Key enzymes of gluconeogenesis are dose-dependently reduced in 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-treated rats

Male Sprague-Dawley rats (240-245 g) were dosed ip with 5, 15, 25, or 125 micrograms/kg -,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in corn oil. Ad libitum-fed and pair-fed controls received vehicle (4 ml/kg) alone. Two or 8 days after dosing five rats of each group were sacrificed, their livers removed and assayed for the activities of three gluconeogenic enzymes [phosphoenol-pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK; EC 4.1.1.32), pyruvate carboxylase (PC; EC 6.4.1.1), and glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase, EC 3.13.9)], and one glycolytic enzyme [pyruvate kinase (PK; EC 2.7.1.40)] by established procedures. The activity of PK was not affected by TCDD at either time point. The activity of G-6-Pase tended to be decreased in TCDD-treated animals, as compared to pair-fed controls, but the decrease was variable without an apparent dose-response. The activity of PEPCK was significantly decreased 2 days after dosing, but a clear dose-response was apparent only at the 8-day time point. Maximum loss of activity at the highest dose was 56% below pair-fed control levels. PC activity was slightly decreased 2 days after TCDD treatment and displayed statistically significant, dose-dependent reduction by 8 days after dosing with a 49% loss of enzyme activity after the highest dose. It is concluded that inhibition of gluconeogenesis by TCDD previously demonstrated in vivo is probably due to decreased activities of PEPCK and PC. The data also support the prevailing view that PEPCK and PC are rate-determining enzymes in gluconeogenesis.

Phosphorylation of pyruvate kinase and glycolytic metabolism in three human glioma cell lines

Three cell lines established from human gliomas were found to differ in the capacity to phosphorylate the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase in vitro. Phosphorylation in the glioblastoma cell line U-138 was more pronounced than in the glioma cell line Hs 683 and in the glioblastoma cell line A-172. All 3 cell lines showed similar pyruvate kinase isozyme patterns and expressed about 90% K-type and 10% M-type subunits. So, differences in pyruvate kinase phosphorylation could not be explained by differences in the availability of the appropriate substrate, being pyruvate kinase type K. As in gliomas, phosphorylation could specifically and almost completely be inhibited by fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. In order to investigate a potential physiological significance of the phosphorylation of pyruvate kinase, we have characterized these cell lines for several glycolytic parameters. In U-138 cells, the production of lactate appeared to be 2 times higher as compared with A-172 and Hs 683 cells under normal growth conditions and even 4 times higher under low glucose culture regime. The efflux of lactate correlated with the pyruvate kinase phosphorylation pattern in the cell lines. In none of the cell lines could the lactate production be stimulated by glutamine as additional energy source under low glucose culture conditions. The higher glycolytic flux in U-138 cells was not accompanied by higher glycolytic enzyme activities. The isozyme patterns of hexokinase, pyruvate kinase, aldolase, enolase and lactate dehydrogenase in the cell lines were nearly identical and resembled the patterns previously described for solid gliomas. However, the isozyme composition of phosphofructokinase in the cell lines differed from the situation in gliomas. While in gliomas the expression of L-type phosphofructokinase is favored, in the glioma cell lines, we found an increase in the expression of C-type subunits.

Effects of hypoxia and pharmacological treatment on enzyme activities in skeletal muscle of rats of different ages

The activities of enzymes related to energy metabolism in the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in young-adult (4 months), mature (12 months), and senescent (24 months) rats were compared after continuous (72 consecutive h) exposure to normobaric hypoxia or normoxia after the vasodilator naftidrofuryl or saline solution had been given intraperitoneally for 30 consecutive days. The maximum rats (Vmax) of the following enzyme activities in the crude extract and/or the crude mitochondrial fraction of each muscle specimen were evaluated for: the anaerobic glycolytic pathway (hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase), the tricarboxylic acid cycle (citrate synthase, and malate dehydrogenase), the electron transfer chain (cytochrome oxidase), and the NAD+/NADH redox state (total NADH cytochrome c reductase). The significance of differences between the enzyme activities at different ages or under different experimental conditions in the two tissue preparations of the two muscles were determined by ANOVA. MCA and ETA2 were used to evaluate the net effects of the experimental conditions. First, aging did not seem to affect the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles in the same way. In the gastrocnemius muscle, the major changes were seen in enzymes of the glycolytic pathway, in the crude extracts. In the soleus muscle, the more striking changes in enzyme activities as a function of aging were found in the crude mitochondrial fraction. We also found that hypoxia caused more important changes in 12-month-old rats than in those of other ages (especially the enzyme activities of the gastrocnemius muscle). Naftidrofuryl modified the effects of hypoxia only sometimes and further investigations are necessary before we can draw any conclusions about the pharmacological activity of naftidrofuryl in hypoxia.

