Radioautographic localization of the increased synthesis of phosphatidylinositol in response to pancreozymin or acetylcholine in guinea pig pancreas slices.

A technique is described for measuring the incorporation of myo-inositol-2-(3)H into the lipid of various regions of the guinea pig pancreatic acinar cell by radioautography. Stimulation of enzyme secretion with either pancreozymin or acetylcholine was associated with increased graining in both the basophilic cytoplasm and the nonbasophilic cytoplasm. Kinetic studies suggested that the incorporation of myo-inositol-2-(3)H was stimulated independently in the two regions. Most of the increment in graining due to stimulation with pancreozymin or acetylcholine plus eserine was abolished if the tissue was extracted with 2:1 chloroform-methanol before radioautography. On chromatography of lipid extracts of pancreas, the only lipid showing a detectable increment in radioactivity on stimulation with pancreozymin was phosphatidylinositol. Thus, essentially all of the increment in graining is likely to be due to increased incorporation of tritium into phosphatidylinositol. These studies, coupled with earlier studies employing differential centrifugation, indicate that on stimulation of enzyme secretion there is increased synthesis of phosphatidylinositol in the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and in the smooth-surfaced Golgi membranes. The significance of these observations is discussed in connection with membrane circulation presumed to occur in the pancreatic acinar cell on stimulation of protein secretion. It is suggested that the increased synthesis of phosphatidylinositol may be concerned with the formation of new endoplasmic reticulum and possibly Golgi membrane to replace that which is presumably converted to membrane of the zymogen granules during intracellular protein transport.

The effects of secretagogues on the incorporation of (2- 3 H)myoinositol into lipid in cytological fractions in the pancreas of the guinea pig in vivo.

Stimulation of enzyme secretion in the pancreas on injection of a single dose of the cholinergic drug, pilocarpine, was associated with an increased incorporation of [2-(3)H]myoinositol into a lipid, which was previously characterized as phosphatidylinositol. Stimulation of enzyme secretion by hourly injection of the pancreozymin congener, caerulein, led to more increased phosphatidylinositol synthesis than with a single injection of pilocarpine. The amylase level of the pancreas remained at a low level as long as caerulein was injected, indicating continued stimulation of enzyme secretion even though increased phosphatidylinositol synthesis ceased after 6 h. Feeding gave the same stimulation of phosphatidylinositol synthesis as caerulein. The major synthesis of phosphatidylinositol in controls and the stimulation of phosphatidylinositol synthesis by pilocarpine was entirely confined to the microsome fraction throughout the experiments (up to 18 h). This shows that there is no flow of microsomal membrane (smooth- or rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum) to other membranous structures throughout the secretory cycle and beyond. It is concluded that the stimulation of phosphatidylinositol synthesis by pancreatic secretagogues is confined to microsomal elements and does not play any role in membrane flow.

Sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase: acyl phosphate "intermediate" shown to be L-glutamyl-gamma-phosphate.

Peptides obtained from pepsin digestion of the phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated forms of a preparation of brain microsomal sodium-potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase were treated at pH 5.4 with N-(n-propyl-2,3-(3)H) hydroxylamine of high specific activity, then separated by column chromatography, and further digested with pronase. A compound isolated in higher amounts from the phosphorylated enzyme than from the nonphosphorylated enzyme migrated with authentic L-glutamyl-gamma-propylhydroxamate in four chromatographic systems and on electrophoresis on paper at three different pH's. The acyl phosphate "intermediate" in the phosphorylated form of the adenosine-triphosphatase therefore appears to be an L-glutamyl-gamma-phosphate residue.

Hellebrigenin 3-haloacetates: potent site-directed alkylators of transport adenosinetriphosphatase.

