bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of intensive venous sampling on characterization of pulsatile GH release
Authors: Evans W. S. , Faria A. C. , Christiansen E. , Ho K. Y. , Weiss J. , Rogol A. D. , Johnson M. L. , Blizzard R. M. , Veldhuis J. D. , Thorner M. O.
Published: December 2017

The effect of sampling intensity on quantitative properties of pulsatile growth hormone (GH) release was tested using an objective, statistically based pulse detection algorithm (Cluster). Seven normal young men had blood withdrawn at 5-min intervals for 24 h. The number of GH peaks/24 h (mean +/- SE) detected in the 5-min series (5.93 +/- 0.66) was significantly greater than the number of peaks documented in the constituent 10-min (3.45 +/- 0.28), 15-min (2.79 +/- 0.31), 20-min (2.86 +/- 0.64), 30-min (2.5 +/- 0.36), 45-min (2.21 +/- 0.21), and 60-min (1.93 +/- 0.23) series. The increased number of peaks detected with 5-min sampling reflected high-frequency pulsatile GH release occurring within the major GH secretory episodes. Both the mean widths and areas associated with peaks identified in the 5-min series were smaller than those documented with less intensive sampling. Peak amplitude did not change with sampling intensity. These data suggest that the major secretory episodes of GH release in normal young men encompass high-frequency GH secretory activity. That these high-frequency GH secretory events have not previously been described probably reflects the relatively infrequent sampling paradigms (e.g., every 20-30 min) commonly used in the past.
Cerebrospinal fluid changes in experimental cardiac arrest (maximal stress)
Authors: Wortsman J. , Foley P. J. , Tacker W. A. , Giacobini E. , Cryer P. E. , Frank S.
Published: December 2017

Cardiac arrest produces a prompt and maximal increase of plasma catecholamines, with associated elevations of the hormones involved in the endocrine response to stress. To investigate the participation of the central nervous system (CNS) in the generation of the endocrine response, the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured before, during, and after cardiac arrest accompanied by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in adrenalectomized (ADX) and sham-operated (SHAM) dogs. We also determined the activity of acetylcholine esterase (AChE), an intracellular enzyme released into the CSF after hypothalamic or caudate stimulation. During CPR, plasma epinephrine increased significantly in SHAM but not ADX dogs, increasing from (mean +/- SE) 480 +/- 171 to 29,800 +/- 14,200 pg/ml (P less than 0.05). Prearrest CSF norepinephrine was higher in ADX than SHAM dogs and increased in both groups with cardiac arrest, but the increase was significant only in SHAM animals; CSF epinephrine remained unchanged during or after cardiac arrest. CSF AChE activity increased during and after defibrillation; the difference with basal levels became significant when the peak postarrest values were considered (P less than 0.05). These results document biochemical changes occurring in the CNS during maximal stress represented by cardiac arrest. It is suggested that CSF norepinephrine and AChE activity elevations are markers for hypothalamic activation from the stress of cardiac arrest.
Animal model of primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Jaeger P. , Jones W. , Kashgarian M. , Baron R. , Clemens T. L. , Segre G. V. , Hayslett J. P.
Published: December 2017

An experimental model of hyperparathyroidism was developed in the rat to simulate primary hyperparathyroidism in humans. In this model thyroparathyroidectomized (TPTX) or parathyroidectomized (PTX) animals were infused for 6 days with an amount of bovine synthetic parathyroid hormone (PTH)-(1-34) fragment to restore plasma calcium levels to normal (0.7 U X h-1) or with PTH at twofold (1.4 U X h-1) or threefold (2.1 U X h-1) this basal level. Animals infused with 2.1 U X h-1 of bovine PTH-(1-34) exhibited hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, a reduction in theoretical renal threshold for phosphate and an increase in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D plasma levels that were approximately threefold the control value. In addition, these animals demonstrated nephrocalcinosis and changes of bone histology that were typical of the findings in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. In contrast, in animals infused at 1.4 U X h-1, plasma calcium, phosphate, and theoretical renal threshold for phosphate remained within normal limits, but plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D was increased above control, suggesting that increased activity of 1 alpha-hydroxylase may be the most sensitive index of increased PTH levels. This animal model permits sustained elevation of PTH plasma levels at basal or pathologically elevated levels and should provide an effective means by which to evaluate the consequences of chronic hyperparathyroidism on epithelial function, bone, and other organ systems.
Lowering of plasma glucose in diabetic rats by antilipolytic agents
Authors: Reaven G. M. , Chang H. , Ho H. , Jeng C. Y. , Hoffman B. B.
Published: December 2017

Both nicotinic acid (NA) and the adenosine receptor agonist phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA) are potent antilipolytic agents. We have evaluated the ability of these compounds to lower plasma glucose concentration in 450-g male diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by intravenous streptozotocin, and the rats were studied 7-10 days later. Mean (+/- SE) fasting glucose decreased 4 h after subcutaneous injections of PIA at 0 and 2 h. A similar change in plasma glucose level was also seen in rats injected with NA. The decrease in the concentration of plasma glucose in both instances was preceded by marked sustained reductions in plasma free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations; FFA decreased in PIA-injected rats and in response to NA. With injection of normal saline, neither plasma glucose nor FFA concentrations decreased in diabetic rats. There was no change in the plasma insulin concentration of rats that had hypoglycemic responses to PIA or NA. In vitro glucose uptake was determined in isolated adipocytes, and both PIA and NA were shown to increase basal and maximal insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. The stimulating effect of the two compounds was similar, and the magnitude of the effect was comparable in adipocytes from either normal or diabetic rats. As a result, neither NA nor PIA could restore the defects in glucose transport to normal in adipocytes from diabetic rats. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was assessed in vivo by determining the steady-state glucose response of diabetic rats to a continuous infusion of insulin and glucose and was found to be significantly enhanced in response to NA compared with NaCl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Calculation of substrate flux using stable isotopes
Authors: Rosenblatt J. , Wolfe R. R.
Published: December 2017

