PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Baverel

Publications and source records attributed to G Baverel.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Stimulation of glutamine metabolism by 3-aminopicolinate in isolated dog kidney-cortex tubules.

1. The effects of 3-aminopicolinate, a known hyperglycaemic agent in the rat, on glutamine metabolism were studied in isolated dog kidney tubules. 2. 3-Aminopicolinate greatly stimulated glutamine (but not glutamate) removal and glutamate accumulation from glutamine as well as formation of ammonia, aspartate, lactate, alanine and glucose. 3. The increased accumulation of aspartate from glutamine and glutamate, and the inhibition of glucose synthesis from various non-nitrogenous gluconeogenic substrates, as well as the increased accumulation of malate from succinate, support the proposal that 3-aminopicolinate is an inhibitor rather than a stimulator of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (EC 4.1.1.32) in dog kidney tubules. 4. With glutamine as substrate, the increase in flux through glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.3) could not explain the large increase in glutamine removal caused by 3-aminopicolinate. 5. Inhibition by amino-oxyacetate of accumulation of aspartate and alanine from glutamine caused by 3-aminopicolinate did not prevent the acceleration of glutamine utilization. 6. These data are consistent with a direct stimulation of glutaminase (EC 3.5.1.2) by 3-aminopicolinate in dog kidney tubules.

Aminooxyacetic Acid↗

Evidence that 3-aminopicolinate stimulates glutamine metabolism by rat renal cortical tissue in vitro.

The hyperglycemic agent 3-aminopicolinate used at concentrations of 0.05 and 0.1 mM stimulates the removal of 5 mM glutamine. It also stimulates the accumulation of glutamate and the formation of ammonia, glucose and aspartate by isolated rat kidney-cortex tubules. These effects are consistent with a stimulation of glutaminase and an inhibition of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxy-kinase by this compound. Higher concentrations (0.5 and 1 mM) of 3-aminopicolinate fail to affect the removal of 5 mM glutamine, but greatly alter the fate of both glutamine carbon and amino nitrogen. Similar effects of 3-aminopicolinate are observed when glutamine is used at a near-physiological concentration.

Animals↗

The conversion of alanine into glutamine in guinea-pig renal cortex. Essential role of pyruvate carboxylase.

1. The metabolism of L-alanine was studied in isolated guinea-pig kidney-cortex tubules. 2. In contrast with previous conclusions of Krebs [(1935) Biochem. J. 29, 1951-1969], glutamine was found to be the main carbon and nitrogenous product of the metabolism of alanine (at 1 and 5 mM). Glutamate and ammonia were only minor products. 3. At neither concentration of alanine was there accumulation of glucose, glycogen, pyruvate, lactate, aspartate or tricarboxylic acid-cycle intermediates. 4. Carbon-balance calculations and the release of 14CO2 from [U-14C]alanine indicate that oxidation of the alanine carbon skeleton occurred at both substrate concentrations. 5. A pathway involving alanine aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, glutamine synthetase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, pyruvate carboxylase and enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle is proposed for the conversion of alanine into glutamine. 6. Strong evidence for this pathway was obtained by: (i) suppressing alanine removal by amino-oxyacetate, and inhibitor of transaminases, (ii) measuring the release of 14CO2 from [1-14C]alanine, (iii) the use of L-methionine DL-sulphoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, which induced a large increase in ammonia release from alanine, and (iv) the use of fluoroacetate, an inhibitor of aconitase, which inhibited glutamine synthesis with concomitant accumulation of citrate from alanine. 7. In this pathway, the central role of pyruvate carboxylase, which explains the discrepancy between our results and those of Krebs (1935), was also demonstrated.

Alanine↗

Fate of glutamate carbon and nitrogen in isolated guinea-pig kidney-cortex tubules. Evidence for involvement of glutamate dehydrogenase in glutamine sythesis from glutamate.