Hellebrigenin, which diflers from strophanthidin only in its lactone ring, has 30 times the affinity of strophanthidin for the brain (Na + K)-activated adenosinetriphosphatase. Hellebrigenin 3-acetate and hellebrigenin 3,5-diacetate are about three times more potent toward this enzyme than hellebrigenin is. The 3-iodoacetate and 3-bromoacetate of hellebrigenin were synthesized and were highly potent irreversible inhibitors of the enzyme. The iodoacetate was 20 times more potent than the bromoacetate, as expected from the superior alkylating power of iodoacetate as compared to bromoacetate. The irreversible inhibition of the enzyme by hellebrigenin 3-bromoacetate and by strophanthidin 3-bromoacetate paralleled the affinities of the nonesterified steroids for reversible inhibition; this is further strong evidence for the site-directed alkylation of the (Na + K)-activated sinetriphosphatase by the haloacetate derivatives of the cardiotonic steroids.

Inhibition of ouabain-binding to (Na+ + K+)ATPase by antibody against the catalytic subunit but not by antibody against the glycoprotein subunit.

Antibodies against purified (Na+ + K+)ATPase from the rectal gland of Squalus acanthias, as well as against its catalytic subunit, inhibited ouabain binding by as much as 50%. However, antibodies against the glycoprotein subunit did not inhibit ouabain binding. These data suggest that binding of antibody against the catalytic subunit to the enzyme either covers the ouabain binding site or destroys its confirmation, while binding of antibody against the glycoprotein has no such effect.

The presence of two (Na+ + K+)-ATPase inhibitors in equine muscle ATP: vanadate nad a dithioerythritol-dependent inhibitor.

A potent inhibitor of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity was purified from Sigma equine muscle ATP by cation- and anion-exchange chromatography. The isolated inhibitor was identified by atomic absorption spectroscopy and proton resonance spectroscopy to be an inorganic vanadate. The isolated vanadate and a solution of V2O5 inhibit sarcolemma (Na+ + K+)-ATPase with an I50 of 1 micrometer in the presence of 1 mM ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethylether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA), 145 mM NaCl, 6mM MgCl2, 15 mM KCl and 2 mM synthetic ATP. The potency of the isolated vanadate is increased by free Mg2+. The inhibition is half maximally reversed by 250 micrometer epinephrine. Equine muscle ATP was also found to contain a second (Na+ + K+)-ATPase inhibitor which depends on the sulfhydryl-reducing agent dithioerythritol for inhibition. This unknown inhibitor does not depend on free Mg2+ and is half maximally reversed by 2 micrometer epinephrine. Prolonged storage or freeze-thawing of enzyme preparations decreases the susceptibility of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase to this inhibitor. The adrenergic blocking agents, propranolol and phentolamine, do not block the catecholamine reactivation. The inhibitors in equine muscle ATP also inhibit highly purified (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from shark rectal gland and eel electroplax. The inhibitors in equine muscle ATP have no effect on the other sarcolemmal ATPases, Mg2+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase and (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase.

Effects of wheat germ agglutinin and concanavalin A on parameters of highly purified sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatases from Squalus acanthias and Electrophorus electricus.

The effects of two lectins, wheat germ agglutinin and concanavalin A, were studied on a variety of parameters of two highly purified (Na+ + K+)-ATPases (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3), from the rectal salt gland of Squalus acanthias and from the electroplax of Electrophorus electricus. Both lectins agglutinated the rectal gland enzyme equally, but wheat germ agglutinin inhibited (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity much more. The electroplax enzyme was only marginally agglutinated and inhibited by the lectins. Neuraminidase treatment of the rectal gland (Na+ + K+)-ATPase had no effect on germ agglutinin inhibition. The inhibition of the rectal gland (Na+ + K+)-ATPase by wheat germ agglutinin could be reversed by N,N'-diacetylchitobiose, which has a high affinity for wheat germ agglutinin. Neither ouabain inhibition nor ouabain binding to the rectal gland enzyme was affected by wheat germ agglutinin. The p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity of the rectal gland enzyme was not inhibited by wheat germ agglutinin. Na+-ATPase activity, which reflects ATP binding and phosphorylation at the substrate site was inhibited by wheat germ agglutinin and this inhibition was reversed by potassium. Evidence is cited (Pennington, J. and Hokin, L.E., in preparation) that the inhibition of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase by wheat germ agglutinin is due to binding to the glycoprotein subunit.

