Altered ketone body metabolism during gram-negative sepsis in the rat

To investigate why blood ketone bodies are depressed during sepsis, the production and utilization of ketone bodies was studied in fasted control, fasted, Escherichia coli-treated, fed control, and fed E coli-treated rats. Gram-negative sepsis was induced by intravenous (IV) injection of 8 x 10(7) live colonies of E coli per 100 g body weight. Food was removed from the fasted rats after E coli injection. Fed rats were infused intragastrically with a nutritionally adequate diet for 5 days before inducing sepsis. Twenty-four hours after E coli injection, blood ketone bodies were reduced in fasted septic rats and fed septic rats compared with their respective control rats. Ketogenesis and oxidation of labeled palmitate was not altered in hepatocytes from fasted E coli-treated rats. Yet, ketogenesis declined significantly in hepatocytes from fed E coli-treated rats. Oxidation of labeled palmitate was also significantly reduced in hepatocytes from fed E coli-treated rats. Utilization of ketone bodies as measured by the incorporation of [3-14C]beta-hydroxybutyrate into CO2, increased over threefold in the diaphragm, 12% in the heart, and 19% in the kidneys from the fasted E coli-treated rats. In the fed state, incorporation of [3-14C]beta-hydroxybutyrate into CO2 was elevated fivefold in the heart, fourfold in the diaphragm, and over threefold in the kidneys from the septic rats. These results suggest that in the fasted state, plasma ketone bodies remain low during gram-negative sepsis because peripheral tissues use more ketone bodies and because liver ketogenesis is not increased to compensate for the increased utilization. In the fed state, the reduction in blood ketone bodies appears to be attributed to both impaired ketogenic capacity and increased peripheral utilization.     

Effect of metabolic acidosis on hindquarter glutamine and alanine release

The relationship between hindquarter glutamine release and renal glutamine extraction was studied in rats undergoing chronic metabolic acidosis. Metabolic acidosis was induced by maintaining rats on NH4CL for four days; controls were pair-fed NH4HCO3. Metabolic acidosis increased renal glutamine extraction 8-fold and decreased arterial plasma glutamine concentration 40%. Hindquarter glutamine release rose 5-fold in acidosis due to an increased arteriovenous glutamine concentration difference and a significant rise in blood flow through the hindquarters. Both ammonia and glutamate extraction in the hindquarter increased in acidosis and could account for 25% of the glutamine nitrogen released. Alanine release by hindquarters, which exceeded glutamine release in the control animals, was greatly depressed in metabolic acidosis. The reduction in alanine nitrogen release during acidosis could account for 25% of the glutamine nitrogen released. Consequently, metabolic acidosis stimulates hindquarter glutamine release at the expense of alanine and is also supported by greater extraction of ammonia and glutamate. However, other N sources must supply nearly 50% of the glutamine nitrogen released based on balance studies.     

Intestinal glutamine and ammonia metabolism during chronic hyperammonaemia induced by liver insufficiency.

During liver insufficiency, besides portasystemic shunting, high arterial glutamine concentrations could enhance intestinal glutamine consumption and ammonia generation, thereby aggravating hyperammonaemia. To investigate this hypothesis, portal drained viscera (intestines) fluxes and jejunal tissue concentrations of ammonia and glutamine were measured in portacaval shunted rats with a ligated bile duct, portacaval shunted, and sham operated rats, seven and 14 days after surgery, and in normal unoperated controls. Effects of differences in food intake were minimised by pair feeding portacaval shunted and sham operated with portacaval shunted rats with biliary obstruction. At both time points, arterial ammonia was increased in the groups with liver insufficiency. Also, arterial glutamine concentration was raised in all operated groups compared with normal unoperated controls. At both time points, ammonia production by portal drained viscera was reduced in portacaval shunted rats with biliary obstruction, portacaval shunted, and sham operated rats compared with normal unoperated controls, and no major differences were found between these operated groups. At day 7 in all operated groups glutamine uptake by portal drained viscera was lower than in normal unoperated controls, but no major differences were found at day 14. These experiments show that ammonia generation by portal drained viscera remains unchanged in rats with chronic liver insufficiency despite alterations in arterial glutamine concentrations and intestinal glutamine uptake. The hyperammonaemia seems to be mainly determined by the portasystemic shunting.     

