Angelika Harneit

Rapid rise in plasma glucagon induced by acute cold exposure in man and rat

The effect of acute cold exposure on the concentration of glucagon in the blood was investigated in man and in intact and adrenalectomized rats.In man fasted overnight acute cold exposure, which caused a twofold increase in O2-consumption resulted in a rapid rise in plasma glucagon. The levels of insulin and blood glucose remained unaltered, while the concentration of serum free fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate increased.In fasted intact rats acute cold exposure lead to similar effects. A close parallelism between the rise in plasma glucagon and the concentration of hepatic cycloAMP was observed. Adrenalectomy did not impair the cold induced rise in plasma glucagon and hepatic cycloAMP.It is concluded that acute cold exposure caused a rapid rise in the concentration of plasma glucagon leading to an increase in the concentration of hepatic cycloAMP, thus enhancing the rate of hepatic gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis. As these alterations were similar in the absence of glucocorticoids and medulla-derived catecholamines, it is suggested that glucagon may play a role in the metabolic adaptation to acute cold exposure.

In vivo glucose turnover in hypo- and hyperthyroid starved rat.

The effect of hypo- and hyperthyroidism on glucose turnover in vivo was determined in unanesthetized rats starved for 48 h. Glucose pool and decay rate of specific radioactivity of blood glucose was measured after bolus injection of a mixture of3H-(2)- and14C-(U)-glucose under steady state conditions. Compared with euthyroid controls (=100%), hypothyroidism resulted in a decrease of blood glucose concentration (81%), glucose pool (52%), glucose disappearance rate (39%), and total glucose recycling (12%). In contrast, hyperthyroidism led to an increase of blood glucose concentration (148%), glucose pool (121%), glucose disappearance rate (185%), and and total glucose recycling (163%).T1/2 for glucose was calculated to be 46 min in the hypo-, 34 min in the eu-, and 22 min in the hyperthyroid state.The concentration of circulating glucoregulatory hormones, corticosterone and glucagon were elevated in hyperthyroid rats, while glucagon was diminished in hypothyroid animals. No difference in the level of insulin was found.These data demonstrate that glucose turnover in vivo is a function of the thyroid state being reduced in hypo- and considerably increased in hyperthyroidism.

Structure-activity relationship of adenosine 5'-diphosphoribose at the transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) channel: rational design of antagonists.

Adenosine 5′-diphosphoribose (ADPR) activates TRPM2, a Ca2+, Na+, and K+ permeable cation channel. Activation is induced by ADPR binding to the cytosolic C-terminal NudT9-homology domain. To generate the first structure–activity relationship, systematically modified ADPR analogues were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as antagonists using patch-clamp experiments in HEK293 cells overexpressing human TRPM2. Compounds with a purine C8 substituent show antagonist activity, and an 8-phenyl substitution (8-Ph-ADPR, 5) is very effective. Modification of the terminal ribose results in a weak antagonist, whereas its removal abolishes activity. An antagonist based upon a hybrid structure, 8-phenyl-2′-deoxy-ADPR (86, IC50 = 3 μM), is more potent than 8-Ph-ADPR (5). Initial bioisosteric replacement of the pyrophosphate linkage abolishes activity, but replacement of the pyrophosphate and the terminal ribose by a sulfamate-based group leads to a weak antagonist, a lead to more drug-like analogues. 8-Ph-ADPR (5) inhibits Ca2+ signalling and chemotaxis in human neutrophils, illustrating the potential for pharmacological intervention at TRPM2.

Modulation of Ca2+ entry and plasma membrane potential by human TRPM4b

TRPM4b is a Ca2+‐activated, voltage‐dependent monovalent cation channel that has been shown to act as a negative regulator of Ca2+ entry and to be involved in the generation of oscillations of Ca2+ influx in Jurkat T‐lymphocytes. Transient overexpression of TRPM4b as an enhanced green fluorescence fusion protein in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells resulted in its localization in the plasma membrane, as demonstrated by confocal fluorescence microscopy. The functionality and plasma membrane localization of overexpressed TRPM4b was confirmed by induction of Ca2+‐dependent inward and outward currents in whole cell patch clamp recordings. HEK‐293 cells stably overexpressing TRPM4b showed higher ionomycin‐activated Ca2+ influx than wild‐type cells. In addition, analysis of the membrane potential using the potentiometric dye bis‐(1,3‐dibutylbarbituric acid)‐trimethine oxonol and by current clamp experiments in the perforated patch configuration revealed a faster initial depolarization after activation of Ca2+ entry with ionomycin. Furthermore, TRPM4b expression facilitated repolarization and thereby enhanced sustained Ca2+ influx. In conclusion, in cells with a small negative membrane potential, such as HEK‐293 cells, TRPM4b acts as a positive regulator of Ca2+ entry.