The susceptibility of the glycoprotein from the purified (Na+, K+)-activated adenosine triphosphatase to tryptic and chymotryptic degradation with and without Na+ and K+.

Purified (Na+, K+)-activated adenosine triphosphatase ((Na+, K+)-ATPase, ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) has been subjected to trypsin and chymotrypsin hydrolysis. The glycoprotein is much more resistant to proteolysis than the large chain. This differential susceptibility to proteolysis is not due to differences in the number of trypsin or chymotrypsin sensitive bonds because the two subunits are equally susceptible to proteolysis after isolation by preparative gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. It is also not due to steric "shielding" of the glycoprotein by the large chain or its proteolytic products: (1) The rate of digestion of the glycoprotein is not increased after 90% of the large chain is digested. (2) The majority of the large chain peptides are released into the supernatant upon degradation. It is concluded that the greater resistance of the glycoprotein to proteolysis is due to its native conformation. In the absence of the large chain, the susceptibility of the glycoprotein to tryptic degradation by K+ and Na+. The evidence suggests that this decreased susceptibility was due to conformational changes in the glycoprotein. These specific ligand effects on proteolysis of the glycoprotein suggests that the glycoprotein may participate in Na+ and K+ binding by (Na+, K+)-ATPase.

In vitro biosynthesis of the beta-subunit of the Na+/K+-ATPase in developing brine shrimp: glycosylation and membrane insertion.

We demonstrate here translation, glycosylation, and membrane insertion of the beta-subunit of the Na+/K+-ATPase of the developing brine shrimp, Artemia, in a reticulocyte lysate translation system. The apparent molecular weight of the primary translation product as determined by SDS-PAGE is 33,000 +/- 1000 (n = 7). When microsomal membranes are present during the entire translation period, a new band with an apparent molecular weight of 37,000 +/- 1000 (n = 7) appears. This change in apparent molecular weight is due to the addition of about two N-linked oligosaccharides. The temporal relationship between protein synthesis and glycosylation have also been examined. Glycosylation and membrane insertion could be achieved if membranes were added after completion of about 70% of the peptide chain. However, glycosylation did not occur if membranes were added after the completion of translation of the beta-subunit. The beta-subunit was synthesized on membrane-bound polysomes, where about two N-linked oligosaccharides were added to the growing polypeptide chain. These studies demonstrate that in vitro translation systems will be useful for studying the biosynthesis of the beta-subunit of the brine shrimp, which is a good model system to examine the developmental regulation of the Na+/K+-ATPase.

On the molecular characterization of the sodium-potassium transport adenosine triphosphatase.

The phosphorylated intermediate in the (Na + K)-activated adenosine triphosphatase (Na-K ATPase) has been characterized as an L-glutamyl-gamma-phosphate residue in the enzyme. This has been accomplished by digestion of the phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated forms of the enzyme with pepsin, reaction of the pepsin digests with [2,3-(3)H]N-(n-propyl)hydroxylmine, further digestion of the derivatized peptides with pronase in the presence of carrier L-glutamyl-gamma-N-(n-propyl)hydroxamate and carrier L-aspartyl-N-(n-propyl)hydroxamate, and chromatographic purification. An increment in radioactivity migrated with authentic L-glutamyl-gamma-N-(n-propyl)hydroxamate in a total of seven electrophoretic and chromatographic systems and on gel filtration. No increment in radioactivity was associated with authentic L-aspartyl-beta-N-(n-propyl)hydroxamate in five out of the seven chromatographic and electrophoretic systems. At the last stage of purification the radioactivity from the phosphorylated enzyme which migrated as L-glutamyl-gamma-N-(n-propyl)hydroxamate was 2(1/2) times that from the nonphosphorylated enzyme. On the basis of these results it is concluded that the phosphorylated intermediate in the Na-K ATPase is an L-glutamyl-gamma-phosphate residue. The beef brain Na-K ATPase has been solubilized with the nonionic detergent, Lubrol, and has been purified 10 times over that in the original microsomes. The soluble enzyme remains stable in the presence of ATP and either Na(+) or K(+). If the partially purified enzyme is electrophoresed in 3% polyacrylamide, followed by incubation with ATP, Na(+), K(+), and Mg(++), a single, somewhat diffuse, ATPase band, which is ouabain-sensitive is seen. Protein impurities are also seen on the gel. Gel electrophoresis, after treatment of the partially purified enzyme with phenol-acetic acid-urea, shows about 12 discrete protein bands. Studies on the site-directed alkylation of the (Na + K)-activated adenosine triphosphatase with haloacetate derivatives of cardiotonic steroids are reviewed. Efforts are now underway to specifically alkylate the cardiotonic steroid site of the Na-K ATPase with hellebrigenin 3-[2-(3)H]iodoacetate and to purify the subunit of the enzyme containing the cardiotonic steroid site by following radioactivity. Finally, a working model for the role of the Na-K ATPase in the coupled transport of Na and K is presented.