Inhibitory effects of isomers of tocopherol on lipid peroxidation of microsomes from vitamin E-deficient rats

NADPH-induced lipid peroxidation of hepatic microsomes from vitamin E-deficient rats has been used to assess the antioxidant effectiveness of dl alpha, d alpha- and gamma-tocopherol. When the tocopherols were added in ethanol to microsomes, the degree of inhibition of formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) decreased in the order dl alpha- greater than d alpha- greater than gamma-tocopherol. This reflected the difference in the solubility of the tocopherols in the microsomes, dl alpha-tocopherol being the most soluble and gamma-tocopherol the least. Using inhibition of TBARS produced per tocopherol content in microsome as a measure of antioxidant potency, the effectiveness of the isomers was gamma- greater than d alpha- greater than dl alpha. Despite addition of pharmacological concentrations of the isomers, it was not possible to inhibit lipid peroxidation to the same levels as were found in microsomes from vitamin E sufficient animals. Use of ethanol as a vehicle may not allow optimum orientation of the tocopherols into the lipid bilayer.

The heterotopic effects of insulin and glucagon on the acinar activity pattern of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in male and female rat liver

The effects of the administration of insulin and glucagon on the intraacinar heterotopy of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) were investigated in male and female rat liver. Insulin did not noticeably influence PEPCK activity or its acinar distribution, either in males or in females. But it affected the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme. Glucagon in supraphysiological concentrations led to an induction of PEPCK activity. Despite high glucagon concentration along the whole sinusoidal length, the inducing effect of glucagon was most pronounced in the periportal and intermediary parts of the acinus; thus indicating that there is no direct interrelationship between local glucagon concentration and PEPCK activity. In both experiments blood glucose levels were kept fairly constant.

Phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase in mouse embryonal carcinoma P19 cells in relation to growth and differentiation

Two key enzymes of glycolysis, phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase, were studied in embryonal carcinoma cells (P19 EC cells) and three differentiated derivatives in relation to growth rate and differentiation state. The growth rates of P19 EC cells and its differentiated derivatives are positively correlated with both the specific activity of phosphofructokinase and the expression of the L-subunit of this enzyme. The specific activity of pyruvate kinase and its isozyme composition is not correlated with growth rate but seems to be correlated with the differentiation state of these cells. The decrease in specific activity of pyruvate kinase during differentiation of P19 EC cells induced by retinoic acid or dimethylsulfoxide preceded the shift from K- to M-type pyruvate kinase. In contrast to aggregates that were treated with dimethylsulfoxide, the specific activity of pyruvate kinase was reduced after aggregation in the presence of retinoic acid. Only after plating dimethylsulfoxide-treated aggregates again in the presence of dimethylsulfoxide, was a decrease in specific activity obtained. Both retinoic acid and dimethylsulfoxide are able to induce a K- to -M shift of pyruvate kinase.

Biochemical microanalysis of pyruvate kinase activity in preneoplastic and neoplastic liver lesions induced in rats by N-nitrosomorpholine

Fundamental aberrations in carbohydrate metabolism have been previously demonstrated in focal hepatic lesions emerging early during hepatocarcinogenesis induced in rat liver by limited oral administration (stop model) of N-nitrosomorpholine. Using this experimental approach, we have now investigated quantitatively the activity of pyruvate kinase (PK), a key enzyme of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, in individual preneoplastic and neoplastic hepatic lesions, particularly in glycogen storage foci, mixed cell foci, basophilic cell foci, hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas and in a specific type of preneoplastic hepatic lesion designated as an enzymatically hyperactive focus (EHF). The focal lesions were dissected from freeze-dried tissue sections with a laser microdissection device. This permits the excision of very small foci and the measurement of enzyme activities in serial sections of the same focus with different substrate concentrations, thus enabling possible changes in the isoenzyme pattern to be detected. On average, PK activity was increased in glycogen storage foci. Mixed cell foci showed a nearly normal or slightly decreased enzyme activity. However, a pronounced reduction in PK activity was observed in low glycogen basophilic foci and in basophilic hepatic tumors. An exceptionally high PK activity was found in one glycogenotic adenoma. An increased activity was also observed in EHF. The results suggest that a reduction in PK activity is a relatively late event during the sequence of cellular changes leading from glycogenotic foci to hepatocellular carcinomas. A drastic decrease in the enzyme activity occurs only when low glycogen basophilic cell populations develop from the glycogenotic foci in later stages of hepatocarcinogenesis.

