Mechanisms of pathogenesis in Listeria monocytogenes infection. V. Early imbalance in host energy metabolism during experimental listeriosis

Early changes in hepatic carbohydrate metabolism without apparent hepatocyte dysfunction were reported previously in mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes. This study was undertaken to examine possible imbalance in host regulatory mechanisms which might be responsible for these changes. Female CD-1 mice fasted 12 hr prior to the experiments were injected intraperitoneally with 10(5), 10(6), or 10(7)Listeria. Control mice received either 10(9) heat-killed Listeria or 150 mug of Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide. Hepatic glycogen, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) (NAD(+), NADH, NADP(+), and NADPH) levels were assayed periodically. Activities of ATP hydrolyzing enzyme and NAD glycohydrolase were measured at various intervals after infection. Decreases in glycogen occurred as early as 10 hr after infection. Responses in the controls differed from those in infected mice. Hepatic ATP levels decreased as early as 10 hr after infection, with concomitant increases noted in ADP. Hepatic ATP hydrolyzing enzyme activity increased as the infection progressed. Decreases were noted in hepatic NAD levels, with the greatest reduction in the reduced form of NAD. Slight changes were observed after 10 hr, and greater differences were noted 20 hr after infection. The magnitude of these biochemical changes appeared to be dose-dependent. Significant increases in hepatic NAD glycohydrolase activity were noted as the infection progressed. Small but significant increases in serum inorganic phosphate were noted 10 and 20 hr after infection, with a larger increase observed 30 hr after infection. The results indicate impairment of host energy metabolism early in the course of experimental listeriosis.

Studies on the biochemistry of mitochondria and cell morphology in the neonatal swine hepatocyte

Mitochondrial preparations isolated from neonatal swine hepatocytes show a marked increase in oxidative and concomitant phosphorylative capacity between birth and 2 days postpartum. There are no changes in the coupling parameters (respiratory control ratio and adenosine diphosphate/O ratio) with age. Changes in sedimentation properties in a sucrose gradient suggest qualitative changes in the mitochondria. Some of the lipid measurements (increased phospholipid) might be interpreted as supportive of this suggestion, although most could also be regarded as indicative of quantitative changes (increased number of mitochondria). Electron microscopy of isolated mitochondria and of the hepatocyte demonstrated an increased number of mitochondria but no change in shape, size, or structure as the pig developed. An increase in a number of cytoplasmic components (Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum) and a decrease in glycogen were also observed. The functional changes in mitochondria seem to occur within a short period of time (6-12 hr postpartum).

Energy metabolism of the skeletal muscle of genetically dystrophic hamster

The hind leg skeletal muscles of about 215-day-old genetically dystrophic hamsters (BIO strain 14.6) were found to contain subnormal concentrations of creatine phosphate, ATP, total adenine nucleotides, and NAD+ in comparison with those from the control animals. On the other hand, the levels of lactate, NADH, and NADPH were elevated without any significant changes in pyruvate, AMP, ADP, and NADP+ in the dystrophic muscle. The ratios of ATP/ADP and ATP/AMP were decreased and those of lactate/pyruvate, NADH/NAD+, and NADPH/NADP+ were increased in the dystrophic muscle. There are a number of similarities between the dystrophic and asphyxiated muscles with respect to energy metabolism; however, the possibility is not ruled out at present that the hypoxic-like changes in energy metabolism of the dystrophic muscle are due to mechanisms other than oxygen lack. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was increased whereas the activities of α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, myokinase, and creatine phosphokinase were decreased in the dystrophic muscle. On the basis of our earlier and present results it is suggested that changes in the high energy phosphate stores in the genetically dystrophic hamster muscle are due to defects in both the processes of energy production and utilization.

The time-course of the effects of ethanol on the redox and phosphorylation states of rat liver

1. The time-course of the effects of ethanol administration on the metabolite concentrations, redox states and phosphorylation state was studied in the freeze-clamped liver of starved rats. The response was found to vary with the time after ethanol administration. 2. Administration of ethanol caused an immediate decrease in the [NAD(+)]/[NADH] ratio of both cytoplasm and mitochondria, which persisted over the 30min studied. 3. The free cytoplasmic [NADP(+)]/[NADPH] ratio in liver decreases immediately after ethanol administration but returns nearly to control values after 15min. 4. The cytoplasmic [ATP]/[ADP][HPO(4) (2-)] ratio is elevated 15min after ethanol administration in the starved rat. 5. The rapid and large changes in most metabolite concentrations measured appeared to result from the maintenance of near-equilibrium in a wide interlinked network. 6. Differences between fed and starved rats 15min after ethanol administration were slight.

Isolated adrenal cells: adrenocorticotropic hormone, calcium, steroidogenesis, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate

Corticosterone production by isolated adrenal cells in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone is reduced when the cells are incubated in a medium that contains no calcium. This reduction is associated with an equal reduction of accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Production of corticosterone and accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate are increased when the calcium concentration in the medium is increased (from zero to 7.65 millimolar). This is in contrast to the situation in "subcellular membrane fragments" of adrenal tissue where high calcium in the medium (> 1.0 millimolar) inhibits cyclic adenosine monophosphate accumulation. We propose that adenyl cyclase in the intact plasma membrane is located in a compartment wherein calcium concentration is low and remains unaffected by the concentration of calcium in the extracellular space. It is proposed that, as the concentration of calcium in the incubation medium is increased from zero to 7.65 millimolar, the strength of the signal generated by the interaction of adrenocorticotropic hormone with its receptor and transmitted to the adenyl cyclase compartment is proportionately increased.

