Effects of valinomycin, ouabain, and potassium on glycolysis and intracellular pH of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

Energy metabolism and transduction in smooth muscle

Early investigations into the nature of the coupling between energy transduction and metabolism in smooth muscle, particularly from the laboratories of Bülbring and Lundholm, suggested that specific metabolic pathways could independently supply energy for ion transport and actin-myosin interactions. Subsequent work has solidified the concept that oxidative phosphorylation is specifically coupled to tension generation and maintenance, whereas, aerobic glycolysis is not only a vital characteristic of smooth muscle metabolism, but also is likely to be independently coupled to Na-K transport at the plasmalemma. The independence of oxidative and glycolytic metabolism is reflected as a compartmentation of carbohydrate metabolism in the porcine carotid artery. The coupling of these independent metabolic pathways with specific energy utilizing processes, indicates a means by which energy production and transduction can be closely and efficiently regulated. The coupling of glycogenolysis to mitochondrial respiration may have evolved as a direct response to the energetic needs of VSM. That is, the large glycogenolytic response in the initial minutes of stimulation may be necessary to maximize the cellular production of ATP during the presteady state. Likewise, the coupling between aerobic glycolysis and Na-K transport indicates a sensitive and efficient means of coordinating energy metabolism with ion transport at the membrane level. Additionally, the regulation of substrate supply, i.e. glucose transport, also may be closely coordinated with changes in ion transport. One may speculate that alterations in the microenvironment of each compartment can independently regulate intermediary metabolism and therefore allow the cell to quickly and efficiently respond to localized stimuli. Thus, stimulation of Na-K transport could effectively regulate energy production at the membrane level without mobilizing or competing with the energy transduction of other cellular processes. This compartmentation of energy utilization may be highly advantageous, since oxidative metabolism is closely coordinated with mechanical activity and therefore regulation of blood flow. Future investigations will attempt to elucidate which intracellular signals which are responsible for the regulation of these functionally independent compartments of energy metabolism and transduction in VSM. In more general terms, our findings provide a basis from which future questions concerning the regulation of cellular metabolism must be directed. The cellular cytoplasm can no longer be envisioned as a homogeneous compartment, but rather a complex array of functional subcompartments which may be individual

Glucose uptake in porcine carotid artery: relation to alterations in active Na+-K+ transport

In vascular smooth muscle (VSM), aerobic lactate production can account for as much as 30% of the basal rate of ATP production. Generally, glucose transport is thought to be the rate-limiting step for glycolysis in unstimulated VSM. In this work we provide evidence that the intracellular concentration of glucose is negligible in porcine carotid artery, indicating that glucose transport is rate limiting for its utilization. Since aerobic glycolysis appears to be coupled to active Na+-K+ transport in this tissue, we examined the effects of altering ion transport on glucose transport. Glucose uptake and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport were accelerated, though intracellular glucose remained negligible in artery rings that were incubated with 80 mM KCl, which is known to stimulate active Na+-K+ transport, as well as aerobic glycolysis and mechanical activity. On the other hand, inhibitors of active Na+-K+ transport (ouabain, Na+-free media), which also elicit mechanical activity, had little effect on sugar transport but significantly inhibited aerobic glycolysis and caused an intracellular accumulation of glucose. Our results indicate the following: 1) that glucose transport is regulated in VSM; 2) that the intracellular concentration of Ca2+ does not appear to regulate sugar transport, since changes in glucose and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport are not always seen in association with increased mechanical activity, and 3) that the decrease in aerobic glycolysis associated with the inhibition of active Na+-K+ transport is not due to a decrease in glucose transport but rather to an inhibition of glucose utilization.

Studies on the relationship between glycolysis and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase in cultured cells

In several tissues a coupling between glycolysis and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase has been observed. We report here studies on the coupling of glycolysis and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase in Rous-transformed hamster cells and Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. The rate of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase was estimated by the initial rate of ouabain-sensitive K+ influx after K+ reintroduction to K+-depleted cells. Experiments were performed with cells producing ATP via oxidative phosphorylation alone (i.e., lactate sole substrate), glycolysis alone (i.e., glucose as substrate in the absence of oxygen or with antimycin A), or glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (i.e., glucose as substrate in the presence of oxygen). The cells produced ATP at approximately the same rate under all of these conditions, but the initial rate of K+-influx was approx. 2-fold higher when AtP was produced from glycolysis. Changes in cell Na+ due to other transport processes related to glycolysis, such as Na+-H+ exchange, Na+-glucose cotransport, and K+-H+ exchange were ruled out as mediators of this effect on (Na+ + K+)-ATPase. These data suggest that glycolysis is more effective than oxidative phosphorylation in providing ATP to (Na+ + K+)-ATPase to these cultured cells.