[Labeled histochemical localization of carbohydrate components of glycoproteins: glucose-6-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate]

In the present work methods for the localization of glucose-6-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate residues on tissue sections by means of labeled with colloidal gold specific enzymes (glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase) are described. In order to get sufficient amount of labeled enzyme to the protein salts, used to stabilize colloidal gold salts, albumin was added. Residues of glucose-6-phosphoenolpyruvate were scattered equally through the villi of human placenta. In rat liver centrolobular localized hepatocytes had high content of specific staining. There were a lot of glucose-6-phosphate residues in hepatocytes nuclei.

Pyruvate kinase isoenzymes in marine invertebrates: a comparative study by the use of monoclonal antibodies

1. Six monoclonal antibodies specific to the pyruvate kinase from the foot muscle of the common limpet P. caerulea were produced. 2. They also exhibited specificity against the mouse liver where the L-type isoenzyme of pyruvate kinase is present. They did not react with the mouse skeletal muscle, heart or red blood cells isoenzymes of pyruvate kinase (PK). One of these, the monoclonal antibody B did not react with any PK isoenzymes of the mouse tissues. 3. The presence of the isoenzymic type of PK which was recognized by the monoclonals, (type L), was traced in five phyla of marine invertebrates by the application of the monoclonal antibodies A, B and C. 4. In two phyla the majority of the animals were found to possess an L-type PK isoenzyme in their muscles while in quite a few of them a different isoenzymic type was present in the other tissues. The results of this study are compared with the existing literature, and the use of monoclonal antibodies in the study of enzymic systems is considered in the discussion.

Effect of ethanol on hepatocarcinogenesis initiated in rats with 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene in the absence of liver injuries

In this study special care was taken to discriminate between the direct effect of ethanol on hepatocarcinogenesis and secondary effects such as choline deficiency or fatty liver. Rats were divided into 2 groups, D and N. Group D was initiated using 3'-Me-DAB, while the control group N was not initiated. Groups N and D were divided into 4 sub-groups. Each subgroup was given, in the drinking water, one of the following ethanol solutions: 0, 5, 10 or 15% for 45 weeks. Liver tumors were induced only in D groups. Evidence obtained indicates that: (a) in the N group, ethanol did not cause any apparent disorders in histology and lipid metabolism, and (b) in the D group no significant differences were observed in the incidence of HCCs and other liver lesions. Ethanol thus does not appear to enhance hepatocarcinogenesis, at least in the absence of liver injury.

Pyruvate kinase inhibited by L-cysteine as a marker of tumorigenic human urothelial cell lines

It was found that a decrease in electrophoretic mobility of pyruvate kinase (PK) isoenzyme, and an increase of the sensitivity of this enzyme to L-cysteine, were markers of immortalization and tumorigenic properties, respectively, in human urothelial cell lines characterized by different grades of transformation (TGr) in vitro.

High-performance liquid chromatography determination of enzyme activities in the presence of small amounts of product

Enzymes can be assayed by HPLC by calculating the amount of substrate(s) left over, or product formed, through the peak area ratios with a suitable internal standard. However, sometimes the substrates used are contaminated with small amounts of products and this can lead to errors in the determination of the enzyme activity. A method for a HPLC test of such enzymes, which prevents eventual errors, uses the ratio substrate/product at time zero as internal standard and the kinetics can be followed with the aid of a simple mathematical equation. This approach was applied to the determination of the activities of papain, urokinase, NAD glycohydrolase, and pyruvate kinase samples and it was compared with the data obtained by the internal standard method, giving reproducible results in all cases.

Characterization of pyruvate kinase from human rhabdomyosarcoma in relation to immunohistochemical and morphological criteria

We have compared the pyruvate kinase (PK) isoenzyme pattern of three rhabdomyosarcomas with foetal skeletal muscle tissue of 19 and 23 weeks of gestation, together with adult muscle in relation to immunohistochemical and morphological criteria. In foetal tissue of 19 weeks of gestation a focal immunopositivity for desmin and myoglobin was observed, whereas in tissue of 23 weeks an overall positivity for these proteins was present. Two of the three neoplasms were poorly differentiated and of the alveolar subtype. They were desmin immunoreactive. Some large spindle-shaped cells expressed myoglobin. The third one was more differentiated in microscopic characteristics and all cells showed immunoreactivity for desmin and myoglobin. In the foetal tissues five forms of pyruvate kinase isoenzymes were present with K2M2 as the predominant form. In adult muscle tissue only M4 was present. The tumors were characterized by a profound shift to the K-type, whereas the M4-type was not expressed at all. A difference in isoenzyme composition of pyruvate kinase was found between the morphologically less differentiated tumors and the more differentiated tumor; in the latter more M-subunits were expressed.