The formation and continuous turnover of a fraction of phosphatidic acid on stimulation of NaC1 secretion by acetylcholine in the salt gland.

Acetylcholine, which stimulates NaCl secretion in the avian salt gland, causes the rapid formation of a fraction of phosphatidic acid, as measured by (32)P incorporation, which amounts maximally to about 0.18 micromoles per g of fresh tissue. This does not appear to involve synthesis of the diglyceride moiety of phosphatidic acid, as measured by glycerol-1-(14)C incorporation. It presumably involves formation of phosphatidic acid by the diglyceride kinase pathway from preformed diglyceride and ATP. The specific activity of the AT(32)P of the tissue is not increased in the presence of acetylcholine. At time intervals after addition of acetylcholine during which a full response, measured as increased O(2) uptake, may be observed, phosphatidic acid appears to be the only phosphatide which shows any increase either in total (32)P radioactivity or in net specific acitvity. This responsive fraction of phosphatidic acid undergoes continuous turnover of its phosphate moiety. There is no evidence that this turnover is due to the phosphatidic acid acting as a pool of intermediate for the synthesis of other phospholipids or glycerides. The responsive fraction amounts to not more than 20% of the total phosphatidic acid of the tissue; it does not mix with the other (non-responsive) phosphatidic acid of the tissue. The observations suggest that this phosphatidic acid plays some role in the over-all secretory process.

Molecular cloning of the beta-subunit of the Na,K-ATPase in the brine shrimp, Artemia. The cDNA-derived amino acid sequence shows low homology with the beta-subunits of vertebrates except in the single transmembrane and the carboxy-terminal domains.

A cDNA encoding the beta-subunit of the Na,K-ATPase of brine shrimp (Artemia) has been cloned. Its nucleotide sequence and predicted amino acid sequence have been determined. The amino acid sequence shows considerable divergence from that of chicken, dog, human, pig, rat, sheep, Torpedo, and Xenopus. This is not entirely unexpected since brine shrimp is a 'fast clock' organism which diverged from the precursor of the vertebrates 0.5-1.0 billion years ago. However, a highly hydrophobic putative transmembrane domain and the carboxy-terminal domain show considerable conservation. The relatively small degree of conservation in the beta-subunit of Artemia should provide information about the functional significance of this protein.

Molecular cloning of the Na,K-ATPase alpha-subunit in developing brine shrimp and sequence comparison with higher organisms.

We report here the molecular cloning, nucleotide sequence, and predicted amino acid sequence of an alpha-subunit of the developmentally useful model, Artemia. The amino acid sequence shows divergence from that of mammals, birds, Torpedo, and Drosophila. However, regions in the putative ATP binding and transmembrane domains show absolute or high levels of conservation. Major differences occur in the amino-terminal domain and several other hypervariable regions. These differences are consistent with the suggestion that the brine shrimp is a 'fast clock' organism which diverged from the precursors of vertebrates 0.5-1 billion years ago.

Differential expression of the alpha 2 and beta messenger RNAs of Na,K-ATPase in developing brine shrimp as measured by in situ hybridization.