The use of stable isotope tracers to calculate substrate kinetics in humans is favored over the use of radioactive isotopes because of their greater safety and versatility. However, potential complications not met when dealing with radioactive tracers are caused by 1) the natural occurrence of the stable isotope used as a tracer and 2) the necessity to administer the tracer in an amount that cannot be treated as "massless." We therefore found it desirable to derive a theoretically valid equation for calculating the rate of appearance, Ra, of a substrate under steady-state conditions using a stable isotope tracer. This theoretically valid equation yields results that differ from those of the equations conventionally used to calculate (endogenous) Ra in steady state. Quantitative determination of the error in one of these equations revealed that for tracers commonly used in metabolic studies the error is negligible, whereas the error made in the other equation is likely to be quite high in commonly encountered situations. Finally, to allow for proper use of different definitions of isotopic enrichment that have arisen from practical considerations, we use the results derived above to determine valid equations for Ra appropriate to the two prevalent definitions.
Hormonal and metabolic response to recombinant human tumor necrosis factor in rat: in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Warren R. S. , Starnes H. F. , Alcock N. , Calvano S. , Brennan M. F.
Published: December 2017

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF; cachectin) has been implicated as a mediator of the toxic manifestations of overwhelming bacterial infection as well as the chronic catabolic state of cancer cachexia. We have examined the acute metabolic and hormonal response after administration of recombinant human TNF in the rat. TNF given by intraperitoneal injection produced dose- and time-related increases in hepatic amino acid uptake, decreases in serum trace metal concentrations, and a pattern of endocrine hormone alterations characteristic of the acute phase response to tissue injury. In vitro zinc transport studies by rat hepatocytes cultured in the presence of TNF alone, or in combination with recombinant human interleukin 1, another mediator of the acute phase response, demonstrated that neither monokine was capable of directly stimulating zinc transport into cells. These findings suggest that TNF may function as an endogenous mediator of the early metabolic response to sepsis and that the trace metal changes induced by TNF in vivo may occur through a secondary mechanism.
Chronic intracerebroventricular CRF infusion attenuates ACTH-corticosterone release
Authors: Cunningham J. J. , Meara P. A. , Lee R. Y. , Bode H. H.
Published: December 2017

Bolus intracerebroventricular delivery of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) elicits acute responses of both the pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. We examined whether these stresslike responses could be maintained over a period of days by central delivery of CRF in nonstressed rats, as would be predicted if this peptide participates in the central nervous system regulation of chronic stress. CRF (4.3 or 21.5 micrograms/day) was continuously delivered into the cerebral ventricle via Alzet minipumps. In contrast to saline-infused controls, rats receiving CRF exhibited elevated excretions of corticosterone, norepinephrine, and urea nitrogen for several days. Thereafter, an attenuation of CRF responsiveness occurred when corticosterone excretion returned to basal levels despite continued central CRF infusion. However, CRF delivered intravenously during attenuation stimulated adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone secretion, implicating a hypothalamic rather than pituitary locus for central CRF resistance. The present data do not permit a conclusion on whether the attenuation of the CRF response with time is the result of an ultrashort-loop negative-feedback mechanism or CRF receptor desensitization.
Myometrial alpha 1-adrenoceptors in pregnant guinea pig: their distribution and increased number
Authors: Arkinstall S. J. , Jones C. T.
Published: December 2017

There is evidence for an excitatory influence in pregnant and parturient myometrium mediated by alpha 1-adrenoceptors. Despite this there are no reports of direct measurement of changes in the density of these receptors throughout pregnancy. Indirect evidence could suggest a fall early in gestation followed by a sharp rise near term. Hence, to follow pregnancy-related changes, [3H]prazosin was employed in this study to measure alpha 1-adrenoceptors in guinea pig myometrium. High-affinity [3H]prazosin binding [dissociation constant (Kd) = 0.51 +/- 0.05 nM (n = 29)] displayed the pharmacological characteristics of alpha 1-adrenoceptors and yielded linear Scatchard plots, which in nonpregnant myometrium indicated a maximum binding density (Bmax) of 48.6 +/- 6.1 fmol/mg protein (n = 5). At all times during pregnancy alpha 1-adrenoceptor density was approximately 40% higher than the nonpregnant value. This, together with uterine growth, resulted in a progressive increase in total alpha 1-adrenoceptor population of up to 34-fold with a mean value of 7.54 +/- 2.26 pmol/uterus (n = 6) at term (67 +/- 2 days). This slow rise in receptor number does not suggest a major role in the processes triggering labour in this species. The distribution of alpha 1-adrenoceptors in tubal, perifetal, and cervical regions was similar in the 60-day pregnant uterus. As much of the uterus is not innervated at this time, a considerable proportion of these receptors are probably extrasynaptic.
Brown adipose tissue of mice with GTG-induced obesity: altered circadian control
Authors: Eley J. , Himms-Hagen J.
Published: December 2017