Thermodynamic nonideality as a probe of allosteric mechanisms: preexistence of the isomerization equilibrium for rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase

Sedimentation velocity studies in the presence and absence of an inert space-filling solute, sucrose, have been used to establish preexistence of the isomerization equilibrium responsible for the allosteric behavior of rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase. Whereas the inclusion of phenylalanine (5 mM) with enzyme gives rise to a decrease of 0.3 S in the sedimentation coefficient of pyruvate kinase, the corresponding effect of phosphoenolpyruvate is to increase the sedimentation coefficient by 0.03 S. Consideration of these findings to signify the existence of an isomeric equilibrium between compact and expanded forms of the enzyme is substantiated by the finding that inclusion of sucrose (0.1 M) also brings about the change in sedimentation coefficient effected by phosphoenolpyruvate. By demonstrating that rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase undergoes isomerization in the absence of substrate, this study removes any necessity to consider the existence of an isomerization equilibrium that is substrate-induced; and thereby provides experimental support for adoption of the Monod model of allostery to interpret enzyme kinetic data for pyruvate kinase [R. W. Oberfelder, B. G. Barisas, and J. C. Lee (1984) Biochemistry 23, 3822-3826].

Human liver type pyruvate kinase: complete amino acid sequence and the expression in mammalian cells

Pyruvate kinase (PK) has four isozymes (L, R, M1, M2) that are encoded by two different genes. Among these isozymes, abnormalities of liver (L)-type PK is considered to be associated with hereditary nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia in humans. We isolated and determined the full-length sequence of human L-type PK cDNA. The cDNA contains 1629 base pairs encoding 543 amino acids, 68 base pairs of 5'-noncoding sequence, and 734 base pairs of 3'-noncoding sequence. The similarity between human and rat L-type PK was 86.9% at the nucleotide sequence level and 92.4% at the amino acid sequence level. The full-length L-type PK cDNA was placed under the promoter of simian virus 40 and introduced into monkey COS cells. Human L-type PK activity was detected in the extract of COS cells by the classical PK electrophoresis method.

Profiles of carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes in human hepatocellular carcinomas and preneoplastic livers

Activities of key carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes in biopsied human tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma and related conditions were determined by established methods. Among the enzymes analyzed, fetal-type liver enzymes (low-Km hexokinase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and pyruvate kinase-M2) showed increased activities, and adult-type liver enzymes [glucose 6-phosphatase, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase, high-Km hexokinase (or glucokinase), and pyruvate kinase-L] showed decreased activities, resulting in undifferentiated enzyme patterns not only in fetal livers and hepatocellular carcinomas but also in livers of acute and chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis with or without tumors. Hepatocellular carcinomas showed a general tendency of having greater enzyme deviations than hepatitic and cirrhotic livers. The extent of the enzyme deviation in hepatocellular carcinomas varied considerably from one enzyme to another for each tumor tissue as compared with that in the benign liver diseases. Thus, the phenotypic heterogeneity was important for discriminating between the neoplastic and inflammatory changes in differentiation markers. The enzyme patterns of tumors and their corresponding host cirrhotic livers were unrelated, suggesting that the cirrhotic liver has a significance as preneoplastic state only in terms of having a high incidence of evolving hepatocellular carcinoma.

Histochemical and microbiochemical demonstration of reduced pyruvate kinase activity in thioacetamide-induced neoplastic nodules of rat liver

A new method for the histochemical demonstration of pyruvate kinase (PK) activity was developed using a semi-permeable membrane and ATP-dependent phosphorylation of glucose coupled with tetrazolium reduction via glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) in order to investigate normal liver tissue and neoplastic hepatic nodules induced by thioacetamide (TAA). A series of control reactions and comparison with microbiochemical analysis of microdissected lyophilised material were used to determine the specificity of the reaction. In agreement with earlier reports, an activity gradient in control liver decreasing from zone 3 to zone 1 was apparent both histochemically and after biochemical analysis. Liver neoplastic nodules induced by 25 weeks dietary thioacetamide administration and characterized by increased G6PD demonstrated a clear decrease in PK activity. In contrast, epithelial cells within areas of cholangiocellular tumour development were characterized by a strong increase. Comparison of the results with immunohistochemical and biochemical data from the literature indicate that the specific histochemical method described will be of great assistance in future assessment of disease and physiological alteration in activity of this key enzyme of glycolysis.

