

Interleukin-1 induces rapid and transient expression of the c-fos proto-oncogene in isolated pancreatic islets and in purified beta-cells.

The effect of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1) on expression of c-fos mRNA in isolated rat pancreatic islets was examined. Accumulation of c-fos mRNA was demonstrable after 30 min of exposure to IL-1, peaked by 60 min, and declined thereafter. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of dispersed islet cells was employed to localize the accumulation of c-fos mRNA to the beta-cell. Cycloheximide did not influence the induction of c fos mRNA by IL-1. Accumulation of c-fos mRNA therefore appears to be an early signal transduction event in the beta-cell and a component of the cellular mechanism(s) by which IL-1 influences beta-cell function.

Dependence of insulin secretion from permeabilized pancreatic beta-cells on the activation of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. A re-evaluation of inhibitor studies.

Previous studies utilizing inhibitors of the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) to address the role of this enzyme in insulin secretion have produced contradictory results. In the current study, these inconsistencies have been addressed by evaluating the effect of various CaM kinase II inhibitors to decrease Ca(2+)-induced insulin secretion from permeabilized beta-cells. KN-93 (2-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-(4-methoxy-benzenesulfonyl)]-amino-N-(4-chlo rocinnamyl)-N-methylbenzylamine) markedly inhibited both CaM kinase II activation and insulin secretion in parallel in alpha-toxin-permeabilized beta-cells. These effects were specific since they were not mimicked by the inactive analog, KN-92 (2-[N-(4-methoxy-benzenesulfonyl)]-amino-N-(4-chlorocinnamyl)-N-methy lbenzylamine). In contrast, KN-62 (1-[N, O-bis(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-N-methyl-l-tyrosyl]-4-phenylpiperazine) , while reported to be similar to KN-93 with respect to mechanism of action, did not inhibit Ca(2+)-induced activation of CaM kinase II or insulin secretion in these cell preparations. All three agents suppressed Ca(2+) influx in intact beta-cells induced by depolarization in the presence of elevated extracellular potassium although to different extents. The synthetic peptide inhibitors of CaM kinase II, [Ala(286)]CaMK 281-302 and AIP (autocamtide-2-related inhibitory peptide), strongly inhibited Ca(2+)-induced insulin secretion from electropermeabilized islets, an effect that also correlated with an equivalent inhibition of CaM kinase II activation. This re-evaluation (i) explains a lack of effect of KN-62 on insulin secretion from permeabilized cells based on its inability to inhibit CaM kinase II activation in these preparations; (ii) has revealed that CaM inhibitors, either chemical or peptide in nature, that are capable of preventing enzyme activation uniformly suppress Ca(2+)-sensitive insulin secretion; and (iii) cautions the use of KN-62/93/92 as selective inhibitors of CaM kinase II in intact cell studies. These observations reinforce the suggestion that CaM kinase II plays an important role in insulin exocytosis in the beta-cell.

The dependence of electrophoretic and spectroscopic properties of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex on mono- and divalent ions.

The effects of various mono- and divalent ions on the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) were investigated. To determine the radius of PDC under various conditions a two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis technique was used. The radius of PDC cross-linked with glutaraldehyde at ionic strength 0.04 M was calculated to be 22.0 +/- 0.1 nm. The presence of K+, Na+ or HPO4(2-) prevented changes in electromobility and of the calculated radius of PDC induced by alteration in ionic strength. The fluorescence emission spectra of PDC depended on the ionic strength and monovalent cations. The fluorescence intensity of PDC increased in the presence of 80 mM K+, and decreased in the presence of 80 mM Na+ with no shift in the emission maximum wavelength. Changes in the ionic strength to which PDC was exposed resulted in alteration of the UV absorption spectra in the 230 nm region. These alterations were prevented by HPO4(2-), whereas Na+ or K+ ions had no effect on the UV absorption spectrum of PDC.

Beta-granule transport and exocytosis.

Regulated beta -granule exocytosis is critical for the ability of the beta -cell to finely control body glucose homeostasis. This is now understood to be a multistage process whereby beta -granules are transported from biosynthetic/storage sites in the cell cytoplasm and targeted to specific regions of the plasma membrane. Exocytosis is achieved when these granules are triggered to fuse with the membrane by an elevated cytosolic Ca(2+). Dramatic advances have been made recently in our understanding of the protein-protein interactions and regulatory signals that govern intracellular transport and fusion. Although best understood for exocytosis from neurons and neuroendocrine cells, similar processes are thought to be conserved in the beta -cell.

Acute effects of starvation and treatment of rats with anti-insulin serum, glucagon and catecholamines on the state of phosphorylation of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase in vivo.

The fraction of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase in the dephosphorylated (active) form in rat liver in vivo was measured after various experimental treatments of animals. Intraperitoneal injection of glucose (to raise serum insulin concentrations) into rats 4 h into the light phase (L-4) resulted in a transient (30 min) increase in the expressed (E)/total (T) activity ratio of HMG-CoA reductase without any change in total activity (obtained after complete dephosphorylation of the enzyme). Conversely, intravenous injection of guinea-pig anti-insulin serum into rats 4 h into the dark phase (D-4) significantly depressed the E/T ratio within 20 min. Intravenous injection of glucagon into normal rats at this time point did not affect the degree of phosphorylation of the enzyme, in spite of a 10-fold increase in hepatic cyclic AMP concentration induced by the hormone treatment. A 3-fold increase in the concentration of the cyclic nucleotide induced by adrenaline infusion was similarly ineffective in inducing any change in expressed or total activities of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase. However, when insulin secretion was inhibited, either by the induction of streptozotocin-diabetes or by simultaneous infusion of somatostatin, glucagon treatment was able to depress the expressed activity of HMG-CoA reductase (i.e. it increased the phosphorylation of the enzyme). Therefore insulin appears to have a dominant role in the regulation of the phosphorylation state of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase. In apparent corroboration of this suggestion, short-term 4 h food deprivation of animals before D-4 resulted in a marked decrease in the E/T activity ratio of reductase, which was not affected further by an additional 8 h starvation. By contrast, the total activity of the enzyme was not significantly affected by 4 h starvation, but was markedly diminished after 12 or 24 h starvation. Longer-term starvation also produced a chronic increase in the degree of phosphorylation of the enzyme. These results are discussed in relation to the role of reversible phosphorylation in the control of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity in vivo.

Effects of diabetes on the expressed and total activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase in rat liver in vivo. Reversal by insulin treatment.

The expressed and total activities of HMG-CoA (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA) reductase (EC 1.1.1.34) were measured in microsomal fractions prepared from cold-clamped liver samples [Easom & Zammit (1984) Biochem. J. 220, 733-738] from control or insulin-treated diabetic animals. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes resulted in a marked decrease in total activity of HMG-CoA reductase and in the fraction of the enzyme in the active form, but appreciable effects were only observed in the liver of animals in which the blood glucose was above 20 mM. Intravenous infusion of insulin into diabetic rats resulted in a rapid (less than 20 min) and total dephosphorylation of the enzyme in vivo without any change in total activity. Longer-term (4 h) treatment with insulin (injected intraperitoneally) produced a rapid increase in expressed/total HMG-CoA reductase activity ratio to about 90%, followed, after a lag of 2-3 h, by a 5-6-fold increase in total activity. These observations are discussed with respect to the possible role of insulin in generating and maintaining the respective diurnal rhythms in total and in expressed/total HMG-CoA reductase activity ratio observed for normal animals in vivo [Easom & Zammit (1984) Biochem. J. 220, 739-745].