JBC, Vol. 250, Issue 16, 6328-6336, Aug, 1975
Hormonal control of cyclic 3':5'-AMP levels and gluconeogenesis in isolated hepatocytes from fed rats
S. J. Pilkis, T. H. Claus, R. A. Johnson and C. R. Park
Glucagon can stimulate gluconeogenesis from 2 mM lactate nearly 4-fold in
isolated liver cells from fed rats; exogenous cyclic adenosine
3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) is equally effective, but epinephrine can
stimulate only 1.5-fold. Half-maximal effects are obtained with glucagon at
0.3 nM, cyclic AMP at 30 muM and epinephrine at 0.2 muM. Insulin reduces by
50% the stimulation by suboptimal concentrations of glucagon (0.5 nM). A
half-maximal effect is obtained with 0.3 nM insulin (45 microunits/ml).
Glucagon in the presence of theophylline (1 mM) causes a rapid rise and
subsequent fall in intracellular cyclic AMP with a peak between 3 and 6
min. Some of the fall can be accounted for by loss of nucleotide into the
medium. This efflux is suppressed by probenecid, suggesting the presence of
a membrane transport mechanism for the cyclic nucleotide. Glucagon can
raise intracellular cyclic AMP about 30-fold; a half-maximal effect is
obtained with 1.5 nM hormone. Epinephrine (plus theophylline, 1 mM) can
raise intracellular cyclic AMP about 2-fold; the peak elevation is reached
in less than 1 min and declines during the next 15 min to near the basal
level. Insulin (10 nM) does not lower the basal level of cyclic AMP within
the hepatocyte, but suppresses by about 50% the rise in intracellular and
total cyclic AMP caused by exposure to an intermediate concentration of
glucagon. No inhibition of adenylate cyclase by insulin can be shown. Basal
gluconeogenesis is not significantly depressed by calcium deficiency but
stimulation by glucagon is reduced by 50%. Calcium deficiency does not
reduce accumulation of cyclic AMP in response to glucagon but diminishes
stimulation of gluconeogenesis by exogenous cyclic AMP. Glucagon has a
rapid stimulatory effect on the flux of 45Ca2+ from medium to tissue.