Role of nitration in control of phosphorylase and glycogenolysis in mouse skeletal muscle.

Phosphorylase is one of the most carefully studied proteins in history, but knowledge of its regulation during intense muscle contraction is incomplete. Tyrosine nitration of purified preparations of skeletal muscle phosphorylase results in inactivation of the enzyme and this is prevented by antioxidants. Whether an altered redox state affects phosphorylase activity and glycogenolysis in contracting muscle is not known. Here, we investigate the role of the redox state in control of phosphorylase and glycogenolysis in isolated mouse fast-twitch (extensor digitorum longus, EDL) and slow-twitch (soleus) muscle preparations during repeated contractions. Exposure of crude muscle extracts to H2O2 had little effect on phosphorylase activity. However, exposure of extracts to peroxynitrite (ONOO-), a nitrating/oxidizing agent, resulted in complete inactivation of phosphorylase (half-maximal inhibition at ∼200 µM ONOO-), which was fully reversed by the presence of an ONOO- scavanger, dithiothreitol (DTT). Incubation of isolated muscles with ONOO- resulted in nitration of phosphorylase and marked inhibition of glycogenolysis during repeated contractions. ONOO- also resulted in large decreases in high-energy phosphates (ATP and phosphocreatine) in the rested state and following repeated contractions. These metabolic changes were associated with decreased force production during repeated contractions (to ∼60% of control). In contrast, repeated contractions did not result in nitration of phosphorylase, nor did DTT or the general antioxidant N-acetylcysteine alter glycogenolysis during repeated contractions. These findings demonstrate that ONOO- inhibits phosphorylase and glycogenolysis in living muscle under extreme conditions. However, nitration does not play a significant role in control of phosphorylase and glycogenolysis during repeated contractions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here we show that exogenous peroxynitrite results in nitration of phosphorylase as well as inhibition of glycogenolysis in isolated intact mouse skeletal muscle during short-term repeated contractions. However, repeated contractions in the absence of exogenous peroxynitrite do not result in nitration of phosphorylase or affect glycogenolysis, nor does the addition of antioxidants alter glycogenolysis during repeated contractions. Thus phosphorylase is not subject to redox control during repeated contractions.

Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone-Induced Metabolic Remodelling Enhances Growth of Gilthead Sea-Bream (Sparus aurata): Insights from Stable Isotopes Composition and Proteomics.

Growth hormone and insulin-like growth factors (GH/IGF axis) regulate somatic growth in mammals and fish, although their action on metabolism is not fully understood in the latter. An intraperitoneal injection of extended-release recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH, Posilac®) was used in gilthead sea bream fingerlings and juveniles to analyse the metabolic response of liver and red and white muscles by enzymatic, isotopic and proteomic analyses. GH-induced lipolysis and glycogenolysis were reflected in liver composition, and metabolic and redox enzymes reported higher lipid use and lower protein oxidation. In white and red muscle reserves, rBGH increased glycogen while reducing lipid. The isotopic analysis of muscles showed a decrease in the recycling of proteins and a greater recycling of lipids and glycogen in the rBGH groups, which favoured a protein sparing effect. The protein synthesis capacity (RNA/protein) of white muscle increased, while cytochrome-c-oxidase (COX) protein expression decreased in rBGH group. Proteomic analysis of white muscle revealed only downregulation of 8 proteins, related to carbohydrate metabolic processes. The global results corroborated that GH acted by saving dietary proteins for muscle growth mainly by promoting the use of lipids as energy in the muscles of the gilthead sea bream. There was a fuel switch from carbohydrates to lipids with compensatory changes in antioxidant pathways that overall resulted in enhanced somatic growth.

Astrocytic glycogen-derived lactate fuels the brain during exhaustive exercise to maintain endurance capacity.