Regulation of glycolysis in rat aorta

Certain factors that might contribute to the regulation of the rate of glycolysis by rat aorta were investigated. Rat aortic rings were incubated with [14C]glucose, and the release of [14C]lactate was determined. There was good agreement between the lactate production estimated by enzymatic assay and by [14C]lactate release, suggesting that almost all the lactate produced under our experimental conditions was derived from exogenous glucose. When the glucose concentration in the medium was 10 mM or higher, the rate of glucose transport did not limit the rate of lactate production. In most cases studies were done both aerobically and anaerobically. In Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution the aerobic rate of lactate production was 18% of the anaerobic rate. We tested the effects on glycolysis of agents that alter ATP generation by mitochondria or ATP splitting by Na+-K+-ATPase or the mitochondrial ATPase. Under aerobic conditions, ouabain (5 mM) caused a 54% decrease in lactate production, and gramicidin (5 micrograms/ml) caused a 45% increase. Under anaerobic conditions, neither ouabain nor gramicidin affected lactate production. Aerobically dinitrophenol (25 microM) and carboxyatractyloside (0.5 mM) caused substantial increases in lactate production, 72 and 98% respectively. Under anaerobic conditions the effects of dinitrophenol and carboxyatractyloside were much smaller, with dinitrophenol causing a 15% increase and carboxyatractyloside a 12% decrease in lactate production. Increasing the concentration of phosphate in the incubation medium caused marked increases in lactate production. Both aerobically and anaerobically, shifting from 1.3 to 50 mM phosphate in the incubation medium caused a 3.5-fold increase in lactate production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cellular responses to external ATP which precede an increase in nucleotide permeability in transformed cells

Transformed mouse fibroblasts, such as 3T6, exhibit an increase in plasma membrane permeability to nucleotides and other normally impermeant molecules when incubated with external ATP in an alkaline medium low in divalent cations. Increased nucleotide permeability, induced by external ATP, occurs after a 3- to 5-min lag period. Prior to this event, there is a dramatic Na+ influx and K+ efflux, a significant reduction in the levels of intracellular ATP and organic phosphates, and a reduction in the plasma membrane potential. Accordingly, we postulate that these cellular responses to external ATP play a role in the efflux of nucleotides. Ouabain, a specific inhibitor of the plasma membrane (Na+,K+)-ATPase, acts together with low concentrations of external ATP to increase nucleotide permeability in 3T6 cells. This effect occurs at concentrations of ouabain and ATP which alone do not increase nucleotide permeability. In addition, ouabain and low concentrations of ATP alone have little effect on the level of intracellular ATP. This is in contrast to energy inhibitors and uncouplers which appear to enhance nucleotide permeability by lowering the intracellular ATP concentration. Ouabain alone causes a threefold increase in intracellular Na+ levels and a similar reduction in intracellular K+ levels under our experimental conditions, supporting the idea that ion fluxes are involved in the mechanism of permeabilization.

Interaction between membrane properties and protein synthesis in reticulocytes: influence of trypsinization on [3H]-valinomycin action

Using [3H]-Valinomycin we show here that two types of sites can be described for this cyclic depsipeptide. A first type is sensitive to low concentration of trypsin while the other, more internal, is uncovered by the use of the protease. Of these two kinds of sites, the more external one seems more concerned with the effect that Valinomycin has on protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocytes. However, when a high concentration of Valinomycin is used, all the sites can be occupied even those which can be revealed only by tripsinization. In this case, even prolonged trypsin action does not result in release of the protein synthesis inhibitory action of Valinomycin. It is concluded that hydrophobic sites are occupied by Valinomycin only after the cell surface has been saturated by hydrophylic bonds with the antibiotic.

Increase of potassium flux by valinomycin in embryonic chick heart

The effect of different concentrations of the antibiotic valinomycin, was determined on 42K efflux and Na, K content of embryonic chick hearts. Valinomycin produces an increase of K efflux which is progressive in time and markedly dependent on the concentration of external K (0-5 mM) and valinomycin (10(-8) to 10(-5) M). The changes in K efflux is not due to a reversal of the Na-K pump mechanism, secondary to ATP depletion: i) the increase of K efflux by valinomycin persists in the absence of external Na ions. ii) analysis of Na and K content and 42K influx measurements with and without valinomycin indicate that active K influx is not inhibited in a solution containing 0.5 mM K and only slightly decreased in a solution containing 5 mM K. Valinomycin, acting as a K carrier, presumably increases K conductance of the cell membrane resulting in a rise in K efflux.