Differences in the half-lives of some mitochondrial rat liver enzymes may derive partially from hepatocyte heterogeneity

The different turnover rates of rat liver mitochondrial enzymes make autophagy unlikely to be the main mechanism for degradation of mitochondria. Although alternatives have been presented, hepatocyte heterogeneity has not been considered. Lighter hepatocytes isolated in a discontinuous Percoll gradient contain more glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) (half-life 1 day) and a more active autophagic system than heavier hepatocytes. The latter contain more carbamoyl phosphate synthase (CPS) and ornithine carbamoyl transferase (OTC) (half-lives 8 days) but less lysosomal activity. As expected, isolated autophagic vacuoles contain, relative to the mitochondrial content, 3-times less OTC and CPS than GDH, probably reflecting a faster lysosomal engulfment of mitochondria in the light hepatocytes (which contain more GDH). These data may explain some of the half-life differences of the enzymes studied.

Analysis by flow cytometry of rat hepatocytes from different acinar zones

Many functional, morphological and biochemical differences among hepatocytes from different acinar zones have been described. Therefore, it will facilitate studies on liver metabolism rapid, non-destructive procedures to isolate hepatocytes from these zones. Flow cytometry is a new powerful tool which, however, has not been used thus far to accomplish the separation of hepatocytes from different acinar zones. We describe here various cytometric parameters which characterize hepatocyte populations, separated by isopycnic centrifugation in Percoll gradients. The intraacinar origin of the different hepatocytes was assessed by enzymatic and morphological measurements.

Purification and properties of two isozymes of pyruvate kinase from Mucor racemosus

The dimorphic phycomycete Mucor racemosus was found to contain up to five electrophoretic forms of pyruvate kinase (ATP: pyruvate 2-O-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40) depending on growth conditions. M. racemosus hyphal cells grown on glutamic acid as the carbon source contained only the fastest electrophoretic form, designated PK1, while yeast cells grown on glucose contained only the slowest electrophoretic form, PK5. Intermediate electrophoretic forms PK2, PK3, and PK4 as well as PK1 and PK5 were found in hyphal cells grown on media containing fructose or cellibiose. All five electrophoretic forms had molecular weights of ca. 230,000 as determined from plots of log Rm versus acrylamide gel concentration. Both PK1 and PK5 were purified to homogeneity and determined to be homotetramers, with subunit molecular weights of 54,000 and 58,100, respectively. The amino acid content of PK1 and PK5 was determined and found to be similar but not identical. Analysis of limited tryptic digests and cyanogen bromide cleavage fragments of PK1 and PK5 indicate that the subunits of the two isozymes are significantly different.

Isolation and sequence determination of an active site peptide of rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase

Rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase was inactivated by 2', 3'-dialdehyde ADP with the incorporation of one molecule of reagent per enzyme subunit. The inactivated protein was digested with trypsin after reduction and carboxymethylation. The labeled peptide was isolated by gel filtration and further purified by HPLC. The peptide was sequenced both by liquid-phase and gas-phase automatic Edman degradation. A 34-residue peptide was obtained. This peptide is identical to a tryptic peptide labeled with trinitrobenzenesulfonate, isolated and sequenced by Johnson et al. (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. (1979) 90, 525-530) from bovine muscle pyruvate kinase. Available evidence suggests that dialdehyde ADP labels the enzyme at the same lysine in position 25 of the peptide, as found by Johnson et al. The high homology between the isolated peptide and regions of other pyruvate kinases from low to high eukaryotes supports the idea that this peptide is related to the enzyme active site.

Liver specific pyruvate kinase in pheasants Phasianus colchicus

While in chickens, the existence of a liver form of pyruvate kinase is controversial, the liver form of pyruvate kinase in pheasants, murres and puffins is electrophoretically distinct from that in muscle, brain, kidney, lung and small intestine. Although the forms in lungs, muscle, heart, brain and small intestine could not be reliably separated by electrophoresis, the functional characteristics of the lung and muscle forms of pyruvate kinase in the pheasant are distinct and can be classified as K and M isozymes respectively. Our data suggest that these birds possess at least three distinct isozymes of pyruvate kinase.

Activities of glycolytic enzymes in some brain areas of thyroidectomized rats and their response to replacement therapy

Glycolytic metabolism has been assessed by studying a set of key enzymes, in anterior cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus septum and hippocampus, in thyroidectomized rats. The reversibility of the changes induced by the thyroidectomy has been assessed by replacement therapy. In thyroidectomized rats the hexokinase activity was significantly decreased in anterior cortex and hypothalamus. The increase in phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase activity was probably due to an increase in cellular energy requirements. Hexokinase activity was best restored by treatment with L-thyroxine (T4) or T4+ propylthiouracil (PTU). The low response of pyruvate kinase activity in all treated animals could suggest that this metabolic step is the least reversible.