Effects of perfusate leucine concentration on the metabolism of valine by the isolated rat hindquarter

Rates of oxidation of valine and release of alpha-ketoisovaleric acid by hindquarters from rats fed a 9% casein diet were measured at intervals over 90 minutes. The hindquarters were perfused with medium containing between 0.03 and 10 mmol/L L-leucine; concentrations of valine and isoleucine were kept constant at 0.2 and 0.1 mmol/L, respectively. The rate of oxidation of [1-14C]valine increased two to threefold when the perfusate contained 0.8 or 1.0 mmol/L leucine but was depressed by 50% when the leucine concentration was 10 mmol/L. The rate of release of alpha-ketoisovaleric acid from the hindquarter was affected little by perfusate leucine concentrations up to 1.0 mmol/L, but release was depressed when perfusate leucine concentration was increased to 10 mmol/L. The rate of release of alpha-ketoisocaproic acid increased with increasing perfusate leucine concentration, as did intracellular alpha-ketoisocaproic acid and leucine concentrations. These results indicate that valine oxidation by the isolated perfused hindquarter is stimulated by a high perfusate leucine concentration (1.0 mmol/L), suggesting that this response contributes to the depressed plasma and tissue valine pools of rats fed a high-leucine diet. An excessively high concentration of leucine (10 mmol/L) suppresses valine oxidation, presumably by competing with valine for transmination or transport.     

Enhanced glutamine and glucose metabolism in cultured rat splenocytes stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate plus ionomycin.

Metabolism of glutamine and glucose was studied in normal rat splenocytes cultured for 48 hours in the presence and absence of a mixture of the mitogens, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) + ionomycin (Iono). 3H-Thymidine uptake by splenocytes was stimulated more than 500-fold by PMA + Iono. After culture, cells were incubated for 2 hours in the presence of either 2 mmol/L [U-14C]glutamine +/- 5 mmol/L glucose or 5 mmol/L [U-14C]glucose +/- 2 mmol/L glutamine in Krebs-Ringer HEPES buffer. Glutamine was metabolized mainly to ammonia, glutamate, aspartate, and CO2, and these products were all increased (P less than .01) by twofold to 2.5-fold in stimulated cells. Glucose was metabolized mainly to lactate and, to a lesser extent, to pyruvate and CO2. Lactate production from glucose was increased (P less than .01) by 2.4-fold in stimulated cells, without changes in pyruvate or CO2 production. In unstimulated, cultured splenocytes, glutamine was not quantitatively as important as glucose in the provision of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), as calculated on the basis of measured metabolites. However, in stimulated cells, glutamine became a much more important energy substrate, providing similar amounts of ATP to those from glucose. The oxidation of glutamine via the Krebs cycle was the major pathway for glutamine-derived ATP production, while lactate production from glucose accounted for the major part of glucose-derived ATP in PMA+Iono-stimulated splenocytes. Thus, we suggest glutamine plays a dual metabolic role in these cells, as both an important fuel and an essential source of carbon and nitrogen precursors for biosynthetic processes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Altered thyroid status modulates portal pressure in normal rats.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Disturbances in thyroid function in humans and experimental animal models have been associated with alterations in liver function and portal circulation. We have previously shown that hypothyroidism can significantly reduce portal pressure in portal vein ligated rats as well as inhibit the development of cirrhosis and fulminant hepatic failure following toxic liver injury. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of increased and decreased thyroid function on portal pressure in rats with normal liver histology and portal circulation. METHODS: Three groups of 12 Wistar rats each were studied over a 30 day period: euthyroid (Group 1), hyperthyroid (Group 2) and hypothyroid (Group 3). Hyperthyroidism was induced by subcutaneous injection of triiodothyronine (400 microg/100g body weight) every ten days during the study period. Hypothyroidism was induced by methimazole (0.04% in drinking water) from 2 weeks prior to and throughout the 30 day study. Serum triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were determined to confirm the induction of hyper- and hypothyroidism. Portal pressure was assessed by direct catheterization of the portal vein prior to sacrifice. Indirect confirmation of changes in portal circulation was obtained by determining splenic weight at the time of sacrificing the animals. Animals were sacrificed at 10 day intervals throughout the 30 day study. RESULTS: Triiodothyronine treated rats were hyperthyroid compared to controls, with an elevation in serum T3 levels (3.8+/-0.9 mmol/L vs 1.3+/-0.4 mmol/L, p<0.05). In rats treated with methimazole, hypothyroidism was confirmed by a 7-fold increase in serum TSH compared to controls (1.8+/-0.4 vs 0.24+/-0.04 mmol/L, p<0.01). Portal pressure was significantly higher in the triiodothyronine treated rats compared to controls (12.8+/-1.7 and 9.6+/-0.75 cm H2O, p<0.001). Splenic weights in hyperthyroid rats were significantly higher than in controls (579+/-44 vs 478+/-46 mg, p<0.01). Portal pressure was significantly lower in the methimazole treated group compared to the control group (8.13+/-0.68 vs 9.6+/-0.75 cm H2O, p<0.01) as were splenic weights (400+/-33 vs 478+/-46 mg, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These studies demonstrate that disturbed thyroid function exerts significant hemodynamic effects on the portal circulation in normal rats and complements results from previous similar studies in cirrhotic animals.     