Brain glycogen stored in astrocytes provides lactate as an energy source to neurons through monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) to maintain neuronal functions such as hippocampus-regulated memory formation. Although prolonged exhaustive exercise decreases brain glycogen, the role of this decrease and lactate transport in the exercising brain remains less clear. Because muscle glycogen fuels exercising muscles, we hypothesized that astrocytic glycogen plays an energetic role in the prolonged-exercising brain to maintain endurance capacity through lactate transport. To test this hypothesis, we used a rat model of exhaustive exercise and capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to observe comprehensive energetics of the brain (cortex and hippocampus) and muscle (plantaris). At exhaustion, muscle glycogen was depleted but brain glycogen was only decreased. The levels of MCT2, which takes up lactate in neurons, increased in the brain, as did muscle MCTs. Metabolomics revealed that brain, but not muscle, ATP was maintained with lactate and other glycogenolytic/glycolytic sources. Intracerebroventricular injection of the glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-d-arabinitol did not affect peripheral glycemic conditions but suppressed brain lactate production and decreased hippocampal ATP levels at exhaustion. An MCT2 inhibitor, α-cyano-4-hydroxy-cinnamate, triggered a similar response that resulted in lower endurance capacity. These findings provide direct evidence for the energetic role of astrocytic glycogen-derived lactate in the exhaustive-exercising brain, implicating the significance of brain glycogen level in endurance capacity. Glycogen-maintained ATP in the brain is a possible defense mechanism for neurons in the exhausted brain.

Norepinephrine stimulates glycogenolysis in astrocytes to fuel neurons with lactate.

The mechanism of rapid energy supply to the brain, especially to accommodate the heightened metabolic activity of excited states, is not well-understood. We explored the role of glycogen as a fuel source for neuromodulation using the noradrenergic stimulation of glia in a computational model of the neural-glial-vasculature ensemble (NGV). The detection of norepinephrine (NE) by the astrocyte and the coupled cAMP signal are rapid and largely insensitive to the distance of the locus coeruleus projection release sites from the glia, implying a diminished impact for volume transmission in high affinity receptor transduction systems. Glucosyl-conjugated units liberated from glial glycogen by NE-elicited cAMP second messenger transduction winds sequentially through the glycolytic cascade, generating robust increases in NADH and ATP before pyruvate is finally transformed into lactate. This astrocytic lactate is rapidly exported by monocarboxylate transporters to the associated neuron, demonstrating that the astrocyte-to-neuron lactate shuttle activated by glycogenolysis is a likely fuel source for neuromodulation and enhanced neural activity. Altogether, the energy supply for both astrocytes and neurons can be supplied rapidly by glycogenolysis upon neuromodulatory stimulus.

Analysis of Direct Effects of the CB1 Receptor Antagonist Rimonabant on Fatty Acid Oxidation and Glycogenolysis in Liver and Muscle Cells in vitro.

Recent pharmacological findings regarding rimonabant, an anorectic and cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R) antagonist, strongly suggest that some of its effects on the metabolic parameters and energy balance in rats are not related to the centrally mediated reduction in caloric intake. Instead, they may be associated with acute induction of glycogenolysis in the liver, in combination with transient increase in glucose oxidation and persistent increase in fat oxidation. It is possible that rimonabant produced direct short- or long-term stimulatory effect on these processes in primary and cultured rat cells. Rimonabant slightly stimulated ß-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids in cultured rat myocytes overexpressing glucose transporter isoform 4, as well as activated phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) in primary rat hepatocytes upon long-term incubation. However, short-term action of rimonabant failed to stimulate ß-oxidation in myocytes, myotubes, and hepatocytes, as well as to upregulate AMPK phosphorylation, glycogenolysis, and cAMP levels in hepatocytes. As a consequence, the acute effects of rimonabant on hepatic glycogen content (reduction) and total energy expenditure (increase) in rats fed with a standard diet cannot be explained by direct stimulation of glycogenolysis and fatty acid oxidation in muscles and liver. Rather, these effects seem to be centrally mediated.

Perfluorooctanoic acid exposure disturbs glucose metabolism in mouse liver.