The effect of feeding a "cafeteria" diet and of feeding a restricted amount of chow on brown adipose tissue (BAT) of lean and gold thioglucose (GTG)-obese mice was studied at various times of the day and night. Objectives were to find out 1) whether our previous finding of diet-induced growth of BAT of the GTG-obese mouse without thermogenic activation could be explained by a transient stimulation at a time of day not studied and 2) whether lack of stimulation of BAT thyroxine 5'-deiodinase (TD) by diet seen previously in lean mice and rats could be explained by a transient increase at times of day not studied. A transient activation of BAT thermogenesis, indicated by an increase in mitochondrial GDP binding, occurs immediately after cafeteria food is presented to the GTG-obese mouse, but the effect of diet is absent at other times. This transient stimulation of BAT in the GTG-obese mouse may be sufficient to produce the tissue growth observed. A circadian rhythm in GDP binding occurred in both lean and obese mice, whether they were eating chow or the cafeteria diet. Restricted feeding suppressed BAT mitochondrial GDP binding in lean mice but did not suppress any further the low level in GTG-obese mice. A circadian rhythm in TD activity in BAT also occurred in lean and obese mice, but no effect of cafeteria diet or of restricted feeding on this enzyme was detected at any time of day, except for a brief increase in obese mice at 0500.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Use of a variable tracer infusion method to determine glucose turnover in humans
Authors: Molina J. M. , Baron A. D. , Edelman S. V. , Brechtel G. , Wallace P. , Olefsky J. M.
Published: December 2017

The single-compartment pool fraction model, when used with the hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp technique to measure rates of glucose turnover, sometimes underestimates true rates of glucose appearance (Ra) resulting in negative values for hepatic glucose output (HGO). We focused our attention on isotope discrimination and model error as possible explanations for this underestimation. We found no difference in [3-3H] glucose specific activity in samples obtained simultaneously from the femoral artery and vein (2,400 +/- 455 vs. 2,454 +/- 522 dpm/mg) in 6 men during a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp study where insulin was infused at 40 mU.m-2.min-1 for 3 h; therefore, isotope discrimination did not occur. We compared the ability of a constant (0.6 microCi/min) vs. variable tracer infusion method (tracer added to the glucose infusate) to measure non-steady-state Ra during hyperinsulinemic clamp studies. Plasma specific activity fell during the constant tracer infusion studies but did not change from base line during the variable tracer infusion studies. By maintaining a constant plasma specific activity the variable tracer infusion method eliminates uncertainty about changes in glucose pool size. This overcame modeling error and more accurately measures non-steady-state Ra (P less than 0.001 by analysis of variance vs. constant infusion method). In conclusion, underestimation of Ra determined isotopically during hyperinsulinemic clamp studies is largely due to modeling error that can be overcome by use of the variable tracer infusion method. This method allows more accurate determination of Ra and HGO under non-steady-state conditions.
Defective metabolic effects of norepinephrine and insulin in obese Zucker rat brown adipose tissue
Authors: Marette A. , Geloen A. , Collet A. , Bukowiecki L. J.
Published: December 2017

The effects of insulin and norepinephrine on oxygen consumption, lipolysis, and glucose transport were investigated in adipocytes isolated from brown adipose tissue (BAT) of adult (4-5 mo) lean (Fa/?) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. Total BAT protein content and cytochrome oxidase activity were similar in both phenotypes, suggesting that obese rats have a normal mitochondrial content. Light and electron micrographs revealed that brown adipocytes from obese rats contained very large multilocular triglyceride droplets, but their mitochondrial ultrastructure was normal. Norepinephrine, when added in excess (1 microM), stimulated brown adipocyte respiration 8-10 times above basal levels both in lean and obese animals. However, dose-response experiments disclosed that the 50% effective concentration (EC50) was significantly higher in cells isolated from obese rats compared with lean ones (EC50 115 vs. 43 nM, P less than 0.05). The lipolytic sensitivity to norepinephrine was also reduced in adipocytes isolated from obese animals (EC50 83 vs. 12 nM, P less than 0.05). Addition of dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate to respiring obese rat brown adipocytes restored to normal the defective response to norepinephrine, suggesting that the reduction in catecholamine sensitivity resulted from a deactivation of the receptor-adenylate cyclase complex. On the other hand, the antilipolytic and antithermogenic actions of physiological concentrations of insulin were significantly reduced in obese BAT cells. The sensitivity and responsiveness of obese rat brown adipocytes for insulin-stimulated glucose transport were also markedly decreased (EC50 1 vs. 0.3 nM, P less than 0.05; maximal velocity 3-fold vs. 7-fold).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Insulin secretion in Walker 256 tumor cachexia
Authors: Fernandes L. C. , Machado U. F. , Nogueira C. R. , Carpinelli A. R. , Curi R.
Published: December 2017

The effect of cachexia on insulin secretion was examined in adult male rats. Isolated islets of Langerhans from Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats secreted less insulin by glucose stimuli as compared with the control group; this was accompanied by significant change in 45Ca2+ outflow rate. Reduced insulin secretion to glucose stimuli in tumor-bearing rats probably led to low insulinemia (one-third). These findings indicate that reduced insulin secretion is probably an important factor for the development of cachexia in Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats.
Brain and atrial natriuretic peptides bind to common receptors in brain capillary endothelial cells
Authors: Gelfand R. A. , Frank H. J. , Levin E. , Pedram A.
Published: December 2017

