sn-1,2-diacylglycerols and phorbol diesters: uptake, metabolism, and subsequent assimilation of the diacylglycerol metabolites into complex lipids of cultured cells

Radioiodinated diacylglycerol analogue: a potential imaging agent for single-photon emission tomographic investigations of cerebral ischaemia

Phospholipid metabolism is closely related to membrane perturbation in cerebral ischaemia. We investigated in vivo topographical lipid metabolism using an iodine-123-labelled diacylglycerol analogue, (1-(15-(4-iodine-123-iodophenyl)-pentadecanoyl)-2-stearoyl-rac-gly cerol) (123I-labelled DAG), in a middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion model with the aim of positive imaging of ischaemic insult. Sprague-Dawley rats underwent coagulation of the MCA to induce permanent occlusion. MCA occlusion times prior to injection of 123I-labelled DAG ranged from 15 min to 14 days. Each rat was injected with 11-37 MBq of 123I-labelled DAG via a tail vein. After 30 min, in vivo autoradiographs were reconstructed. Scanning of the living rat brain in this MCA occlusion model was performed using a gamma camera with a pinhole collimator. Cerebral infarctions were recognized in the frontal cortex, the parietal cortex and the lateral portion of the caudate-putamen by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium hydrochloride staining. In infarcted regions (region 1), 123I-labelled DAG incorporation showed a slight decrease up to 12 h; it then increased up to 6 days and decreased thereafter. In peri-infarcted regions (region 2), the incorporation showed almost no change up to 12 h, then increased up to 5-6 days and decreased thereafter. In other regions (region 3), the incorporation showed no change. Lipid analysis showed that 123I-labelled DAG was metabolized to 15-(4-iodine-123-iodophenyl)-pentadecanoic acid by DAG lipase and to 123I-labelled phosphatidylcholine. Scanning of the ischaemic region showed higher accumulation than on the non-lesioned side. We established a method to visualize ischaemic foci as positive images. The early changes in 123I-labelled DAG incorporation were closely related to DAG lipase, which degraded the accumulated intrinsic DAG, and increased 123I-labelled DAG incorporation in the chronic stage involves several aspects of neural destruction in the process of autolysis. It is concluded that the reported method could have a clinical future.

Microscale synthesis of phosphatidyl-[3H]choline from 1,2-diacylglycerol. Assessment of isomerization by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

The synthesis of rac-1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylglycero-3-phospho-[3H]choline of high specific activity was carried out on a microscale by making 7 mumol of rac-1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylglycerol react first with an equimolar amount of POCl3 and then of [3H]choline. After purification by thin-layer chromatography and normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the yield of the synthesis of [3H]phosphatidylcholine (120 microCi/mumol) was 22%. rac-1-Palmitoyl-2-oleoylglycerol was purified before use by reversed-phase HPLC under conditions which were nonisomerizing and allowed the separation of 1,2- and 1,3-isomers of diacylglycerol. Ethanol, but not benzene, was shown to cause isomerization of long-chain diacylglycerol and, therefore, was not used for drying the substrate before reaction. A rapid and complete separation of 1,2- and 1,3-isomers of long-chain phosphatidylcholine was obtained by reversed-phase HPLC using 20 mM choline chloride in methanol/acetonitrile/water (50:50:1, by vol) isocratically as the mobile phase. Under these conditions, analysis of the synthesized rac-1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylglycero-3-phospho-[3H]choline showed a total absence of 1,3-isomer.

Protein kinase inhibitor, staurosporine, induces a mature neuronal phenotype in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells through an alpha-, beta-, and zeta-protein kinase C-independent pathway

