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Biomedical subjects

B E Corkey

Publications and source records attributed to B E Corkey.

82 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

The effect of inositol trisphosphate on Ca2+ fluxes in insulin-secreting tumor cells.

An early event associated with the stimulation of various secretory cells is the breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and the mobilization of cellular calcium. Hydrolysis of this inositol lipid by a phosphodiesterase produces inositol trisphosphate (InsP3), a small water-soluble molecule which may serve a messenger function to release Ca2+ from internal stores. In order to assess the role of inositol lipid breakdown in the stimulation of insulin secretion we have examined the effect of InsP3 on Ca2+ fluxes in three different insulin-secreting tumor cells permeabilized by the addition of saponin. A rapid, transient release of Ca2+ from a non-mitochondrial pool occurred upon addition of InsP3 to all three cell types. Half-maximal Ca2+ release from the RIN-1046-38 and RIN-m5F cells was obtained in the concentration range 0.1-0.2 microM. However, the cells obtained from a transplantable tumor of the Syrian hamster were far more sensitive to InsP3 with half-maximal release being observed at 0.025 microM. A partially purified preparation of vesicles was isolated from this tumor which retained its responsiveness to InsP3. Half-maximal Ca2+ release from the vesicles was obtained at 0.2 microM InsP3. Our data are consistent with a role for InsP3 in mediating the increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ which occurs in response to a number of stimuli that promote the secretion of insulin.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗

Interactions between alpha-ketoisovalerate metabolism and the pathways of gluconeogenesis and urea synthesis in isolated hepatocytes.

The mechanism of inhibition of pyruvate carboxylase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, and carbamyl phosphate synthetase induced by alpha-ketoisovalerate metabolism has been investigated in isolated rat hepatocytes incubated with lactate, pyruvate, ammonia, and ornithine as substrates. Half-maximum inhibitions of flux through each of these enzyme steps were obtained with 0.3 mM alpha-ketoisovalerate. The inhibition of pyruvate carboxylase flux by alpha-ketoisovalerate was largely reversed by oleate addition, but pyruvate dehydrogenase flux was inhibited further. Inhibition of flux through pyruvate carboxylase could be attributed mainly to the fall of its allosteric activator, acetyl-CoA, with some additional effect due to inhibition by methylmalonyl-CoA. Tissue acetyl-CoA levels decrease as a result of an inhibition of the active form of pyruvate dehydrogenase. Kinetic studies with the purified pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex showed that methyl-malonyl-CoA, propionyl-CoA, and isobutyryl-CoA were inhibitory, the latter noncompetitive with CoASH with an apparent Ki of 90 microM. The observed inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase flux correlated with increases of the acetyl-CoA/CoASH and propionyl-CoA/CoASH ratios and isobutyryl-CoA levels, while increases of the mitochondrial NADH/NAD+ ratio explained differences between the effects of alpha-ketoisovalerate and propionate. Carbamyl phosphate synthetase I purified from rat liver was shown to be inhibited directly by methylmalonyl-CoA (apparent Ki of 5 mM). Inhibition of flux through carbamyl phosphate synthetase during alpha-ketoisovalerate metabolism could be attributed both to a direct inhibitory effect of methyl-malonyl-CoA and to a diminished activation by N-acetylglutamate. Direct effects of various acyl-CoA metabolites on these key enzymes may explain symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperammonemia observed in patients with inherited disorders of organic acid metabolism.

Ammonia↗

Increased sensitivity of cerebrohepatorenal syndrome fibroblasts to antimycin A.

The effect of four mitochondrial electron transport inhibitors on the growth of normal and cerebrohepatorenal syndrome (CHRS) fibroblasts was studied. Compared to normal fibroblasts, CHRS cells demonstrated a fivefold greater sensitivity to antimycin A, an inhibitor of the cytochrome bc1 complex (complex III), but equal inhibition by amytal, rotenone and 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide. The results suggest a primary or secondary functional deficiency at mitochondrial complex III in fibroblasts.

Antimycin A↗

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency in children with non-ketotic hypoglycemia and low carnitine levels.

Three children in two families presented in early childhood with episodes of illness associated with fasting which resembled Reye's syndrome: coma, hypoglycemia, hyperammonemia, and fatty liver. One child died with cerebral edema during an episode. Clinical studies revealed an absence of ketosis on fasting (plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate less than 0.4 mmole/liter) despite elevated levels of free fatty acids (2.6-4.2 mmole/liter) which suggested that hepatic fatty acid oxidation was impaired. Urinary dicarboxylic acids were elevated during illness or fasting. Total carnitine levels were low in plasma (18-25 mumole/liter), liver (200-500 nmole/g), and muscle (500-800 nmole/g); however, treatment with L-carnitine failed to correct the defect in ketogenesis. Studies on ketone production from fatty acid substrates by liver tissue in vitro showed normal rates from short-chain fatty acids, but very low rates from all medium and long-chain fatty acid substrates. These results suggested that the defect was in the mid-portion of the intramitochondrial beta-oxidation pathway at the medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase step. A new assay for the electron transfer flavoprotein-linked acyl-CoA dehydrogenases was used to test this hypothesis. This assay follows the decrease in electron transfer flavoprotein fluorescence as it is reduced by acyl-CoA-acyl-CoA dehydrogenase complex. Results with octanoyl-CoA as substrate indicated that patients had less than 2.5% normal activity of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase. The activities of short-chain and isovaleryl acyl-CoA dehydrogenases were normal; the activity of long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase was one-third normal. These results define a previously unrecognized inherited metabolic disorder of fatty acid oxidation due to deficiency of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase.

Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain↗

Hexose transport in normal and SV40-transformed human endothelial cells in culture.

The mechanism of glucose entry into human vascular endothelial cells was studied in monolayer cultures of normal (primary) and virally (SV40) transformed umbilical vein endothelium. Radioisotopic uptake studies with the glucose analogues 2-deoxy-D-glucose, and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose, and the nonmetabolizable stereoisomer L-glucose, indicated the presence of a saturable, stereospecific hexose carrier mechanism in both cell types. In other experiments with D-glucose and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose, the phenomenon of countertransport was demonstrable. Hexose transport was not affected by KCN, dinitrophenol, or ouabain, but was inhibited by phloretin and phlorizin in a pattern consistent with facilitated diffusion. Kinetic constants were obtained for both 2-deoxy-D-glucose and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose uptake. Similar Km values (range, 3.3-4.7 mM) were noted with normal and transformed cells, whereas the apparent Vmax was 0.56 nmol/microliter cytosol/minute for primary cells and 1.7-2.5 nmol/mu cytosol/minute for transformed cells. Under standard culture conditions, as well as following 18 hours of serum deprivation, insulin at concentrations up to 10(-5) M did not appear to influence hexose uptake in either cell type. Metabolism of 14C(U)-D-glucose to 14CO2 also was not stimulated by insulin. The presence of an insulin-insensitive, facilitated transport system for glucose in vascular endothelium has relevance for glucose metabolism in this tissue, and potentially for the association of certain vascular diseases (e.g., diabetic microangiopathy, atherosclerosis) with altered glucose homeostasis.

Biological Transport↗