The recent discovery of brain natriuretic peptides (BNP) that stimulates natriuresis, diuresis, and vascular smooth muscle relaxation in a manner similar to that of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) suggests the possibility that these endocrine hormones function via some common mechanism. Indirect evidence from several laboratories suggests that BNP and ANP may bind to the same receptors. We examined whether ANP and BNP bind to a common set of receptors in cultured bovine brain capillary endothelial cells and in bovine aortic endothelial cells. Scatchard plot analysis of binding data shows a similar dissociation constant (KD) of approximately 0.3 nM and a maximal binding capacity (Bmax) of 50 fmol/mg protein for both natriuretic peptides in brain capillary cells and 0.6 nM and 80 fmol/mg protein, respectively, in the aortic endothelial cells. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the affinity cross-linked receptor-ligand complex shows a strongly labeled 65-kDa receptor and a 125-kDa band that is likely to be a receptor of the guanylate cyclase type. ANP and BNP cross compete equally for binding to the two receptors identified on the gels. ANP and BNP also stimulate guanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate production in these cells, consistent with the presence of a functional guanylate cyclase-linked B receptor. We conclude that ANP and BNP share common receptors in brain capillary and aortic endothelial cells.
Relative expansion of extracellular fluid in obese vs. nonobese women
Authors: Waki M. , Kral J. G. , Mazariegos M. , Wang J. , Pierson R. N. , Heymsfield S. B.
Published: December 2017

There is a conflict in previous studies with regard to the relation between adipose tissue mass and total body fluid distribution. This study tested the hypothesis that obesity is accompanied by an increase in the extracellular-to-intracellular fluid ratio above that observed in nonobese subjects. Extracellular fluid was evaluated in obese (n = 39) and nonobese (n = 26) healthy women, using two different dilution volumes, 35SO4 [extracellular water (ECW)] and 24NaCl [exchangeable sodium (Nae)]. Intracellular water (ICW = 3H2O dilution volume-ECW) and total body potassium (TBK; 40K whole body counting) were assumed to represent intracellular fluid. Two independent markers of relative fluid distribution were formulated as ECW/ICW and Nae/TBK. Obese and nonobese women were of similar age and height but differed in body weight and TBW by 67.7 kg and 12.9 liters, respectively. The obese women had significantly larger absolute ECW, Nae, ICW, and TBK compared with the nonobese women (all P less than 0.001). The ratios ECW/ICW and Nae/TBK were significantly higher in obese vs. nonobese women and were highly correlated with each other (r = 0.54, P less than 0.001) in the pooled group of subjects. Fluid volumes are thus increased in obese women, and the expansion is relatively greater for the extracellular compartment. These results have implications in the study of human body composition and may also account in part for the fluid-overload states that often accompany severe obesity.
Clenbuterol, a beta 2-receptor agonist, reduces net bone loss in denervated hindlimbs
Authors: Zeman R. J. , Hirschman A. , Hirschman M. L. , Guo G. , Etlinger J. D.
Published: December 2017

Clenbuterol treatment for several weeks prevented up to one-third of the reduction in mineralization of femurs and tibias caused by sectioning of the sciatic nerve in young rats. The normalizing effect of clenbuterol on bone mineral content was directly proportional to similar alterations in muscle mass, which in turn could be abolished by ablation of the triceps surae or hindlimb unweighting and reduced by hypophysectomy. In contrast to the effects of inactivity, ovariectomy caused small reductions (2-4%) in bone density that were not affected by clenbuterol and were not accompanied by changes in ash weight. Together, our results suggest that the ability of beta 2-agonists to retard the loss in net muscle mass and enhance contractile tension can oppose net bone loss caused by denervation. Increases in contractile tension caused by beta 2-agonists may enhance the utility of exercise or electrical stimulation as countermeasures for the effects of scoliosis, prolonged bed rest, spinal cord injury, or weightlessness in space on bone mass.
Bidirectional saturable transport of LHRH across the blood-brain barrier
Authors: Barrera C. M. , Kastin A. J. , Fasold M. B. , Banks W. A.
Published: December 2017

Systemic administration of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) in rats has been found to influence behavior independently of pituitary or ovarian function. A previous study has shown that LHRH can cross the blood-brain barrier in one direction, but it was not known whether this was due to a saturable transport system. The rate of entry of 125I-labeled LHRH from blood to brain was determined by two different single-pass methods of carotid perfusion. The first, a multiple time point method, measures Ki from the slope of the linear regression when brain-to-blood ratios of radioiodinated LHRH are plotted against time. Saturable transport was determined by the difference between the Ki of rats perfused with 125I-LHRH (12.51 X 10(-3) mg.g-1.min-1) vs. rats perfused with 125I-LHRH and unlabeled LHRH (10 nmol/ml; 2.20 X 10(-3) ml.g-1.min-1). The inhibition by the unlabeled peptide was statistically significant (P less than 0.001). The second method, a single time point technique, measures the cerebrovascular permeability-surface area coefficient (PA). Saturable transport was determined in rats by the competition of unlabeled LHRH with 125I-LHRH. The PA value for 125I-LHRH (20.00 X 10(-3) ml.g-1.min-1) was significantly greater (P less than 0.05) than for 125I-LHRH with the addition of 10 nmol/ml unlabeled LHRH (4.14 X 10(-3) ml.g-1.min-1). Saturable transport of LHRH from brain to blood in mice was also determined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effects of calmodulin antagonists on hydrogen-translocating shuttles in perfused rat liver
Authors: Hamatani Y. , Inoue M. , Kimura K. , Shiota M. , Ohta M. , Sugano T.
Published: December 2017