Environmental pollutants such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) can influence human metabolism processes and are associated with certain metabolic diseases. To investigate the effect of PFOA on liver glucose homeostasis, adult male Balb/c mice were orally administered 1.25mg/kg of PFOA for 28d consecutively. Compared with the control mice, the body weights of the PFOA-treated mice were unchanged following exposure. However, PFOA exposure increased fasting blood glucose levels and decreased glycogen and glucose content in the liver of treated mice, but did not influence blood insulin significantly. The increased blood glucagon might contribute to the hyperglycemia observed in the PFOA-treated group compared with the control group. In addition, pyruvate tolerance tests supported enhanced glucose production ability in PFOA-exposed mice. Consistent with the increase in blood glucose and decrease in hepatic glucose and glycogen, PFOA exposure decreased the protein level of glycogen synthase in the mouse liver, but increased the level of glucokinase. Furthermore, liver pyruvate, as well as mRNA levels of enzymes involved in the Krebs cycle, such as citrate synthase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, increased in the PFOA-treated group. PFOA exposure did not affect muscle glucose or glycogen levels. Indirect calorimetry showed higher VO2 consumption and respiratory quotient values in the PFOA-treated group compared with the control group, implying that PFOA treatment might promote energy consumption in mice, with a reliance on carbohydrates as a primary source of energy. Thus, our findings indicate that subacute exposure to PFOA might enhance glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis and promote carbohydrate consumption.

Glucocorticoid antagonism limits adiposity rebound and glucose intolerance in young male rats following the cessation of daily exercise and caloric restriction.

Severe caloric restriction (CR), in a setting of regular physical exercise, may be a stress that sets the stage for adiposity rebound and insulin resistance when the food restriction and exercise stop. In this study, we examined the effect of mifepristone, a glucocorticoid (GC) receptor antagonist, on limiting adipose tissue mass gain and preserving whole body insulin sensitivity following the cessation of daily running and CR. We calorically restricted male Sprague-Dawley rats and provided access to voluntary running wheels for 3 wk followed by locking of the wheels and reintroduction to ad libitum feeding with or without mifepristone (80 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1)) for 1 wk. Cessation of daily running and CR increased HOMA-IR and visceral adipose mass as well as glucose and insulin area under the curve during an oral glucose tolerance test vs. pre-wheel lock exercised rats and sedentary rats (all P < 0.05). Insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance were preserved and adipose tissue mass gain was attenuated by daily mifepristone treatment during the post-wheel lock period. These findings suggest that following regular exercise and CR there are GC-induced mechanisms that promote adipose tissue mass gain and impaired metabolic control in healthy organisms and that this phenomenon can be inhibited by the GC receptor antagonist mifepristone.

Influence of Post-Exercise Carbohydrate-Protein Ingestion on Muscle Glycogen Metabolism in Recovery and Subsequent Running Exercise.

We examined whether carbohydrate-protein ingestion influences muscle glycogen metabolism during short-term recovery from exhaustive treadmill running and subsequent exercise. Six endurance-trained individuals underwent two trials in a randomized double-blind design, each involving an initial run-to-exhaustion at 70% VO2max (Run-1) followed by 4-h recovery (REC) and subsequent run-to-exhaustion at 70% VO2max (Run-2). Carbohydrate-protein (CHO-P; 0.8 g carbohydrate·kg body mass [BM-1]·h-1 plus 0.4 g protein·kg BM-1·h-1) or isocaloric carbohydrate (CHO; 1.2 g carbohydrate·kg BM-1·h-1) beverages were ingested at 30-min intervals during recovery. Muscle biopsies were taken upon cessation of Run-1, postrecovery and fatigue in Run-2. Time-to-exhaustion in Run-1 was similar with CHO and CHO-P (81 ± 17 and 84 ± 19 min, respectively). Muscle glycogen concentrations were similar between treatments after Run-1 (99 ± 3 mmol·kg dry mass [dm-1]). During REC, muscle glycogen concentrations increased to 252 ± 45 mmol·kg dm-1 in CHO and 266 ± 30 mmol·kg dm-1 in CHO-P (p = .44). Muscle glycogen degradation during Run-2 was similar between trials (3.3 ± 1.4 versus 3.5 ± 1.9 mmol·kg dm-1·min-1 in CHO and CHO-P, respectively) and no differences were observed at the respective points of exhaustion (93 ± 21 versus 100 ± 11 mmol·kg dm-1; CHO and CHO-P, respectively). Similarly, time-to-exhaustion was not different between treatments in Run-2 (51 ± 13 and 49 ± 15 min in CHO and CHO-P, respectively). Carbohydrate-protein ingestion equally accelerates muscle glycogen resynthesis during short-term recovery from exhaustive running as when 1.2 g carbohydrate·kg BM-1·h-1 are ingested. The addition of protein did not alter muscle glycogen utilization or time to fatigue during repeated exhaustive running.