We used in situ hybridization histochemistry with synthetic oligonucleotide probes to localize the mRNAs encoding the alpha 2- and beta-mRNAs of Na,K-ATPase during development of the brine shrimp Artemia. The mRNAs of the alpha 2- and beta-subunit were of low abundance in the cysts; in addition, less mRNA of the beta-subunit was localized. During emergence (12 hr), there was an increase in alpha 2-subunit mRNA in the gut mucosa, but there was a burst in beta-subunit mRNA throughout. As development progressed, the mRNAs of both the alpha 2- and beta-subunits showed a distinct pattern of expression in which the mRNA in the salt gland was of greatest abundance, followed by epidermal cells and gut mucosa. After 36 hr the alpha 2-subunit mRNA began to decrease in all positive cells but still remained highest in the salt gland and the brain region, while the mRNA of the beta-subunit kept increasing in the gut mucosa. Finally, the greatest abundance of the beta-subunit mRNA shifted from the salt gland to the antenna gland and the epidermal cells in the tail region, but the alpha 2-subunit mRNA did not. The more widespread distribution of the beta-mRNA than alpha 2-mRNA at certain stages (e.g., there was no alpha 2-mRNA in the antenna gland at the adult stage) is in all likelihood due to the marked drop in the alpha 2-subunit and a rise in alpha 1-subunit previously seen by Peterson et al. on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, as development progresses.

Na,K-ATPase expression in the developing brine shrimp Artemia. Immunochemical localization of the alpha- and beta-subunits.

Developing brine shrimp are a good experimental model for study of gene expression during development. Development is initiated on suspension of brine shrimp cysts in seawater. Only 48 hr are required for progression from cyst to the larval stage. We have localize the alpha- and beta-subunits in different cells by immunostaining as development progresses. Both alpha- and beta-subunits are first detected in epidermal cells in the trunk region at the emergence 2 stage (16-hr incubation). At the nauplius 1 stage (24 hr) the enzyme appears in the brain and epidermal regions, as well as in mesenchymal cells, with weaker staining in the salt gland. After further development (nauplius 2 stage, 36 hr) stronger staining appears in the salt gland and in the epidermal region. At the nauplius 3 stage (48 hr) the enzyme appears in the midgut mucosa. Co-localization of the alpha- and beta-subunits appears in all positive cells during development. In the epidermal and salt gland cells the enzyme is mainly localized on the basolateral membrane. The basolateral localization of the Na,K-ATPase in epidermal and salt gland cells suggests that Na+ is actively transported into the epidermal and salt gland cells and passively diffuses out from the apical region.

The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Volume 203, 1953: Enzyme secretion and the incorporation of P32 into phospholipides of pancreas slices.

1. When enzyme secretion was stimulated by carbamylcholine or acetylcholine (with eserine) in slices of pigeon pancreas, the incorporation of P32 into the phospholipide fraction of the stimulated slices was, after 2 hours, 4.8 to 8.7 (average, 7.0) times greater than the incorporation of P32 into the phospholipides of control slices. Neither respiration nor the incorporation of P32 into acid-soluble phosphate esters was increased. 2. Pilocarpine, which on a weight for weight basis was much less effective than carbamylcholine or acetylcholine in stimulating enzyme secretion in pancreas slices, was also much less effective in stimulating the uptake of P32 into phospholipides. 3. The stimulatory effects of carbamylcholine on both enzyme secretion and the incorporation of P32 into phospholipides were abolished by atropine. 4. The specific activity of the phospholipides from slices incubated anaerobically was less than 5 per cent of that observed aerobically. Anaerobically, carbamylcholine did not stimulate the incorporation of P32 into phospholipides to any significant extent. The specific activity of the acid-soluble phosphate esters after anaerobic incubation was 34 per cent of that found aerobically. 5. Cholinergic drugs had little or no effect on the incorporation of P32 into the phospholipides of the following tissue slices: pigeon and guinea pig liver, guinea pig heart ventricle, pigeon gizzard (smooth muscle), and guinea pig kidney cortex. A relatively slight stimulation of P32 uptake into phospholipides was observed in slices of pigeon brain (65 per cent) and guinea pig brain cortex (40 per cent). 6. Stimulation of amylase synthesis in slices of pigeon pancreas by the addition of a mixture of amino acids had no effect on the incorporation of P32 into phospholipides.