The effects of calmodulin antagonists on the capacity of hydrogen-translocating shuttles were studied in the perfused rat liver. The capacity was estimated by measuring the changes in the rate of production of glucose from sorbitol during the oxidation of ethanol [T. Sugano, T. Ohta, A. Tarui, and Y. Miyamae. Am. J. Physiol. 251 (Endocrinol. Metab. 14): E385-E392, 1986]. Thyroxine given to intact rats increased the activity of alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (alpha-GPD). Glucocorticoid replacement in adrenalectomized rats decreased the activity of the alpha-GPD to values obtained after treatment with PTU. In either thyroxine-treated or steroid-replaced rats, the capacity of hydrogen-translocating shuttles increased markedly. However, N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7), trifluoperazine, and chlorpromazine inhibited the increased capacity in steroid-replaced rats and had no effect on the increased capacity in thyroxine-treated rats. W-7 inhibited the stimulatory effects of norepinephrine on the capacity of the malate-aspartate shuttle without inhibition of efflux of intracellular Ca2+. The stimulatory effects of vasopressin on the malate-aspartate shuttle were also inhibited by W-7, trifluoperazine, and chlorpromazine. The results suggest that the malate-aspartate shuttle may be regulated by Ca(2+)-calmodulin.
Glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptor-binding characteristics in obese (ob/ob) mice
Authors: Tsai H. J. , Romsos D. R.
Published: December 2017

Adrenalectomy prevents development of obesity in genetically obese (ob/ob) mice. Replacement studies have shown that these mice exhibit hypersensitivity to corticosterone. This study was conducted to determine if this increased sensitivity was associated with alterations in corticoid receptor number or binding affinity. Cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor numbers were lower by 26% in liver, 23% in brain, and 26% in brown adipose tissue of 8-wk-old male ob/ob mice when compared with lean mice. Cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor numbers were similar in liver and brain of 4-wk-old lean and ob/ob mice is likely secondary to elevated plasma corticosterone concentrations in these older mice. Adrenalectomy increased cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor numbers in liver and brain of 8-wk-old ob/ob mice to values comparable to those in lean mice. Injection of dexamethasone (0.5 or 5 micrograms/g body wt) equally lowered cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor numbers in liver and brain of adrenalectomized ob/ob and lean mice. Brain mineralocorticoid receptor numbers and response to dexamethasone were similar in ob/ob and lean mice. These results suggest that the site responsible for increased sensitivity of ob/ob mice to corticosterone is postreceptor binding.
Fasting inhibits insulin-mediated glycolysis and anaplerosis in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Castillo C. E. , Katz A. , Spencer M. K. , Yan Z. , Nyomba B. L.
Published: December 2017

uglycemic (approximately 5.5 mM) hyperinsulinemic (60 mU.m-2.min-1) clamps were performed for 2 h after a 10-h fast and after a prolonged (72-h) fast. Biopsies were obtained from the quadriceps femoris muscle before and after each clamp. The rate of whole body glucose disposal was approximately 50% lower during the clamp after the 72-h fast (P less than or equal to 0.001). The increase in carbohydrate (CHO) oxidation (which is proportional to glycolysis) during the clamp after the 10-h fast (to 13.8 +/- 1.5 mumol.kg fat free mass-1.min-1) was completely abolished during the clamp after the 72-h fast (1.7 +/- 0.6; P less than or equal to 0.001). During the clamp after the 10-h fast, postphosphofructokinase (PFK) intermediates and malate in muscle increased, whereas glutamate decreased (P less than or equal to 0.05-0.001 vs. basal) and citrate did not change. During the clamp after the 72-h fast, there were no significant changes in post-PFK intermediates or glutamate (P greater than 0.05 vs. basal), but there was a decrease in citrate (P less than or equal to 0.01 vs. basal). Euglycemic hyperinsulinemia increased glycogen synthase fractional activity in muscle under both conditions but to a greater extent after the 72-h fast (P less than or equal to 0.01). It is concluded that insulin (after 10-h fast) increases glycolytic flux and the content of malate in muscle, which is probably due to increased anaplerosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Insulin resistance of obese Zucker rats exercise trained at two different intensities
Authors: Cortez M. Y. , Torgan C. E. , Brozinick J. T. , Ivy J. L.
Published: December 2017

The effect of exercise intensity on oral glucose tolerance and hindlimb glucose uptake and transport was studied in 26 female obese Zucker rats after a treadmill training program. The rats were randomly assigned to either a low-intensity (LI) or high-intensity (HI) exercise group, with equal work being performed by the two groups. A third group of rats served as sedentary controls (SED). The trained rats demonstrated a significant improvement in oral glucose tolerance while maintaining significantly lower plasma insulin concentrations when compared with the SED rats. However, no significant differences in plasma glucose or insulin concentrations were observed between the LI and HI exercise-trained groups. During hindlimb perfusion (500 microU/ml insulin, 8 mM glucose), the rate of muscle glucose uptake for the HI rats (13.5 +/- 0.8 mumol.h-1.g-1) was significantly faster than that of the LI rats (11.4 +/- 0.8 mumol.h-1.g-1), which was significantly faster than that of the SED rats (8.3 +/- 0.6 mumol.h-1.g-1). The rates of 3-O-methyl-D-glucose (3-MG) transport were substantially greater in the fast-twitch red fibers of the HI (10.11 +/- 0.49 mumol.h-1.g-1) and LI (9.08 +/- 0.46 mumol.h-1.g-1) rats when compared with those of the SED rats (6.15 +/- 0.41 mumol.h-1.g-1). However, only the HI training resulted in a significant increase in the 3-MG transport of the fast-twitch white fibers (HI, 2.37 +/- 0.27; LI, 1.48 +/- 0.11; SED, 1.31 +/- 0.15 mumol.h-1.g-1). Only muscles with an increased citrate synthase activity demonstrated an improved insulin-stimulated glucose transport.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effect of alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase phosphorylation on branched-chain amino acid metabolism in muscle
Authors: Hood D. A. , Terjung R. L.
Published: December 2017