Glucagon sensitivity and clearance in type 1 diabetes: insights from in vivo and in silico experiments.

Glucagon use in artificial pancreas for type 1 diabetes (T1D) is being explored for prevention and rescue from hypoglycemia. However, the relationship between glucagon stimulation of endogenous glucose production (EGP) viz., hepatic glucagon sensitivity, and prevailing glucose concentrations has not been examined. To test the hypothesis that glucagon sensitivity is increased at hypoglycemia vs. euglycemia, we studied 29 subjects with T1D randomized to a hypoglycemia or euglycemia clamp. Each subject was studied at three glucagon doses at euglycemia or hypoglycemia, with EGP measured by isotope dilution technique. The peak EGP increments and the integrated EGP response increased with increasing glucagon dose during euglycemia and hypoglycemia. However, the difference in dose response based on glycemia was not significant despite higher catecholamine concentrations in the hypoglycemia group. Knowledge of glucagon's effects on EGP was used to develop an in silico glucagon action model. The model-derived output fitted the obtained data at both euglycemia and hypoglycemia for all glucagon doses tested. Glucagon clearance did not differ between glucagon doses studied in both groups. Therefore, the glucagon controller of a dual hormone control system may not need to adjust glucagon sensitivity, and hence glucagon dosing, based on glucose concentrations during euglycemia and hypoglycemia.

A low-protein diet combined with low-dose endotoxin leads to changes in glucose homeostasis in weanling rats.

Severe malnutrition is a leading cause of global childhood mortality, and infection and hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia are commonly present. The etiology behind the changes in glucose homeostasis is poorly understood. Here, we generated an animal model of severe malnutrition with and without low-grade inflammation to investigate the effects on glucose homeostasis. Immediately after weaning, rats were fed diets containing 5 [low-protein diet (LP)] or 20% protein [control diet (CTRL)], with or without repeated low-dose intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 2 mg/kg), to mimic inflammation resulting from infections. After 4 wk on the diets, hyperglycemic clamps or euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps were performed with infusion of [U-(13)C6]glucose and [2-(13)C]glycerol to assess insulin secretion, action, and hepatic glucose metabolism. In separate studies, pancreatic islets were isolated for further analyses of insulin secretion and islet morphometry. Glucose clearance was reduced significantly by LP feeding alone (16%) and by LP feeding with LPS administration (43.8%) compared with control during the hyperglycemic clamps. This was associated with a strongly reduced insulin secretion in LP-fed rats in vivo as well as ex vivo in islets but signficantly enhanced whole body insulin sensitivity. Gluconeogenesis rates were unaffected by LP feeding, but glycogenolysis was higher after LP feeding. A protein-deficient diet in young rats leads to a susceptibility to low-dose endotoxin-induced impairment in glucose clearance with a decrease in the islet insulin secretory pathway. A protein-deficient diet is associated with enhanced peripheral insulin sensitivity but impaired insulin-mediated suppression of hepatic glycogenolysis.

