Phosphodiesterase 11A expression in the adrenal cortex, primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease, and other corticotropin-independent lesions.

A variety of adrenal tumors and bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasias (BAH) leading to Cushing syndrome (CS) may be caused by aberrant cAMP signaling. We recently identified patients with a micronodular form of BAH that we have called "isolated micronodular adrenocortical disease" (iMAD) in whom CS was associated with inactivating mutations in phosphodiesterase (PDE) 11A ( PDE11A). In the present study, we examined PDE11A expression in normal adrenocortical tissue, sporadic tumors, and hyperplasias without PDE11A mutations, and primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD) and adenomas from patients with PRKAR1A and a single tumor with a GNAS mutation. The total number of the tumor samples that we studied was 22. Normal human tissues showed consistent PDE11A expression. There was variable expression of PDE11A in sporadic adrenocortical hyperplasia or adenomas; PPNAD tissues from patients with PRKAR1A mutations expressed consistently high levels of PDE11A in contrast to adenomas caused by GNAS mutations. Phosphorylated CREB was the highest in tissues from patients with iMAD compared to all other forms of BAH and normal adrenal tissue. We conclude that PDE11A is expressed widely in adrenal cortex. Its expression appears to be increased in PPNAD but varies widely among other adrenocortical tumors. PRKAR1A expression appears to be higher in tissues with PDE11A defects. Finally, sequencing defects in PDE11A are associated with a high state of CREB phosphorylation, just like PRKAR1A mutations. These preliminary data suggest that these two molecules are perhaps regulated in a reverse manner in their control of cAMP signaling in adrenocortical tissues.

A transgenic mouse bearing an antisense construct of regulatory subunit type 1A of protein kinase A develops endocrine and other tumours: comparison with Carney complex and other PRKAR1A induced lesions.

BACKGROUND: Inactivation of the human type Ialpha regulatory subunit (RIalpha) of cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase (PKA) (PRKAR1A) leads to altered kinase activity, primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD), and sporadic adrenal and other tumours. METHODS AND RESULTS: A transgenic mouse carrying an antisense transgene for Prkar1a exon 2 (X2AS) under the control of a tetracycline responsive promoter (the Tg(Prkar1a*x2as)1Stra, Tg(tTAhCMV)3Uh or tTA/X2AS line) developed thyroid follicular hyperplasia and adenomas, adrenocortical hyperplasia and other features reminiscent of PPNAD, including late onset weight gain, visceral adiposity, and non-dexamethasone suppressible hypercorticosteronaemia, with histiocytic, epithelial hyperplasias, lymphomas, and other mesenchymal tumours. These lesions were associated with allelic losses of the mouse chromosome 11 Prkar1a locus, an increase in total type II PKA activity, and higher RIIbeta protein levels; the latter biochemical and protein changes were also documented in Carney complex tumours associated with PRKAR1A inactivating mutations and chromosome 17 PRKAR1A locus changes. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the tTA/X2AS mouse line with a downregulated Prkar1a gene replicates several of the findings in Carney complex patients and their affected tissues, supporting the role of RIalpha as a candidate tumour suppressor gene.

Evidence that barbiturates inhibit antigen-induced responses through interactions with a GTP-binding protein in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells.

Little is known about the mechanism of action of anesthetics at the biochemical level. The present work, however, gives evidence that barbiturates inhibit inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in both intact and permeabilized rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells by an effect on GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins). Inhibition of hydrolysis was observed when intact cells were stimulated with antigen (DNP24 BSA) or with oligomers of IgE. The inhibition was dependent on the concentration and type of barbiturate used with an order of inhibitory action of secobarbital less than S(-) pentobarbital less than pentobarbital less than R(+) pentobarbital less than phenobarbital. The relatively inactive analogue, (1'RS, 3'SR) 3-hydroxypentobarbital caused little (less than 30% at 1 mM) or no inhibition (at 0.1-0.5 mM). In permeabilized cells, the hydrolysis induced by DNP24 BSA and the nonhydrolyzable analogue of GTP, GTP gamma S (2-100 microM), was also inhibited by pentobarbital. The inhibition of hydrolysis was decreased as pH increased, and was no longer apparent at pH 7.8, a possible indication that the inhibitory effect was due to the unionized form of the drug. In permeabilized cells, the inhibition by pentobarbital occurred in the presence or absence of Ca2+ and was uncompetitive in nature (Km = 7.1 microM for GTP in controls vs. 1.6 microM in the presence of 0.5 mM pentobarbital). Taken together, the data suggest that barbiturates alter the activity of G-proteins independently of Ca2+, and the inhibition may depend on both the hydrophobic properties and the stereospecific and structural features of the molecule.

Inhibition of inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in endothelial cells by pentobarbital.