The regulation of leucine and valine metabolism was evaluated in skeletal muscle of perfused rat hindlimb. Control of the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKADH) via phosphorylation was removed with 0.4 mM alpha-chloroisocaproate (CIC). CIC activated the BCKADH complex 13- to 26-fold and led to increased rates of leucine and valine uptake into muscle, transamination to the corresponding alpha-ketoacid, and leucine (3- to 4-fold) and valine (6-fold) decarboxylation but led to decreased rates of alpha-ketoacid efflux from muscle. Although the increased rates of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) decarboxylation were extensive, they were far below the extent of BCKADH activation as measured in vitro, suggesting that factors other than BCKADH activation become dominant in controlling the flux through alpha-ketoacid decarboxylation in skeletal muscle in situ. When the BCKADH capacity of muscle was increased 70–90% by a training-induced increase in mitochondrial content, the same 13- to 26-fold activation of the complex by CIC led to a rate of BCAA decarboxylation, which was only marginally greater (10–20%; P less than 0.05) than that of normal muscle. In addition, increasing the energy demand via muscle contractions led to a significant increase in leucine decarboxylation in the presence of complete activation of BCKADH by dephosphorylation. Thus BCKADH phosphorylation-dephosphorylation plays an important though not exclusive role in modulating the rates of BCAA metabolism in skeletal muscle. Differences in valine and leucine metabolism were apparent as valine catabolism bolstered citric acid cycle contents by increasing malate in red muscle with high mitochondrial content.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Influence of recombinant human erythropoietin on blood pressure and tissue renin-angiotensin systems
Authors: Eggena P. , Willsey P. , Jamgotchian N. , Truckenbrod L. , Hu M. S. , Barrett J. D. , Eggena M. P. , Clegg K. , Nakhoul F. , Lee D. B.
Published: December 2017

In humans, blockade of the renin-angiotensin system with angiotensin converting-enzyme inhibitors (ANG CEI) prevents the rise in blood pressure associated with the administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). This study was conducted to determine whether rhEPO elevates blood pressure in normal Wistar rats and whether the renin-ANG system is affected. Groups of 10 rats each were given rhEPO, ANG CEI (enalapril), rhEPO + ANG CEI, or vehicle. Renin and/or renin substrate mRNA was measured in aortas, kidney, and heart; renin activity (PRA), inactive renin, and renin substrate were measured in plasma. rhEPO raised blood pressure in the normal rat without changing the plasma renin system. ANG CEI prevented this blood pressure rise. Renin-specific mRNA was increased by rhEPO in renal tissue, and renin substrate mRNA was significantly elevated in the kidney and aorta. mRNA for renin and renin substrate were not altered in the heart. In both aorta and kidney, a significant correlation was observed between renin substrate mRNA and blood pressure. The data indicate that rhEPO modulates specific tissue renin-ANG systems, which may contribute to blood pressure elevation.
Calibration method for small animal indirect calorimeters
Authors: MacKay S. J. , Loiseau A. , Poivre R. , Huot A.
Published: December 2017

A simple mini-butane burner or “artificial rat,” for calibration of small animal indirect calorimeters (modified Benedict and Haldane systems), was developed. Substitution of this burner for a live animal at regular intervals in an experimental protocol provides a means by which whole system function can be verified without disturbing respirometer conditions. Heat production, degree of total combustion of butane, proportion of unburned butane, and the CO2 production (VCO2)-to-O2 consumption (VO2) ratio were determined in animal and burner experiments by direct measurement or were derived from mass equations. Burner security was also discussed. VCO2/VO2 obtained in calibration experiments using the Benedict system remained constant and was not significantly different from the expected value for total combustion of butane. Observation of a stabilization phase in the Haldane burner experiments illustrated the utility of calibration over the duration of a normal animal experiment. This miniburner gave highly reproducible results and simulated the daily VO2, VCO2, and heat production of an adult rat.
Determination of skeletal muscle calpain and calpastatin activities during maturation
Authors: Ou B. R. , Forsberg N. E.
Published: December 2017