MiR-301a mediates the effect of IL-6 on the AKT/GSK pathway and hepatic glycogenesis by regulating PTEN expression.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: IL-6 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. MiR-301a plays an important role in various biological and pathological processes, including cellular development and differentiation, inflammation, apoptosis and cancer. However, whether miR-301a mediates IL-6-induced insulin resistance in hepatocytes remains unknown. METHODS: The activation of AKT/GSK pathway and the level of glycogenesis were examed in NCTC 1469 cells transfected miR-301a mimics and inhibitor. Using computational miRNA target prediction database, PTEN was a target of miR-301a. The effect of miR-301a on PTEN expression was evaluated using Luciferase assay and western blot. A PTEN-specific siRNA was used to further determine the effect of PTEN on IL-6-induced insulin resistance. RESULTS: In vivo and in vitro treatment with IL-6 was led to down-regulation of miR-301a, accompanied by impairment of theAKT/GSK pathway and glycogenesis. Importantly, over-expression of miR-301a rescued IL-6-induced decreased activation of the AKT/GSK pathway and hepatic glycogenesis. In contrast, down-regulation of miR-301a induced impaired phosphorylation of AKT and GSK, accompanied by reduced glycogenesis in hepatocytes. Moreover, our results indicate that suppression of PTEN, a target of miR-301a, diminished the effect of IL-6 on the AKT/GSK pathway and hepatic glycogenesis. CONCLUSION: We present novel evidence of the contribution of miR-301a to IL-6-induced insulin resistance by direct regulation of PTEN expression.

Astrocyte glycogenolysis is triggered by store-operated calcium entry and provides metabolic energy for cellular calcium homeostasis.

Astrocytic glycogen, the only storage form of glucose in the brain, has been shown to play a fundamental role in supporting learning and memory, an effect achieved by providing metabolic support for neurons. We have examined the interplay between glycogenolysis and the bioenergetics of astrocytic Ca(2+) homeostasis, by analyzing interdependency of glycogen and store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE), a mechanism in cellular signaling that maintains high endoplasmatic reticulum (ER) Ca(2+) concentration and thus provides the basis for store-dependent Ca(2+) signaling. We stimulated SOCE in primary cultures of murine cerebellar and cortical astrocytes, and determined glycogen content to investigate the effects of SOCE on glycogen metabolism. By blocking glycogenolysis, we tested energetic dependency of SOCE-related Ca(2+) dynamics on glycogenolytic ATP. Our results show that SOCE triggers astrocytic glycogenolysis. Upon inhibition of adenylate cyclase with 2',5'-dideoxyadenosine, glycogen content was no longer significantly different from that in unstimulated control cells, indicating that SOCE triggers astrocytic glycogenolysis in a cAMP-dependent manner. When glycogenolysis was inhibited in cortical astrocytes by 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-arabinitol, the amount of Ca(2+) loaded into ER via sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2)-ATPase (SERCA) was reduced, which suggests that SERCA pumps preferentially metabolize glycogenolytic ATP. Our study demonstrates SOCE as a novel pathway in stimulating astrocytic glycogenolysis. We also provide first evidence for a new functional role of brain glycogen, in providing local ATP to SERCA, thus establishing the bioenergetic basis for astrocytic Ca(2+) signaling. This mechanism could offer a novel explanation for the impact of glycogen on learning and memory.

Basic mechanism leading to stimulation of glycogenolysis by isoproterenol, EGF, elevated extracellular K+ concentrations, or GABA.