1. The pathways and the fate of glutamate carbon and nitrogen were investigated in isolated guinea-pig kidney-cortex tubules. 2. At low glutamate concentration (1 mM), the glutamate carbon skeleton was either completely oxidized or converted into glutamine. At high glutamate concentration (5 mM), glucose, lactate and alanine were additional products of glutamate metabolism. 3. At neither concentration of glutamate was there accumulation of ammonia. 4. Nitrogen-balance calculations and the release of 14CO2 from L-[1-14C]glutamate (which gives an estimation of the flux of glutamate carbon skeleton through alpha-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase) clearly indicated that, despite the absence of ammonia accumulation, glutamate metabolism was initiated by the action of glutamate dehydrogenase and not by transamination reactions as suggested by Klahr, Schoolwerth & Bourgoignie [(1972) Am. J. Physiol. 222, 813-820] and Preuss [(1972) Am. J. Physiol. 222, 1395-1397]. Additional evidence for this was obtained by the use of (i) amino-oxyacetate, an inhibitor of transaminases, which did not decrease glutamate removal, or (ii) L-methionine DL-sulphoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, which caused an accumulation of ammonia from glutamate. 5. Addition of NH4Cl plus glutamate caused an increase in both glutamate removal and glutamine synthesis, demonstrating that the supply of ammonia via glutamate dehydrogenase is the rate-limiting step in glutamine formation from glutamate. NH4Cl also inhibited the flux of glutamate through glutamate dehydrogenase and the formation of glucose, alanine and lactate. 6. The activities of enzymes possibly involved in the glutamate conversion into pyruvate were measured in guinea-pig renal cortex. 7. Renal arteriovenous-difference measurements revealed that in vivo the guinea-pig kidney adds glutamine and alanine to the circulating blood.

Aminooxyacetic Acid↗

Glutamine metabolism in isolated dog kidney tubules: inhibition by dialysed albumin preparation.

The metabolic fate of L-glutamine (1 and 5 mM) was studied in isolated dog kidney tubules. At 1 and 5 mM substrate concentration, and after 60 min of incubation, glucose represented 40% and 25% of the glutamine removed; the glutamine unaccounted for (which was probably completely oxidized) represented about one-half and one-third of glutamine removal at 1 and 5 mM glutamine concentrations, respectively. Due to contaminating fatty acids, addition of dialysed bovine serum albumin (fraction V) greatly altered the metabolic fate of glutamine. This observation emphasizes the need for using albumin with great caution for experiments with kidney tubules.

Albumins↗

A role for bicarbonate in the regulation of mammalian glutamine metabolism.

1. The concentration of HCO3- (independent of any change of pH) exerts different effects on glutamine metabolism in rat kidney-cortex tubules, hepatocytes and enterocytes.2. In kidney tubules HCO3- (10.5-50 MM) has no effect on glutaminase (EC 3.5.1.2), whereas glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.3) is inhibited as HCO3- concentration is increased. The result is that flux through the entire glutamate-to-glucose pathway is inhibited by increasing HCO3- concentrations. A large proportion (more than 30%) of the glutamine removed undergoes complete oxidation. 3. In hepatocytes, and to a smaller extent in enterocytes, HCO3- is an accelerator of glutaminase. Synthesis of glucose and urea from glutamine in hepatocytes increases as HCO3- concentration is increased. Calculations show that fumarate, formed via aspartate aminotransferase and arginino-succinate lyase, is the precursor of the glucose. There is no complete oxidation of the carbon skeleton of glutamine in hepatocytes. 4. Leucine at near-physiological concentrations (0.1-1 mM) is an accelerator of glutaminase in hepatocytes, but not in kidney tubules or in enterocytes. 5. The results are discussed in relation to regulation of acid/base balance in vivo.

Animals↗

Relationship between lactate and glutamine metabolism in vitro by the kidney: differences between dog and rat and importance of alanine synthesis in the dog.