Effect of hyperammonemia on leucine and protein metabolism in rats

The cause of muscle wasting and decreased plasma levels of branched chain amino acids (BCAA), valine, leucine, and isoleucine in liver cirrhosis is obscure. Here we have evaluated the effect of hyperammonemia. Rats were infused with either an ammonium acetate/bicarbonate mixture, a sodium acetate/bicarbonate mixture, or saline for 320 minutes. The parameters of leucine and protein metabolism were evaluated in the whole body and in several tissues using a primed constant intravenous infusion of L-[1-14C]leucine. Ammonium infusion caused an increase in ammonia and glutamine levels in plasma, a decrease in BCAA and alanine in plasma and skeletal muscle, a significant decrease in whole-body proteolysis and protein synthesis, and an increase in leucine oxidized fraction. A significant decrease in protein synthesis after ammonium infusion was observed in skeletal muscle while a nonsignificant effect was observed in liver, gut, heart, spleen, and kidneys. We conclude that the decrease in plasma BCAA after ammonia infusion is associated with decreased proteolysis and increased leucine oxidized fraction.     

Vitamin D metabolism during pregnancy and lactation in the rat.

The plasma concentration of the major vitamin D metabolites; 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were measured during pregnancy and lactation in the adult female rat. The concentrations of these metabolites were also measured in rat pups during lactation and after weaning. The plasma concentration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in the adult female increases from a control value of 26 pg/ml to 86 pg/ml during the latter stages of pregnancy, reaches a peak of 158 pg/ml during lactation, and then returns to control levels by 3 weeks postweaning. Plasma concentrations of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D fall dramatically during pregnancy from a control level of 3.9 ng/ml to 1.6 ng/ml remain low during lactation, and return to control levels by 3 weeks postweaning. In the neonatal rat pup at 14 days postpartum, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D plasma concentration is 25 pg/ml and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentration is 2.8 ng/ml. By day 25 postpartum, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations reached levels of 101 pg/ml, whereas 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations fell to 1.9 ng/ml.     

Altered mechanism of glucagon-mediated hepatic glycogenolysis during long-term starvation in the rat.

The effect of long-term starvation on glucagon-mediated hepatic glycogenolysis was investigated in the rat in vivo. Following glucagon (50 microgram/kg i.v.) fed rats showed rapid phosphorylase activation but no change in synthase-I activities. In contrast, rats fasted 72 hr (long-term fasting) showed rapid synthase inactivation but no significant phosphorylase activation. Rats fasted 24 hr (short-term fasting) demonstrated coordinated inactivation of synthase and activation of phosphorylase. Hepatic cyclic AMP responses were greater in fasted rats. Hepatic glycogen concentrations in rats fasted 72 hr were approximately 30% of fed levels. After glucagon, comparable decrements in hepatic glycogen and increments in plasma glucose concentrations were seen in fed and 72-hr groups. The diminished responsiveness of the hepatic phosphorylase system in rats fasted 72 hr was not attributable to altered cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase or phosphorylase kinase activities. However, the diminished responsiveness could be ascribed to diminished total phosphorylase with nearly complete activation in the basal state. In fed and fasted rats, synthase decrements after glucagon correlated closely with basal levels of synthase-I. Thus, it is proposed that the enzymatic mechanism of glucagon-mediated hepatic glycogenolysis differs in fed and fasted rats. It is also proposed that partial hepatic glycogen reaccumulation during long-term fasting could be physiologically important for glucose homeostasis.     