Glycogenolysis, in brain parenchyma an astrocyte-specific process, has changed from being envisaged as an emergency procedure to playing central roles during brain response to whisker stimulation, memory formation, astrocytic K(+) uptake and stimulated release of ATP. It is activated by several transmitters and by even very small increases in extracellular K(+) concentration, and to be critically dependent upon an increase in free cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]i), whereas cAMP plays only a facilitatory role together with increased [Ca(2+)]i. Detailed knowledge about the signaling pathways eliciting glycogenolysis is therefore of interest and was investigated in the present study in well differentiated cultures of mouse astrocytes. The ß-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol stimulated glycogenolysis by a ß1-adrenergic effect, which initiated a pathway in which cAMP/protein kinase A activated a Gi/Gs shift, leading to Ca(2+)-activated glycogenolysis. Inhibition of this pathway downstream of cAMP but upstream of the Gi/Gs shift abolished the glycogenolysis. However, inhibitors operating downstream of the Ca(2+)-sensitive step, but preventing transactivation-mediated epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor stimulation, a later step in the activated pathway, also caused inhibition of glycogenolysis. For this reason the effect of EGF was investigated and it was found to be glycogenolytic. Large increases in extracellular K(+) activated glycogenolysis by a nifedipine-inhibited L-channel opening allowing influx of Ca(2+), known to be glycogenolysis-dependent. Small increases (addition of 5 mM KCl) caused a smaller effect by a similarly glycogenolysis-reliant opening of an IP3 receptor-dependent ouabain signaling pathway. The same pathway could be activated by GABA (also in brain slices) due to its depolarizing effect in astrocytes.

The action of p-synephrine on hepatic carbohydrate metabolism and respiration occurs via both Ca(2+)-mobilization and cAMP production.

Citrus aurantium extracts, which contain large amounts of p-synephrine, are widely used for weight loss purposes and as appetite suppressants. In the liver, C. aurantium (bitter orange) extracts affect hemodynamics, carbohydrate metabolism, and oxygen uptake. The purpose of the present work was to quantify the action of p-synephrine and also to obtain indications about its mechanism of action, a task that would be difficult to accomplish with C. aurantium extracts due to their rather complex composition. The experimental system was the isolated perfused rat liver. p-Synephrine significantly stimulated glycogenolysis, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and oxygen uptake. The compound also increased the portal perfusion pressure and the redox state of the cytosolic NAD(+)/NADH couple. A Ca(2+)-dependency for both the hemodynamic and the metabolic effects of p-synephrine was found. p-Synephrine stimulated both cAMP overflow and the initial Ca(2+) release from the cellular stores previously labeled with (45)Ca(2+). The metabolic and hemodynamic actions of p-synephrine were strongly inhibited by α-adrenergic antagonists and moderately affected by ß-adrenergic antagonists. The results allow to conclude that p-synephrine presents important metabolic and hemodynamic effects in the liver. These effects can be considered as both catabolic (glycogenolysis) and anabolic (gluconeogenesis), they are mediated by both α- and ß-adrenergic signaling, require the simultaneous participation of both Ca(2+) and cAMP, and could be contributing to the overall stimulation of metabolism that usually occurs during weight loss periods.

Colesevelam suppresses hepatic glycogenolysis by TGR5-mediated induction of GLP-1 action in DIO mice.

Bile acid sequestrants are nonabsorbable resins designed to treat hypercholesterolemia by preventing ileal uptake of bile acids, thus increasing catabolism of cholesterol into bile acids. However, sequestrants also improve hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia through less characterized metabolic and molecular mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate that the bile acid sequestrant, colesevelam, significantly reduced hepatic glucose production by suppressing hepatic glycogenolysis in diet-induced obese mice and that this was partially mediated by activation of the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor TGR5 and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) release. A GLP-1 receptor antagonist blocked suppression of hepatic glycogenolysis and blunted but did not eliminate the effect of colesevelam on glycemia. The ability of colesevelam to induce GLP-1, lower glycemia, and spare hepatic glycogen content was compromised in mice lacking TGR5. In vitro assays revealed that bile acid activation of TGR5 initiates a prolonged cAMP signaling cascade and that this signaling was maintained even when the bile acid was complexed to colesevelam. Intestinal TGR5 was most abundantly expressed in the colon, and rectal administration of a colesevelam/bile acid complex was sufficient to induce portal GLP-1 concentration but did not activate the nuclear bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR). The beneficial effects of colesevelam on cholesterol metabolism were mediated by FXR and were independent of TGR5/GLP-1. We conclude that colesevelam administration functions through a dual mechanism, which includes TGR5/GLP-1-dependent suppression of hepatic glycogenolysis and FXR-dependent cholesterol reduction.