Previous studies have shown that the tumour-promoting phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13 acetate (TPA) induces both morphological and functional differentiation in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells (Påhlman et al., 1981). In order to investigate the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in TPA-induced maturation of SH-SY5Y cells, we have used staurosporine, which is a potent inhibitor of protein kinases including PKC. Treatment of SH-SY5Y cells with 25 nM staurosporine for 72 hours caused an appearance of long, neuritelike processes with varicosities, terminated by growth cones. The morphological differentiation was accompanied by a cessation of DNA synthesis, induction of growth associated protein 43 (GAP-43), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA. These effects of staurosporine were comparable to those elicited by TPA. Staurosporine further induced a time-dependent increase in the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase protein and a 30-fold increase in the concentration of noradrenaline. TPA only induced a marginal increase in tyrosine hydroxylase expression. Both TPA and staurosporine induced an appearance of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in SH-SY5Y cells detected with single-cell fluorescent measurements using fura-2. The Ca2+ channels were found almost exclusively in growth cones and varicosities. Staurosporine inhibited both basal and a TPA-induced phosphorylation of an endogenous 80kDa PKC substrate (p80), and also blocked c-fos proto-oncogene mRNA expression induced by the phorbol ester. Bryostatin 1, a potent activator of PKC, has failed to induce morphological or functional differentiation in SH-SY5Y cells (Jalava et al., 1990). Incubation of SH-SY5Y cells in the presence of 100 nM bryostatin 1 for 24 hours caused a complete disappearance of all immunoreactive alpha-, beta-, and zeta-PKC. The level of epsilon-PKC decreased by 70%. Staurosporine induced a partial translocation of the epsilon-isoenzyme but it failed to cause down-regulation of epsilon-PKC. Bryostatin 1-treatment did not interfere in the ability of staurosporine to induce morphological differentiation, cessation of DNA synthesis, and GAP-43 and NPY mRNA expression. The ability of staurosporine to stimulate tyrosine hydroxylase expression and to increase cellular content of noradrenaline was also unaffected. Taken together the results of this study show that staurosporine induces a mature neuronal noradrenergic phenotype in SH-SY5Y cells through an alpha-, beta-, and zeta-PKC-independent pathway.

Evidence for hippocampal calcium channel regulation by PKC based on comparison of diacylglycerols and phorbol esters

Studies using phorbol esters imply that hippocampal Ca2+ channels are regulated by protein kinase C (PKC); however concerns have been raised because in some circumstances phorbol esters have non-specific effects on ion channels. We have tested the hypothesis that PKC modulates Ca2+ channel activity in hippocampal neurons by conducting a detailed comparison of the effects of the diacylglycerols, diC8 and OAG, with those of the phorbol ester, PDBu, on whole-cell and single-channel Ca2+ currents. Close similarity of action of these different activators would support the hypothesis. We found that, like PDBu, the diacylglycerols (DAGs) suppressed whole-cell Ba2+ current (IBa) in a dose-dependent and reversible manner and caused a hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of steady-state IBa inactivation. Suppression of IBa by diC8 and OAG was not mimicked by an enzymatically inactive diacylglycerol isomer, EGD. The effects of both PDBu and DAGs could be blocked by a specific peptide inhibitor of PKC, and both types of activator depressed IBa when it was recorded in the nystatin perforated-patch mode. In single-channel recordings, DAGs enhanced L-type Ca2+ channel activity in a manner indistinguishable from that of PDBu. Finally, DAGs as well as PDBu markedly increased spontaneous synaptic activity in tissue-cultured hippocampal neurons. The numerous similarities between the effects of DAGs and PDBu strongly support the general conclusion that PKC mediates the effects of these activators and the specific conclusion that PKC modulates Ca2+ channel activity in hippocampal neurons.

Distinct effects of phorbol esters and exogenous diacylglycerols in the induction of murine thymocyte proliferation

Murine thymocytes were stimulated with the protein kinase C activating agents Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) or a more physiological membrane permeant diacylglycerol (dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol, DiC8) in the presence or absence of exogenous lymphokines (rIL-1 beta, rIL-2). Whereas PMA directly induced reactivity to rIL-2, DiC8 did not but had to synergize with the calcium ionophore Ionomycin. Expression of the p55 chain of the IL-2 receptor behaved similarly. In the absence of exogenous rIL-2, thymocytes proliferated in response to a combination of Ionomycin and PMA; however, replacing PMA by a single addition of DiC8 did not result in proliferation. Stimulation with Ionomycin plus repeated addition of DiC8 induced a low level of thymocyte proliferation and further addition of rIL-1 beta resulted in a significant increase. Purified immature (L3T4-Lyt2-) thymocytes behaved similarly, but showed an increased sensitivity to rIL-1 beta. Taken together, the data support the idea that PMA and the more physiological diacylglycerols do not possess totally equivalent activities in lymphocyte stimulation.