8-Bromo-cyclic inosine diphosphoribose: towards a selective cyclic ADP-ribose agonist.

cADPR (cyclic ADP-ribose) is a universal Ca2+ mobilizing second messenger. In T-cells cADPR is involved in sustained Ca2+ release and also in Ca2+ entry. Potential mechanisms for the latter include either capacitative Ca2+ entry, secondary to store depletion by cADPR, or direct activation of the non-selective cation channel TRPM2 (transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily melastatin, member 2). Here we characterize the molecular target of the newly-described membrane-permeant cADPR agonist 8-Br-N1-cIDPR (8-bromo-cyclic IDP-ribose). 8-Br-N1-cIDPR evoked Ca2+ signalling in the human T-lymphoma cell line Jurkat and in primary rat T-lymphocytes. Ca2+ signalling induced by 8-Br-N1-cIDPR consisted of Ca2+ release and Ca2+ entry. Whereas Ca2+ release was sensitive to both the RyR (ryanodine receptor) blocker RuRed (Ruthenium Red) and the cADPR antagonist 8-Br-cADPR (8-bromo-cyclic ADP-ribose), Ca2+ entry was inhibited by the Ca2+ entry blockers Gd3+ (gadolinium ion) and SKF-96365, as well as by 8-Br-cADPR. To unravel a potential role for TRPM2 in sustained Ca2+ entry evoked by 8-Br-N1-cIDPR, TRPM2 was overexpressed in HEK (human embryonic kidney)-293 cells. However, though activation by H2O2 was enhanced dramatically in those cells, Ca2+ signalling induced by 8-Br-N1-cIDPR was almost unaffected. Similarly, direct analysis of TRPM2 currents did not reveal activation or co-activation of TRPM2 by 8-Br-N1-cIDPR. In summary, the sensitivity to the Ca2+ entry blockers Gd3+ and SKF-96365 is in favour of the concept of capacitative Ca2+ entry, secondary to store depletion by 8-Br-N1-cIDPR. Taken together, 8-Br-N1-cIDPR appears to be the first cADPR agonist affecting Ca2+ release and secondary Ca2+ entry, but without effect on TRPM2.

Regulation of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) Role of dietary proteins and amino acids in vivo and in the isolated perfused rat liver

The effect of protein feeding and the addition of amino acids on the activity of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP : oxalacetate carboxylyase (transphosphorylating), EC 4.1.1.32) was investigated in vivo and in the isolated perfused rat liver. Protein feeding resulted in a considerable increase in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity within 6 h. This rise was independent of the presence of glucocorticoids. In the isolated perfused liver system amino acids per se had a small effect on phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity and led to an increase by 20% when glucocorticoids were present, but resulted in a rise by 100% when glucocorticoids plus dibutyryl cyclic AMP were added to the perfusion medium. The effect of amino acids in the presence of dibutyryl cyclic AMP could also be observed in the liver of glucocorticoid-deprived rats. Cycloheximide, a translational inhibitor, totally blocked all effects of amino acids on enzyme activity. These results indicate that the concentration of amino acids in the portal vein modify the regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by cyclic AMP.

Ligand-induced activation of human TRPM2 requires the terminal ribose of ADPR and involves Arg1433 and Tyr1349

TRPM2 (transient receptor potential channel, subfamily melastatin, member 2) is a Ca2+-permeable non-selective cation channel activated by the binding of adenosine 5′-diphosphoribose (ADPR) to its cytoplasmic NUDT9H domain (NUDT9 homology domain). Activation of TRPM2 by ADPR downstream of oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many human diseases, rendering TRPM2 an attractive novel target for pharmacological intervention. However, the structural basis underlying this activation is largely unknown. Since ADP (adenosine 5′-diphosphate) alone did not activate or antagonize the channel, we used a chemical biology approach employing synthetic analogues to focus on the role of the ADPR terminal ribose. All novel ADPR derivatives modified in the terminal ribose, including that with the seemingly minor change of methylating the anomeric-OH, abolished agonist activity at TRPM2. Antagonist activity improved as the terminal substituent increasingly resembled the natural ribose, indicating that gating by ADPR might require specific interactions between hydroxyl groups of the terminal ribose and the NUDT9H domain. By mutating amino acid residues of the NUDT9H domain, predicted by modelling and docking to interact with the terminal ribose, we demonstrate that abrogating hydrogen bonding of the amino acids Arg1433 and Tyr1349 interferes with activation of the channel by ADPR. Taken together, using the complementary experimental approaches of chemical modification of the ligand and site-directed mutagenesis of TRPM2, we demonstrate that channel activation critically depends on hydrogen bonding of Arg1433 and Tyr1349 with the terminal ribose. Our findings allow for a more rational design of novel TRPM2 antagonists that may ultimately lead to compounds of therapeutic potential.