Requirement of glycogenolysis for uptake of increased extracellular K+ in astrocytes: potential implications for K+ homeostasis and glycogen usage in brain.

The importance of astrocytic K(+) uptake for extracellular K(+) ([K(+)](e)) clearance during neuronal stimulation or pathophysiological conditions is increasingly acknowledged. It occurs by preferential stimulation of the astrocytic Na(+),K(+)-ATPase, which has higher K(m) and V(max) values than its neuronal counterpart, at more highly increased [K(+)](e) with additional support of the cotransporter NKCC1. Triggered by a recent DiNuzzo et al. paper, we used administration of the glycogenolysis inhibitor DAB to primary cultures of mouse astrocytes to determine whether K(+) uptake required K(+)-stimulated glycogenolysis. KCl was increased by either 5 mM (stimulating only the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase) or 10 mM (stimulating both transporters) in glucose-containing saline media prepared to become iso-osmotic after the addition. DAB completely inhibited both uptakes, the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase-mediated by preventing Na(+) uptake for stimulation of its intracellular Na(+)-activated site, and the NKCC1-mediated uptake by inhibition of depolarization- and L-channel-mediated Ca(2+) uptake. Drugs inhibiting the signaling pathways involved in either of these processes also abolished K(+) uptake. Assuming similar in vivo characteristics, partly supported by literature data, K(+)-stimulated astrocytic K(+) uptake must discontinue after normalization of extracellular K(+). This will allow Kir1.4-mediated release and reuptake by the less powerful neuronal Na(+),K(+)-ATPase.

Aspalathin improves hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance in obese diabetic ob/ob mice.

PURPOSE: Although several researches have demonstrated that rooibos extract has hypoglycemic effect, the role of aspalathin, a main polyphenol in the extract, remains unclear. Our aims were to find specific mechanisms for anti-diabetic action of aspalathin employing a rat skeletal muscle-derived cell line (L6 myocytes) and a rat-derived pancreatic ß-cell line (RIN-5F cells) and to investigate its effect in type 2 diabetic model ob/ob mice. METHODS: We investigated in vitro the effect of aspalathin on the glucose metabolism through the studies on molecular mechanisms of glucose uptake using cultured L6 myotubes. We also measured the antioxidative ability of aspalathin against reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by artificial advanced glycation end product (AGE) in RIN-5F cells. In vivo, ob/ob mice were fed 0.1 % aspalathin-containing diet for 5 weeks, and the effect of aspalathin on fasting blood glucose level, glucose intolerance, and hepatic gene expression was studied. RESULTS: Aspalathin dose dependently increased glucose uptake by L6 myotubes and promoted AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation. Aspalathin enhanced GLUT4 translocation to plasma membrane in L6 myoblasts and myotubes. In RIN-5F cells, aspalathin suppressed AGE-induced rises in ROS. In vivo, aspalathin significantly suppressed the increase in fasting blood glucose levels and improved glucose intolerance. Furthermore, aspalathin decreased expression of hepatic genes related to gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoglycemic effect of aspalathin is related to increased GLUT4 translocation to plasma membrane via AMPK activation. In addition, aspalathin reduces the gene expression of hepatic enzymes related to glucose production and lipogenesis. These results strongly suggest that aspalathin has anti-diabetic potential.

Contra-insular effect of calcitonin on glucose metabolism.

We studied the effects of Russian preparation of porcine calcitonin (Calcitrinum, 1 U/100 g) on the level of glucose and total calcium, glycogen concentration in the liver, and glucose consumption by the muscle and adipose tissues in vivo and in vitro. The basal level of insulin and secretion of insulin in the dynamics of glucose tolerance test were studied after treatment with calcitonin. In addition to hypocalcemic effect, this substance produced significant hyperglycemic effects, decreased glycogen amount in the liver, inhibited insulin-induced glucose consumption by muscular and adipose tissues in vivo and in vitro, slowed down insulin secretion during glucose load, and impaired glucose tolerance. Thus, calcitonin had contra-insular effects on glucose metabolism.