Lithium increases accumulation of second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in brain cortex slices in species ranging from mouse to monkey.

Historical aspects of the phosphoinositide field are briefly reviewed. The effects of the anti-manic depressive drug, lithium, on inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate accumulation in brain cortex slices in species ranging from mouse to monkey are presented. In the guinea pig, lithium, in the presence of acetylcholine, increases the accumulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate, but at therapeutic concentrations of lithium 1 mM inositol is required to see a statistically significant effect. In previous studies in rat brain cortex slices, lithium inhibited accumulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate by 15-20%. We have confirmed this and found a similar effect in mouse brain cortex slices. However, if we added 20-30 mM inositol we observed lithium-stimulated accumulations of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate in these two latter species. These observations in rat and mouse appear to relate to the following facts: (1) brain cortices of mouse and rat contain in vivo concentrations of inositol half that of guinea pig, (2) incubated rat brain cortex slices are depleted of inositol by 80% and (3) the slices require 10 mM inositol supplementation to restore in vivo concentrations. More recently, we have shown that in monkey brain cortex slices, therapeutic concentrations of Li+ increase accumulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate is not increased. Neither inositol, nor an agonist, is required. The same effects are seen whether inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is measured by the [3H]inositol-prelabelling technique or by mass assay, although mass includes a pool of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate which is metabolically inactive. Thus, in a therapeutically relevant model for man, Li+ increases Ins(1,4,5)P3 in brain cortex slices, as was previously seen in lower mammals at nonrate-limiting concentrations of inositol.

Biochemical aspects of the phosphoinositide signalling system with special reference to the formation of inositol cyclic phosphates and arachidonic acid and metabolites on agonist stimulation.

Several aspects of the phosphoinositide signalling system recently studied in our Laboratory are considered here. 1. The formation of inositol 1:2-cyclic-4,5-trisphosphate (IcP3) and inositol 1:2-cyclic-4-bisphosphate (IcP2) have been shown here to occur in pancreatic minilobules stimulated with carbamylcholine. Identification is based on mobility on ionophoresis on paper and on HPLC, acid lability, and conversion of the inositol cyclic phosphates to their respective non-cyclic inositol phosphates on treatment with acid. The levels of inositol 1:2-cyclic phosphate (IcP), IcP2, and IcP3 were 0.7%, 6.8%, and 29.8% of their respective non-cyclic inositol phosphates. The level of IcP3 is sufficient to evoke release of calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum. 2. In a previous study, we demonstrated that on agonist stimulation of pancreatic minilobules prelabelled with [14C]arachidonate, [14C]stearate, or [3H]glycerol, there was a substantial release of all three of these compounds, amounting to approximately 50% of the total PI loss, which was up to 70% of the total cellular PI (7). It was shown that this loss in PI was due to the sequential actions of phospholipase C and diacylglycerol (DG) lipase. Evidence against the phospholipase A2 pathway was no formation of lysophosphatidylinositol. Further evidence against the phospholipase A2 pathway shown here is the lack of stimulation by agonist of glycerophosphorylinositol formation. We also show here that the stimulation of PI loss in guinea pig brain cortex slices is likely also to be via the sequential actions of phospholipase C and DG-lipase, i.e., there was an increase in the steady-state level of monoacylglycerol and a rise in free arachidonate on stimulation with acetylcholine. The formation of prostaglandin E and prostaglandin F was also increased in brain cortex, corpus striatum, and hippocampus. The effects of acetylcholine were abolished by atropine. 3. Previous studies showed that the DG-lipase inhibitor, RHC 80267, inhibited agonist-stimulated formation of glycerol and fatty acids and raised the steady-state level of DG (7). We have now used RHC 80267 as a tool to elevate the level of DG and to lower the level of arachidonate to see if either of these products might modulate the carbamylcholine-stimulated cGMP levels in pancreatic minilobules. RHC 80267 inhibited formation of cGMP. Addition of arachidonate did not affect this inhibition, nor did addition of free arachidonate to control minilobules have any effect, thus suggesting that liberation of free arachidonate by carbamylcholine was not responsible for the carbamylcholine-induced rise in cGMP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A novel action of lithium: stimulation of glutamate release and inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate accumulation via activation of the N-methyl D-aspartate receptor in monkey and mouse cerebral cortex slices.