大鼠肝前型门脉高压症形成中门静脉结构的动态变化

目的探讨大鼠肝前型门脉高压症形成中门静脉血管结构的动态变化及意义。方法以部分门静脉结扎（PVL）法复制肝前型门脉高压症大鼠模型，采用组织形态学方法及计算机图像分析技术测定PVL术后1、2、4、8、12、16、20、26天大鼠的门静脉内径（ID）、外径（OD）、壁厚（WT）、壁面轵（CSA）及平滑肌含量（SMC），同步监测大鼠门静脉压力（PVP）、门静脉血流量（PVF）、平均动脉压（MAP）、门静脉阻力（PVR）、内赃血管阻力（SVR）等血液动力学参数的动态变化。结果PVL术后，大鼠的PVP、PVR、SVR、MAP发生了显著变化。PVL大鼠门静脉CSA从术后12d起，ID、OD、WT和SMC从术后16d起较对照组显著增加（P〈0．05）。结论门脉高压大鼠存在高动力循环状态（HCS）。HCS可引起门静脉结构变化，其管壁增厚，内外管径增大，平滑肌增生。     

Dietary glutamine suppresses endogenous glutamine turnover in the rat

Plasma glutamine turnover was determined using 1-14C-labeled glutamine in rats that consumed crystalline amino acid diets containing the equivalent of 16% protein with 25% of the amino acids as glutamine or a control diet containing no glutamine (or glutamate) for 10 days. Glutamine turnover in glutamine-fed animals was 66% of the rate in the control group. Glutamine feeding caused 20% higher levels of arterial plasma glutamine. Arterial-portal differences across the portal-drained viscera showed net glutamine uptake in control animals but no net uptake or release in the glutamine-fed group. Skeletal muscle glutamine synthetase activity was similar in both groups. The results indicate that long-term consumption of relatively large amounts of dietary glutamine decreases the turnover of plasma glutamine and thus reduces the need for endogenous glutamine synthesis.     

Altered ion transport in aortic smooth muscle during deoxycorticosterone acetate hypertension in the rat.

Change in aortic water and electrolyte distribution and in ion turnover were studied during the development of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) hypertension in the rat. Treatment with DOCA plus saline during the prehypertensive phase was associated with increases in 42K turnover (0.0142 +/- 0.0005 vs. 0.0102 +/- 0.0003 min-1), cell water (0.89 +/- 0.03 vs 0.76 +/- 0.02 kg/kg dry weight), and the ratio of weight to length. These parameters were further increased during the development of hypertension. Significant increases were also observed in total K, Ca, and Mg contents and in Na and C1 contents corrected for the extracellular space. The turnover of 36Cl was increased (0.230 +/- 0.006 vs. 0.136 +/- 0.004 min-1) in DOCA hypertensive rats as was the content of slowly exchanging Cl. Removal of extracellular Ca greatly increased the steady-state turnover of 42K. For control rats, a Ca concentration of 0.1 mM reduced the rate of 42K turnover to less than 50% of the Ca-free value (0.063 +/- 0.004 min-1), whereas DOCA hypertensive rats exhibited only a 10% reduction. At the highest Ca concentration, 5 mM, the 42K turnover was greater in DOCA-treated rats with the hypertensives operating at 67% of maximum efflux or about twice the efflux in controls. It is concluded that significant alterations in ion transport by vascular smooth muscle occur before and during the development of hypertension induced by treatment with DOCA plus saline. Such changes may result from a reduced ability of Ca to stabilize the membrane. It is proposed that such alterations contribute to the changes in vascular reactivity and the hypertrophy associated with hypertension.     

Blood pressure elevation during hindquarter compression in dogs is neurogenic

In a previous paper we reported that in pigs and dogs hindlimb compression causes large blood pressure increases which appear to be neurogenic. The present studies explore the utility of this non-invasive pressor model by determining the duration of the blood pressure increase, and by providing definitive evidence that the pressor response is neurogenic. All studies were done in chloralose-anaesthetized mongrel dogs. Prolonged experiments were performed in five experimental and four control dogs. Pressor responses could be elicited over a period of 9 h. The blood pressure increase during the 9th h was +30 +/- (s.e.m.) 6/32 +/- 5 mmHg (P less than 0.001 by paired t-test). The blood pressure in control animals did not change. Short-term hormonal and haemodynamic responses were analysed in 10 dogs. After 20 min hindlimb compression, mean blood pressure was elevated by 41.2 +/- 8.0 mmHg (P less than 0.001), plasma norepinephrine increased by 717 +/- 133 pg/ml (P less than 0.01) and plasma renin rose by 3.4 +/- 1.0 ng/ml/h (P less than 0.05). The pressure elevation was due to a 37% increase in total vascular resistance (P less than 0.01). Spinal anaesthesia at L4-L5 level in nine dogs caused a 70% reduction of blood pressure increase during lower body compression (P less than 0.001) and totally abolished plasma renin and norepinephrine increases. The infrarenal aorta and lower vena cava were occluded in eight dogs. After the ligation, there was a small rise in mean blood pressure (13.1 +/- 3.7 mmHg, P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Functional hepatocyte heterogeneity in ammonia metabolism. The intercellular glutamine cycle