Acute activation of central GLP-1 receptors enhances hepatic insulin action and insulin secretion in high-fat-fed, insulin resistant mice.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor knockout (Glp1r(-/-)) mice exhibit impaired hepatic insulin action. High fat (HF)-fed Glp1r(-/-) mice exhibit improved, rather than the expected impaired, hepatic insulin action. This is due to decreased lipogenic gene expression and triglyceride accumulation. The present studies overcome these secondary adaptations by acutely modulating GLP-1R action in HF-fed wild-type mice. The central GLP-1R was targeted given its role as a regulator of hepatic insulin action. We hypothesized that acute inhibition of the central GLP-1R impairs hepatic insulin action beyond the effects of HF feeding. We further hypothesized that activation of the central GLP-1R improves hepatic insulin action in HF-fed mice. Insulin action was assessed in conscious, unrestrained mice using the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. Mice received intracerebroventricular (icv) infusions of artificial cerebrospinal fluid, GLP-1, or the GLP-1R antagonist exendin-9 (Ex-9) during the clamp. Intracerebroventricular Ex-9 impaired the suppression of hepatic glucose production by insulin, whereas icv GLP-1 improved it. Neither treatment affected tissue glucose uptake. Intracerebroventricular GLP-1 enhanced activation of hepatic Akt and suppressed hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase. Central GLP-1R activation resulted in lower hepatic triglyceride levels but did not affect muscle, white adipose tissue, or plasma triglyceride levels during hyperinsulinemia. In response to oral but not intravenous glucose challenges, activation of the central GLP-1R improved glucose tolerance. This was associated with higher insulin levels. Inhibition of the central GLP-1R had no effect on oral or intravenous glucose tolerance. These results show that inhibition of the central GLP-1R deteriorates hepatic insulin action in HF-fed mice but does not affect whole body glucose homeostasis. Contrasting this, activation of the central GLP-1R improves glucose homeostasis in HF-fed mice by increasing insulin levels and enhancing hepatic insulin action.

Serotonin-induced brain glycogenolysis in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

In this study, we evaluated the serotonin-mediated control of cerebral glycogen levels in the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of serotonin (5-HT) to normoglycemic trout (time and dose response) decreased glycogen levels in the brain and increased brain glycogen phosphorylase activity (time response). In hypoglycemic fish (that had been fasted for 5 and 10 days), there was a time-dependent decrease in brain glycogen levels; under these conditions, i.c.v. administration of 5-HT also reduced the brain glycogen content in fish that had been fasted for 5 days. In fish with local cerebral hypoglycemia (induced by 2-DG administration), the glycogen levels decreased and, as above, i.c.v. administration of 5-HT also lowered the glycogen content. In hyperglycemic fish, 5-HT did not affect glycogen levels. Administration of receptor agonists 5-HT1A (8-OH-DPAT), 5-HT1B (anpirtoline and CP93129) or 5-HT2 (α-m-5-HT) decreased the brain glycogen levels. This effect was antagonized by the administration of receptor antagonists 5-HT1A (WAY100135 and NAN190), 5-HT1B (NAS181) and 5-HT2B/C (SB206553). Administration of the receptor agonists (±)-DOI (5-HT2A/2C), m-CPP (5-HT2B/2C), BW723C86 (5-HT2B) and WAY 161503 (5-HT2C) led to decreases in the levels of brain glycogen. We found that 5-HT is involved in the modulation of brain glycogen homeostasis in the rainbow trout, causing a glycogenolytic effect when fish are in a normoglycemic or hypoglycemic state, but not when they are in a hyperglycemic state. 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5HT2B and 5-HT2C-like receptors appeared to be involved in the glycogenolytic action of 5-HT, although the effect mediated by 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B was apparently stronger.