Interaction between lactate (1 or 5 mM) and glutamine (1 or 5 mM) metabolism was studied with renal cortical slices incubated at a pH of 7.0 and obtained from acidotic (ammonium chloride) dogs and rats. The effect of aminooxyacetate (0.2 mM), dichloroacetate (3 mM), and fluoroacetate (0.05 mM) was also studied. Significant differences were observed between dog and rat. In the dog, lactate had no effect on glutamine uptake and vice versa, but gluconeogenesis increased. Ammonia production, however, decreased by 13 to 21%, whereas a significant increase in alanine production was noted. In the rat, glutamine extraction and ammonia production dropped by 33% with 5 mM lactate. In contrast to the observation in the dog, no production of alanine was noted, but significant accumulation of glutamate took place. Amino-oxyacetate inhibited alanine production in the dog and reestablished ammoniagenesis, and it led to a marked decrement in the uptake of lactate and glucose production in both species. Dichloroacetate in the dog resulted in a reduction in pyruvate, alanine, glucose, and ammonia production while glutamate accumulation was observed. In both species, fluoroacetate stimulated glutamine uptake and ammonia production. With lactate alone, fluoroacetate decreased lactate uptake and glucose production. With both lactate and glutamine in the medium, fluoroacetate prevented any effect of lactate on ammoniagenesis. The present study demonstrates that lactate has a modest depressing effect on renal ammonia production by dog slices through increased synthesis of alanine and redistribution of nitrogen from glutamine. In the rat, the depressing effect of lactate on ammonia production in the alanine amino-transferase deficient kidney occurs through accumulation of glutamate. The data also reveal that oxidation of lactate to carbon dioxide is greater in the dog than it is in the rat, but that gluconeogenesis from lactate is more important in the rat.

Acidosis↗

Effect of fluoroacetate on the inhibitory action of ketone bodies and fatty acids on renal ammoniagenesis.

Renal cortical slices from acidotic dogs (NH4CL) were incubated at pH 7.0 with L-glutamine (1 and 5 mM) or L-glutamate (5 mM) with or without DL-beta-hydroxyburyrate 1 mM, acetoacetate 0.5 mM, as well as oleate, palmitate, octanoate, and crotonate 0.5 mM and in the presence or absence of fluoroacetate 0.05 mM. Fluoroacetate alone increased glutamine or glutamate uptake and ammoniagenesis whereas gluconeogenesis rose only when glutamine 5 mM or glutamate were used. Alanine production also rose by 30% when glutamine but not glutamate was used as substrate in the presence of fluoroacetate. Efficient blocking of the Krebs cycle at the aconitase level by fluoroacetate was evidenced by the release of citrate in the incubation medium and by a slight but significant decrease in oxygen consumption (10-20%). The marked decrease in glutamine uptake, ammoniagenesis, and gluconeogenesis induced by ketone bodies and fatty acids was completely corrected by addition of fluoroacetate. The present studies demonstrate that ketone bodies and fatty acids inhibit renal ammoniagenesis and gluconeogenesis in vitro through their oxidation in the mitochondria. They also suggest that direct transamination of glutamine into alanine (glutaminase II pathway) may be significant when oxidation of pyruvate is inhibited by fluoroacetate.

Acidosis↗

Lactate and pyruvate metabolism in isolated renal tubules of normal dogs.

The kinetics of lactate and pyruvate (1 and 5 mM in each case) metabolism was studied in isolated dog renal tubules. Utilization of these two substrates and the production of glucose, pyruvate, or lactate, and alanine were determined. The rates of lactate and pyruvate utilization and of glucose production were constant during 60 min of incubation. Glucose production from pyruvate was less than that from lactate. Addition of albumin to the incubation medium greatly inhibited lactate and pyruvate utilization at both substrate concentrations. It stimulated, however, glucose production from 1 mM, but not 5 mM, lactate or pyruvate. These effects were found to be due to the presence of fatty acids in the albumin solution used. In the absence of fatty acids, glucose production represented 35 to 40% of lactate uptake, but represented less than 20% of pyruvate uptake. Fatty acids markedly enhanced the percentage of transformation of lactate and pyruvate into glucose, and that of pyruvate into lactate. Alanine represented 20% or less of lactate and pyruvate uptake. These results suggest that fatty acids have a regulatory influence on lactate and pyruvate dog kidney metabolism.

Alanine↗