Assays for investigations of signal transduction mechanisms involving phospholipase D: mass measurements of phosphatidate, phosphatidylethanol, and diacylglycerol in cultured cells

With the intent of achieving a better understanding of agonist-induced phospholipase D activity, we have developed simple, rapid assays for quantitating the mass of phosphatidate, phosphatidylethanol, and diacylglycerol. Crude lipid extracts of cultured cells are used; preliminary sample cleanup or derivatization procedures are not necessary. The assays resolve the particular lipids by short-bed/continuous-development thin-layer chromatography. Quantitative assessments are derived from photodensitometric analysis of charred lipid spots. The assays may be employed for as little as 45 pmol of diacylglycerol and 50 pmol of phosphatidate or phosphatidylethanol. The newly developed assays are compared to other procedures for quantitating lipid mediators. The utility of the assays is illustrated in experiments that use a variety of cultured cells to demonstrate the agonist activation of the phospholipase D pathway. In addition, experiments designed to screen various agonists for signal-response coupling to phospholipase D are described.

The diacylglycerol analogue, 1,2-sn-dioctanoylglycerol, induces an increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ and cytosolic acidification of T lymphocytes through a protein kinase C-independent process

In this paper, we demonstrate that low concentrations (0.5-2.5 microM) of 1,2-sn-dioctanoylglycerol (DiC8), a potent diacylglycerol used in many previous studies to probe the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in cell activation, cause cytosolic alkalinization of human, mouse and pig T lymphocytes through PKC-mediated activation of the Na+/H+ antiport. However, at higher concentrations (greater than or equal to 12.5 microM), the effect on cytosolic pH (pHi) is reversed, resulting in a marked cytosolic acidification, followed by a gradual return of pHi to baseline values. DiC8 also induces marked changes in cytosolic free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i), initially by releasing calcium from intracellular stores, followed by a net transmembrane influx of calcium. The DiC8-induced cytosolic acidification, the resultant return to baseline pH and the increase in [Ca2+]i are independent of activation of PKC. Unlike many other agents which increase [Ca2+]i, DiC8 does not induce phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis with the resultant production of inositol phosphates. Other compounds known to activate PKC, including the closely related diacylglycerol analogues, 1,2-sn-dihexanoylglycerol and 1,2-sn-didecanoylglycerol, phorbol esters and mezerein, did not induce changes in [Ca2+]i or cytosolic acidification in T lymphocytes. Thus the action of DiC8 on intact lymphocytes is different from that of phorbol esters and other diacylglycerols, and is specific to the length of the acyl chains. Because changes in [Ca2+]i are often associated with cell proliferation and cell differentiation, some effects of DiC8 on intact cells may be a consequence of changes in [Ca2+]i.

Comparison of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol in the activation of EL4/6.1 thymoma cells

The present study compared the role of two protein kinase C (PK-C) activating agents, the phorbol ester phorbol-12-acetate-13-myristate (PMA) and the membrane-permeating diacylglycerol dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DiC8) in the activation of EL4/6.1 thymoma cells. These cells have been shown to express interleukin-2 receptors (IL-2R) upon stimulation with optimal amounts of PMA (10 ng/ml); also, suboptimal amounts of PMA (1 ng/ml) synergized with the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin and recombinant interleukin-1 (rIL-1) (Lowenthal et al., 1986). Comparing PMA and DiC8 led to the following results: PMA at 10 ng/ml induced IL-2R; in contrast, DiC8 (30-3 micrograms/ml) alone was unable to induce IL-2R, although it did synergize with ionomycin (0.5 micrograms/ml) and rIL-1. Bihourly additions of DiC8 did not change this pattern. The addition of DiC8 together with rIL-2 also resulted in no IL-2R expression. Furthermore, DiC8 (10 micrograms/ml) effectively translocated PK-C. Therefore, the differences observed between PMA and DiC8 do not seem to be due to differences in metabolism or to an inability to translocate PK-C. Analysis of messenger (m) RNA produced in stimulated EL4/6.1 cells revealed that DiC8 was also unable to induce mRNA for IL-2R. Our data suggest that PMA, especially at "optimal" concentrations, might have effects that cannot be mimicked by diacylglycerol. Furthermore, it seems that the deficient activity of diacylglycerols can be compensated for by a Ca2+ ionophore and, depending on the cellular system, by further signals such as IL-1.