Our objectives were to characterize events underlying changes in skeletal muscle calpain and calpastatin activities, using maturation as a model. Muscle samples were taken from rabbits of four ages (newborn and 1, 2, and 5 mo old). Concentrations of RNA and protein and activities of calpains I and II and calpastatin were determined. Steady-state concentrations of mRNAs encoding calpain I, calpain II, calpastatin, alpha- and beta-tubulin, and beta-actin were determined using Northern blot analysis. Calpain and calpastatin activities declined markedly between birth and 1 mo of age and remained unchanged thereafter. Several factors accounted for the neonatal losses of calpains and calpastatin. First, muscle protein concentration increased between birth and 1 mo of age and diluted calpain and calpastatin specific activities. Second, there was a marked reduction of muscle RNA concentration between birth and 1 mo of age, which indicates that protein synthetic capacity declined with age. Finally, calpastatin mRNA concentration declined between birth and 1 mo of age and further contributed to developmental losses of calpastatin activity. Calpain I mRNA concentration was unaffected by age, and although calpain II mRNA concentration declined with age, losses were not detected between birth and 1 mo; hence age-related changes in calpain I and II activities are not mediated at the mRNA level. The age-related reductions in calpain II and calpastatin mRNA concentrations resembled age-related changes in alpha- and beta-tubulin and beta-actin mRNA concentration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Maternal ethanol ingestion and somatostatin level and binding in developing rat brain
Authors: Barrios V. , Rodriguez-Sanchez M. N. , Hernandez M. , Arilla E.
Published: December 2017

The effect of maternal ethanol ingestion on 125I-labeled [Tyr11]somatostatin (SS) binding and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) in the rat frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus of developing offspring was explored. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were given ethanol in the drinking water before pregnancy, during gestation, and while nursing, whereas controls received a standard diet and fresh water ad libitum. In the ethanol group, food intake decreased as ethanol consumption augmented, with the ethanol calories comprising greater than 30% of the total energy intake during pregnancy. Total energy intake was similar for the ethanol group and normal controls. Maternal alcohol ingestion is associated with an enhanced SLI level in the frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus on the day of birth. This study provided evidence of a selective decrease in SS receptor binding in frontoparietal cortex but not in hippocampus in the 0- to 10-day-old offspring of the ethanol-fed rats. The SS receptor number increased from day 0 to 10 in both control and ethanol groups. However, the affinity appeared to decrease significantly in the ethanol group during this period. At day 30, no differences were found between offspring of control and ethanol-treated rats in any of the parameters. These results suggest that the development of SS receptors in the rat frontoparietal cortex can be transitorily delayed by maternal ethanol ingestion.
Regulation of glucose metabolism by norepinephrine in conscious dogs
Authors: Connolly C. C. , Steiner K. E. , Stevenson R. W. , Neal D. W. , Williams P. E. , Alberti K. G. , Cherrington A. D.
Published: December 2017

The effects of norepinephrine (NE) at levels present in the circulation and synaptic cleft during stress on glucose metabolism were examined in overnight-fasted conscious dogs with fixed basal levels of insulin and glucagon. Plasma NE rose from 132 +/- 14 to 442 +/- 85 pg/ml and 100 +/- 20 to 3,244 +/- 807 pg/ml during 3 h of low (n = 6) and high (n = 5) NE infusion, respectively. Plasma glucose and glucose production rose only with high NE infusion (from 108 +/- 4 to 159 +/- 15 mg/dl and 2.78 +/- 0.24 to 3.41 +/- 0.38 mg.kg-1.min-1, respectively). NE infusion caused dose-dependent net hepatic lactate consumption, but net hepatic alanine uptake fell only with high NE infusion (31%). Alanine conversion to glucose rose by 67 +/- 13, 136 +/- 20, and 412 +/- 104%, and intrahepatic gluconeogenic efficiency rose by 42 +/- 27, 299 +/- 144, and 212 +/- 21% with saline and with low and high NE infusion, respectively. In conclusion, NE enhances gluconeogenesis by stimulating peripheral precursor release, by increasing substrate movement into the hepatocyte, and by increasing intrahepatic gluconeogenic efficiency. However, only the higher NE levels affected glucose metabolism profoundly enough to stimulate glucose production and to elevate the glucose level.
Role of glucagon in countering hypoglycemia induced by insulin infusion in dogs
Authors: Dobbins R. L. , Connolly C. C. , Neal D. W. , Palladino L. J. , Parlow A. F. , Cherrington A. D.
Published: December 2017

The aim of the present study was to characterize the role of glucagon in countering the prolonged hypoglycemia resulting from insulin infusion and to determine whether its effect is manifest through glycogenolysis and/or gluconeogenesis. Two groups of 18-h fasted somatostatin-treated dogs were given intraportal insulin at 5 mU.kg-1.min-1. In one group (SimGGN; n = 6), glucagon was infused intraportally so as to mimic the normal response to hypoglycemia. In a second group (BasGGN; n = 6), glucagon was infused at a basal rate. Glucose turnover and gluconeogenesis were assessed by combining tracer and hepatic balance techniques. Exogenous glucose was infused as needed to maintain equivalent hypoglycemia at approximately 45 mg/dl in the two groups. Although glucagon concentrations were significantly different, the levels of other counterregulatory hormones were equivalent in both experimental protocols. Endogenous glucose production (EGP) in SimGGN doubled from 2.4 +/- 0.2 to 5.4 +/- 0.8 mg.kg-1.min-1 by 1 h before dropping to 4.5 +/- 0.2 mg.kg-1.min-1 in the 3rd h of insulin infusion. EGP in BasGGN was initially 2.5 +/- 0.1 mg.kg-1.min-1, unchanged by 1 h, and increased to 3.9 +/- 0.2 mg.kg-1.min-1 by the 3rd h of insulin infusion. In the 1st h of insulin infusion, the rise in gluconeogenesis in both groups was equal and represented only a small part of total EGP. By the 3rd h, gluconeogenesis was the major contributor to total EGP, and gluconeogenic efficiency increased significantly more in SimGGN than BasGGN (261 vs. 140%, P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Exercise-induced translocation of skeletal muscle glucose transporters
Authors: Goodyear L. J. , Hirshman M. F. , Horton E. S.
Published: December 2017