In the rat liver acinus area synthesis and glutaminase activity are predominantly localized in the periportal area, whereas glutamine synthetase activity and the transport system for glutamate in the plasma membrane are perivenous. Detoxification of ammonium ions at low concentrations occurs exclusively by glutamine synthesis, but not by urea formation. Therefore, the two pathways of ammonia detoxification in the liver acinus represent the sequence of a low-affinity, but high-capacity system (urea synthesis) and a high-affinity system (glutamine synthesis). In agreement with this finding, obtained in experiments with the metabolically- and structurally-intact perfused rat liver, is also an almost complete inhibition of perivenous glutamine synthesis without impairment of periportal urea synthesis. This was shown after induction of a perivenous liver cell necrosis following CCl4 pretreatment with the consequence of a diminished hepatic ammonia extraction. Periportal glutaminase and perivenous glutamine synthetase are simultaneously active, resulting in an intercellular (as opposed to intracellular) glutamine cycle, being under the control of hormones, pH and portal ammonia and glutamine concentrations. The intercellular glutamine cycle provides an effective means for almost complete conversion of portal ammonium ions to urea by additional substrate supply of periportal urea synthesis, by periportal glutamine degradation and by the perivenous re-synthesis of glutamine from ammonia which escaped urea synthesis. Because urea synthesis, in contrast to glutamine synthesis, is a major pathway for the removal of bicarbonate, the switching of ammonia detoxification from urea synthesis to glutamine synthesis in acidosis or vice versa in alkalosis points to an important role of the liver in maintaining pH homeostasis. The acid-base-induced changes of the route of hepatic ammonia detoxification and therefore bicarbonate removal are performed by the regulatory properties of the enzymes of the intercellular glutamine cycle.     

Altered chloride metabolism in cultured cystic fibrosis skin fibroblasts.

An abnormal regulation of chloride permeability has been described for epithelial cells from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). To learn more about the biochemical basis of this inherited disease, we have studied chloride metabolism in cultured CF fibroblasts by comparing the efflux of 36Cl- from matched pairs of CF and normal fibroblasts. The rate constants describing 36Cl- efflux did not differ between the two cell types, but in each of the four pairs tested the amount of 36Cl- contained within CF cells was consistently reduced, by 25-30%, relative to normal cells. Comparisons of cell water content and 22Na+ efflux showed no differences between the two cell types, suggesting that overall intracellular chloride concentration is lower than normal in CF fibroblasts. Such data suggest that the CF gene defect is expressed in skin fibroblasts and that this defect may alter the regulation of intracellular Cl- concentration, perhaps through changes in Cl- permeability.     

Altered proximal tubule glucose metabolism in X-linked hypophosphatemic mice.

In the present study we examined renal proximal tubule glucose metabolism in the X-linked hypophosphatemic (Hyp/Y) mouse. Compared to those in its normal (+/Y) littermate, Hyp/Y mouse proximal tubules showed a higher rate of glucose production when using glutamine or alpha-ketoglutarate as a substrate. The glucose production rate was not, however, different when using malate or fructose as the substrate. PTH stimulated glucose production in +/Y, but not Hyp/Y, mouse proximal tubules. The PTH resistance in Hyp/Y mouse involves steps at and post-cAMP formation, because in Hyp/Y mouse proximal tubules PTH effects a lesser stimulation of cAMP generation, and addition of 8-bromo-cAMP failed to increase the glucose production rate. The rate of glucose utilization as a whole was not different in the two groups, but the rate of glucose metabolized through the pentose cycle (PC) pathway was markedly lower in Hyp/Y mouse proximal tubules. The lower PC activity in Hyp/Y mouse proximal tubules did not result from a defect of PC enzymes, because both glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase enzyme activities were intact, and phenazine methosulfate was able to stimulate PC activity. The higher rate of glucose production and the lower rate of PC activities persisted in the in vitro cultured Hyp/Y mouse proximal tubular cells. These results suggest that the altered glucose metabolism in the Hyp/Y mouse proximal tubule is not maintained by external influences and may be an abnormality intrinsic to these cells.