Beginning at therapeutic concentrations (1-1.5mM), the anti-manic-depressive drug, lithium, stimulated the release of the major excitatory central neurotransmitter, glutamate, in monkey cerebral cortex slices in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, and this was associated with increased inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] accumulation. (+/-)-3-(2-Carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphoric acid (CPP), dizocilpine (MK-801), ketamine, and Mg(2+)-antagonists to the N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor/channel complex selectivity inhibited lithium-stimulated Ins(1,4,5)P3 accumulation. Antagonists to cholinergic-muscarinic, alpha 1-adrenergic, 5-HT2-serotoninergic and H1-histaminergic receptors had no effect. Antagonists to non-NMDA glutamate receptors had no effect on lithium-stimulated Ins(1,4,5)P3 accumulation. Possible reasons for this are discussed. Similar results were obtained in mouse cerebral cortex slices. Carbetapentane, which inhibits glutamate release, inhibited lithium-induced Ins(1,4,5)P3 accumulation in this model. It is concluded that the primary effect of lithium in the cerebral cortex slice model is stimulation of glutamate release, which, via activation of the NMDA receptor, leads to Ca2+ entry. Ca2+ entry, in turn, activates phospholipase C. These effects may have relevance to the therapeutic action of lithium in the treatment of manic-depression, as well as its toxic effects, especially at lithium blood levels above 1.5mM. A general conclusion which can be drawn from these studies and earlier studies in our laboratory is that lithium potentiates the action of phospholipase C, whether this enzyme is activated by lithium-induced presynaptic release of neurotransmitter, such as glutamate, or by the addition of an exogenous neurotransmitter, such as acetylcholine. However, this does not appear to be due to a direct activation of phospholipase C.

Phosphoinositide signalling in human neuroblastoma cells: biphasic effect of Li+ on the level of the inositolphosphate second messengers.

Lithium has a biphasic effect of the agonist-dependent accumulation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. These effects consist of a transient reduction, followed by a long-lasting increase in Ins(1,4,5)P3 as compared to controls. The Li+ effects are dose dependent, and were observed at concentrations used in the treatment of bipolar disorders, and thus may have therapeutic implications. The mechanism of the Li+ effect on Ins(1,4,5)P3 accumulation requires further investigation. The transient reduction of Ins(1,4,5)P3 was observed under conditions where Li+ causes only a moderate increase in the inositol mono- and bi-phosphates. Supplementation with exogenous inositol had no effect on the level of Ins(1,4,5)P3, indicating that the mechanism of the Li(+)-dependent reduction of Ins(1,4,5)P3 is not due to inositol depletion. Li+ did not interfere with degradation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 after receptor-blockage with atropine, suggesting that Li+ has no direct effect on the Ins(1,4,5)P3 metabolizing enzymes. A direct effect of Li+ on the phospholipase C is also unlikely. Entry of Ca2+ into the cells is an important factor, which affects agonist-stimulated accumulation of Ins(1,4,5)P3, as well as absolute values of Li(+)-dependent increase in Ins(1,4,5)P3; however, it is not essential for the manifestation of Li+ effects. Our results also show that manifestation of Li+ effects in human neuroblastoma cells requires the stimulation of muscarinic receptors and activation of PLCs, PKCs, and/or that other staurosporine/H-7/GF 109203X-sensitive protein kinases are involved in the regulation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 during the plateau phase of ACh-stimulation. We also suggest an important role for these enzymes in the Li(+)-dependent elevation of Ins(1,4,5)P3.