Skeletal muscle contractile activity results in increased rates of glucose transport that are associated with an increase in the number and activity of plasma membrane glucose transporters. In the current study it was determined whether exercise causes a translocation of glucose transporters from an intracellular pool to the plasma membrane and whether exercise and insulin stimulate the same glucose transporter protein. Plasma membrane glucose transporter number, measured by cytochalasin B binding, increased from 10.1 +/- 0.73 to 15.0 +/- 1.4 pmol/mg protein (P less than 0.01) in muscle of exercised rats, whereas microsomal membrane transporters decreased significantly from 6.0 +/- 0.7 to 4.2 +/- 0.4 pmol/mg protein (P less than 0.05). Western blot analysis using the monoclonal antibody mAb 1F8 (specific for GLUT-4) demonstrated a 45% increase in plasma membrane GLUT-4 from exercised skeletal muscle compared with controls, whereas microsomal membranes from the exercised muscle had a concomitant 25% decrease in GLUT-4 protein. These data suggest that exercise recruits transporters to the plasma membrane from an intracellular microsomal pool, similar to the translocation of transporters that occurs with insulin stimulation. Furthermore, both exercise and insulin stimulate the translocation of GLUT-4 in skeletal muscle, while GLUT-1 is not altered.
Model equations for condensation biosynthesis using stable isotopes and radioisotopes
Authors: Kelleher J. K. , Masterson T. M.
Published: December 2017

Important syntheses in living systems occur by condensation reactions of the type nA----1B (where n is the number of A molecules needed to synthesize 1 molecule of B). Quantitative relationships for estimating the rate of synthesis of B from radioactive and stable isotope tracers are compared. With radioisotope tracers, only a single quantity is detected, the amount of radioactivity in B. In contrast, isotopes of varying mass produce multiple mass isotopomers B that are detected using mass spectrometry. The analysis demonstrates that the rate of synthesis of B is identifiable from stable isotope data but not from radioisotope data. This results because the isotopomer distribution of B at any time after tracer addition is a function of only the multinomial distribution representing the synthesis of B from n molecules of A and two parameters representing the fractional fluxes of isotopically enriched molecules to the sampled compartment of B. The model considers the possibility that the sampled compartment of B may not reach isotopic steady state during the experiment. A graphical method for obtaining initial estimates of the two parameters is presented.
Bidirectional ion transport in thyroid: secretion of anions by monolayer cultures that absorb sodium
Authors: Armstrong J. , Matainaho T. , Cragoe E. J. , Huxham G. J. , Bourke J. R. , Manley S. W.
Published: December 2017

Cultured porcine thyroid cell monolayers transport Na+ in an apical-to-basal direction, resulting in the development of a basal-positive transepithelial potential difference (TEP) and the formation of domes (fluid-filled elevations of the cell layer above the culture dish substrate). Stimulation by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) increases the magnitude of the TEP, the short-circuit current (Isc) measured in Transwell Ussing chambers, and the height of domes in cultures grown on impermeable substrates. A phenamil-resistant, PGE2-stimulated component of the Isc in Transwells and of the TEP in monolayers in conventional culture dishes was inhibitable by bumetanide, a diuretic drug that blocks NaKCl2 symporters, mediating active transport of Cl-. The rate of decrease in height of domes in cultures after addition of phenamil, presumably indicative of transport of fluid in a basal-to-apical direction, was also reduced by bumetanide. Studies with Transwells in Cl(-)-free, HCO(3-)-free or Cl(-)- and HCO(3-)-free media indicated that thyroid cells transported HCO3- as well as Cl- in a basal-to-apical direction. It was concluded that the thyroid epithelium is both sodium absorbing and anion secreting.
Circulating galanin: origin, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics in anesthetized pigs
Authors: Harling H. , Holst J. J.
Published: December 2017

The concentration of galanin-like immunoreactivity (GAL-LI) was 12.9 +/- 0.9 pmol/l in porcine arterial plasma (n = 9) and ranged from 1 to 14 pmol/g in extracts of porcine gastrointestinal tract (n = 5), the colon being the richest gut segment. A significant (P less than 0.05) arteriovenous concentration difference of circulating endogenous GAL-LI occurred across the kidney (15.1 +/- 2.3 vs. 6.2 +/- 0.5 pmol/l) and a hind leg (15.7 +/- 2.5 vs. 10.2 +/- 1.0 pmol/l), whereas a negative gradient was observed across the intestine (12.5 +/- 2.0 vs. 17.7 +/- 3.3 pmol/l) of anesthetized pigs. Passage through the brain, liver, or lungs did not change the concentration of endogenous GAL-LI significantly. During basal circumstances, the major source of circulating GAL-LI is therefore the gut. During infusion of 20 pmol.kg-1.min-1 of synthetic porcine galanin, a significant extraction occurred across the kidney (64.8 +/- 4.3%), hind leg (20.3 +/- 3.8%), and liver (19.7 +/- 4.3%). The overall metabolic clearance rate was 37.8 +/- 3.7 ml.min-1.kg-1. The half-life of galanin in plasma was 4.6 +/- 0.3 min, and the apparent distribution space was 255.6 +/- 31.4 ml/kg. Incubation studies in vitro showed that the concentration of galanin, added to blood and plasma at 37 degrees C, was halved in 1 h, unless stabilized with EDTA and aprotinin.