The metabolic changes in frog sartorius muscles during recovery from fatigue at different external bicarbonate concentrations

Superfused sartorius muscles were stimulated to fatigue in either high (25 mequiv/l) or low (1 mequiv/l) bicarbonate solution. The fatigued muscles in both groups showed a loss of about 16 μmol/g wet weight of creatine phosphate (CP) and an increase in lactate of about 20 μmol/g. The small decrease in the mean ATP levels in both groups was not statistically significant. During recovery the rate of loss of lactate from the low bicarbonate group was much slower than from the high bicarbonate group. The initial rate of lactate loss by diffusion was more than twice as fast in the high bicarbonate group. Marked differences were also found in the glucose 6-phosphate level, which was higher, and the CP/creatine ratio which was lower in the low bicarbonate group. The differences between the isometric tension recovery curves and the curious shape of the tension recovery which showed a secondary dip about 15 min after the end of fatigue are interpreted in the light of the measured metabolic changes. It is postulated that intracellular hydrogen ion balance is a critical factor in the recovery process and that external bicarbonate modulates intracellular hydrogen ion balance and at the same time limits the efflux of lactate from the muscle.

Biochemical basis of heart function. IV. Energy metabolism and calcium transport in hearts of vitamin E deficient rats

Feeding a vitamin E deficient diet to rats for 10 weeks was found to decrease myocardial creatine phosphate, ATP, ATP/ADP ratio, NAD+, NADP+, and NADPH, whereas the level of ADP was increased without any changes in the levels of AMP, total adenine nucleotides, NADH, and ATP/AMP ratio. The levels of ATP and pyridine nucleotides were restored fully, whereas creatine phosphate was restored partially on feeding a normal diet for 4 weeks to animals previously on the vitamin E deficient diet for 10 weeks. Vitamin E deficiency was found to increase cardiac lactate, pyruvate, and lactate/pyruvate ratio and decrease the activities of lactate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase. The activity of Na+–K+-stimulated, ouabain-sensitive ATPase was markedly elevated in the hearts of animals on the vitamin E deficient diet. The ATP-dependent calcium accumulation by the sarcoplasmic reticular fraction in the absence and presence of P1 or oxalate was greater in the vitamin E deficient heart. Vitamin E deficiency also increased the Ca2+-stimulated ATPase activity of the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. Although myocardial contractility of the hearts from vitamin E deficient rats was depressed, no damage to the ultrastructures of mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum was apparent. These results indicate marked alterations in myocardial metabolism due to vitamin E deficiency and it is suggested that such changes are due to abnormalities in the processes of both energy production and utilization.

Oxidative phosphorylation and ultrastructural transformation in mitochondria in the intact ascites tumor cell

We have examined the ultrastructure of mitochondria as it relates to energy metabolism in the intact cell. Oxidative phosphorylation was induced in ultrastructurally intact Ehrlich ascites tumor cells by rapidly generating intracellular adenosine diphosphate from endogenous adenosine triphosphate by the addition of 2-deoxyglucose. The occurrence of oxidative phosphorylation was ascertained indirectly by continuous and synchronous monitoring of respiratory rate, fluorescence of pyridine nucleotide, and 90 degrees light-scattering. Oxidative phosphorylation was confirmed by direct enzymatic analysis of intracellular adenine nucleotides and by determination of intracellular inorganic orthophosphate. Microsamples of cells rapidly fixed for electron microscopy revealed that, in addition to oxidative phosphorylation, an orthodox --> condensed ultrastructural transformation occurred in the mitochondria of all cells in less than 6 sec after the generation of adenosine diphosphate by 2-deoxyglucose. A 90 degrees light-scattering increase, which also occurs at this time, showed a t (1/2) of only 25 sec which agreed temporally with a slower orthodox --> maximally condensed mitochondrial transformation. Neither oxidative phosphorylation nor ultrastructural transformation could be initiated in mitochondria in intact cells by the intracellular generation of adenosine diphosphate in the presence of uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. Partial and complete inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation by oligomycin resulted in a positive relationship to partial and complete inhibition of 2-deoxyglucose-induced ultrastructural transformation in the mitochondria in these cells. The data presented reveal that an orthodox --> condensed ultrastructural transformation is linked to induced oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria in the intact ascites tumor cell.

Effects of inhibitors of active transport on 22 Na and 42 K movements and on nucleotide levels in rat uteri at 25 degrees C

The effects of inhibitors of the sodium pump (K-free solution or ouabain) on Na and K fluxes, water content, and adenine nucleotides were studied in rat uterine horns. The same four-compartment model [Formula: see text] was applied to K efflux as to Na efflux. However, for K efflux the larger cellular fraction, C, contained 70% of tissue K, and D could usually be ignored. K-free solutions did not alter ATP, ADP, or AMP levels, and had only small effects on efflux of Na from fresh or Na-rich tissues. In these tissues ouabain decreased Na efflux from the faster, larger cellular fraction (BK2 ↓) without affecting adenine nucleotide levels. K-free solutions or ouabain increased sodium influx, but neither inhibitor caused swelling. The inhibitors decreased water content of fresh tissues and failed to interfere with extrusion of water accompanying Na from Na-rich tissues. In addition to the ouabain-sensitive pump, another Na pump insensitive to K levels or ouabain was postulated to be responsible for control of cell volume and part of Na efflux in uteri. The K efflux was increased by ouabain, but not by K-free solutions. The K influx was decreased by K-free solutions, but was not affected by ouabain. Increasing external K (concentrations of 18.4 mM and higher) did not diminish the effects of ouabain on Na or K efflux. Neither cocaine nor adrenaline prevented the effect of ouabain on the Na or K efflux or on the increased Na influx. No evidence was obtained that a Na exchange–diffusion system operated in K-free solutions. It was concluded that the accepted views about the operation of a Na pump involving (Na+ + K+)-activated, ouabain-sensitive ATPase have to be modified for rat uteri.