Barbiturates alter cardiovascular function, in part by an effect on vascular cells. However, a biochemical mechanism for the effect is unknown. We have, therefore, studied the effect of barbiturates on inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in cultured rat aortic endothelial cells. Hydrolysis was stimulated by angiotensin II, norepinephrine and phenylephrine. Pentobarbital, and other barbiturates, inhibited hydrolysis at pharmacological and clinical concentrations (0.1-0.5 mM). The inhibition by pentobarbital was concentration-dependent, reversed by washing, and was decreased by high concentrations of angiotensin II. Kinetic studies gave an apparent Km of hydrolysis by angiotensin II of 1.2 nM, which showed mixed inhibition by pentobarbital (Ki = 0.45 mM). Schild analysis of data obtained from pentobarbital inhibition curves also showed a deviation from a competitive type inhibition. [125I]Angiotensin II was bound to a high-affinity receptor (Kd = 1.2 nM), which showed a competitive type inhibition of binding by pentobarbital (0.5 mM). Although inhibition of [125I]angiotensin II binding appeared to be competitively inhibited by pentobarbital, the data, taken together, point to a deviation from a simple competitive type inhibition.

Binding of diamine oxidase activity to rat and guinea pig microvascular endothelial cells. Comparisons with lipoprotein lipase binding.

Microvascular endothelial cells from rat and guinea pig fat pads were shown to bind diamine oxidase (DAO) activity when incubated with soluble extracts of placenta (33 DAO U/mg of placenta) and a purified placental enzyme preparation (94 U/micrograms of protein). The extent of binding was dependent on the concentration of enzyme activity and tissue. Saturation of binding sites with 5,000 U of DAO/ml resulted in levels of bound activity (up to 11-13 U/mg of endothelial cells) in excess of that observed in all tissues except placenta. Scatchard plots suggested that there were at least two DAO binding sites (apparent Km 92 and 2,450 U/ml). Although the same cell preparations bound 125I-labeled lipoprotein lipase (LPL), the presence of LPL on the endothelial cell surface did not interfere with the binding of DAO activity except when cells were exposed to high concentrations of LPL. Alternatively, bound DAO activity was partially displaced (up to 33%) only with high concentrations (30 micrograms/ml) of LPL. DAO activity may thus be bound to at least two populations of sites, one of which may bind LPL. Both enzymes, however, were displaced by heparin (0.05-5 U/ml) and DAO binding was impaired by prior treatment of cells with proteolytic and glycosaminoglycandegrading enzymes. The demonstration of DAO binding to vascular endothelial cells provides a further example of the ability of these cells to bind enzymes at their surface and thereby act on biologically active substances in the circulation.

Presence of histamine and histamine-metabolizing enzyme in rat and guinea-pig microvascular endothelial cells.

Purified microvascular endothelial cell preparations from guinea-pig perirenal fat pad, heart ventricles and brain cortex were found to contain high histamine methyltransferase (HMT) activity (4, 3, 4.4 and 1.2 nmol of histamine methylated/hr/mg of protein, respectively). The microvascular cells appeared to be the major source of HMT activity in the whole fat pad but not in heart and brain cortex, where the enzyme was present in other cells. The myocyte, for example, was an additional source of HMT activity (1.0 U/mg of protein) in heart. The same preparations from rat had no detectable HMT activity (less than 0.1 U/mg of protein). In contrast to HMT, the second histamine-metabolizing enzyme, diamine oxidase, was found in the microvascular preparations from both species, usually at much higher activity than the parent tissue. All the endothelial cell preparations contained a small (0.1-0.6 microgram/g of tissue; 10-50 ng/mg of protein) pool of histamine which was resistant to the action of Compound 48/80, although the functional significance of this pool is unclear. Thus, in addition to the presence of serotonin- and catecholamine-degrading enzymes, the microvascular endothelium also contains histamine-inactivating enzymes.

The demonstration of histamine release in clinical conditions: a review of past and present assay procedures.

Topics related to the measurement of histamine in human plasma and other body fluids are reviewed. These include (1) an overview of the data obtained by the biological, fluorometric and radioenzymatic assays over the past 45 years; (2) the various modifications of the radioenzymatic isotopic assay of histamine and the development of a single extraction step assay; (3) a compilation of values obtained in our laboratory by the radioenzymatic assay of histamine levels in various body fluids in disease states associated with abnormal histamine production or release; and (4) factors that affect histamine levels in plasma and some experimental considerations for monitoring changes in free histamine levels. The last topic includes a discussion of the halflife of histamine in the circulation, its clearance across various vascular beds, and the fact that capillary endothelial cells are one site of inactivation of circulating histamine.

Serotonin uptake by isolated adipose capillary endothelium.

The uptake of serotinin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) by endothelial cells was studied in freshly isolated capillary and other microvessel (< 50 micrometers, inner diameter) endothelium obtained from rat epididymal fat pads. Endothelial cells incubated with [3H]-5-HT removed 60 pmol of [3H]-5-HT per mg of protein at 1 hr, an apparent Km of 3 X 10(-7) M and a Vmax of 20 pmol/mg of protein, measured at 15 min, were obtained. Uptake of 5-HT (10(-6) of M) was inhibited by ouabain, selected metabolic inhibitors (iodoacetate, 2--4 dinitrophenol and sodium azide), 4 degrees C, tryptamine (10(-5) M and the 5-HT antagonists, fluoxetine and imipramine (10(-5) M and 10(-4) M, respectively). At concentrations of 5-HT greater than Km value, uptake appears to be principally by nonfacilitative diffusion rather than by carrier-mediated transport.