Boanerges Rubalcava

Colchicine improves the alterations in the liver adenylate cyclase system of cirrhotic rats

The adenylate cyclase system and the number and affinities of receptors for insulin and glucagon were studied in rats treated with CCl4 and in rats that received colchicine in addition to CCl4. Liver glycogen, cAMP and total collagen content were also measured in those animals. Rats received only mineral oil or only colchicine were used as controls. In this latter group, all parameters measured were normal. Differences in liver collagen content between groups treated with CCl4 and CCl4 + colchicine were not statistically significant. Basal adenylate cyclase activity was 2-fold increased in the CCl4 group. In the animals receiving CCl4 and colchicine, adenylate cyclase activity was normal. Adenylate cyclase activity stimulated by fluoride or by glucagon was also increased in the CCl4 group. However, this increase was due to to the enhanced basal activity. The number of receptors and the affinities of the receptors of glucagon and insulin were normal in all groups. cAMP levels were found increased in the CCl4 treated animals and this was accompanied by a 90% reduction in liver glycogen. In the group treated with CCl4 + colchicine, cAMP was normal and liver glycogen was only reduced 25%. These results suggest that part of the clinical and biochemical improvements observed in the colchicine treated animals were due in part to a reversal of the alterations of the adenylate cyclase system induced by CCl4.

Changes in the insulin and glucagon receptors in the regenerating liver following intoxication with carbon tetrachloride.

Abstract The response of rat liver plasma membrane adenylate cyclase was studied from one to 14 days after a single dose of carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ). The response to glucagon was diminished to a greater extent than that of fluoride and was due to a deficiency in hormone binding. In contrast, insulin binding increased 300% over control; the change was due to increased number of binding sites. The “affinities” of receptors for either hormone were not altered. The tissue levels of adenosine 3′:5′ -monophosphate increased following CCl 4 poisoning reaching a peak precisely when the adenylate cyclase response to glucagon was at its lowest level. These studies present evidence that receptors for pancreatic hormones change differently when liver is damaged and during its regeneration following CCl 4 intoxication. The change in pattern is remarkably similar to changes reported previously in fetal liver development or following partial hepatectomy of adult rat.

Activation of the respiratory burst in murine phagocytes by certain guanine ribonucleosides modified at the 7 and 8 positions: possible involvement of a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein

The capacity of certain guanine ribonucleosides (modified at the 7 and/or 8 positions) to enhance the respiratory burst of murine peritoneal phagocytes was evaluated. The results show that 8-mercaptoguanosine, 8-bromoguanosine, 7-methyl-8-oxoguanosine and 7-thia-8-oxoguanosine, when injected intraperitoneally into mice, induced peritoneal phagocytes to generate reactive oxygen species as early as 1 h after injection. In vivo administration of the nucleosides induced higher levels of phagocyte activation than in vitro treatment with the same nucleosides. However, the addition of interferon alpha/beta in vitro significantly increased the magnitude of phagocyte activation by the nucleosides, suggesting an important role for cytokines/lymphokines in the nucleoside-induced phagocyte activation in vivo. Furthermore, pre-treatment of phagocytes in vitro with Bordetella pertussis toxin, before treatment with the guanosines, inhibited their capacity to induce the respiratory burst. These observations establish these low-molecular-weight compounds as interesting probes for the study of stimulus-response coupling in phagocytes.

Changes in diacylglycerol and cyclic GMP during the differentiation of human myeloid leukemia K562 cells

When the human myeloid leukemia cell line, K562, was induced to differentiate along the erythroid lineage by a 4 day treatment with 10 microM tiazofurin, the cellular content of diacylglycerol decreased to 35% of the value in untreated control cells. Under the same conditions the content of cGMP decreased to 61% of the control value. Tiazofurin inhibits guanine nucleotide biosynthesis and lowers cellular GTP. When guanosine and adenine were added together with tiazofurin, the differentiation of K562 was prevented, the concentration of diacylglycerol was maintained at control values, and the reduction in the concentration of cGMP was partially prevented. Other inducers of differentiation which acted by different mechanisms, caused similar changes in the concentrations of diacylglycerol and cGMP.

Nucleoside and nucleotide modulation of genetic expression―A new approach to chemotherapy

Unlike conventional enzymes, receptors that activate G proteins do not catalyze the direct formation or cleavage of covalent bonds but act instead as a catalyst for the exchange of GTP vs GDP, which results in major conformational changes in the alpha subunit of G proteins and dissociation and selective binding of the alpha subunit which provokes direct enzyme activation eventually resulting in stimulation of protein kinase A, B or C. Each of these kinases can phosphorylate specific DNA binding proteins which allow new portions of DNA to be read and expressed. Such a series of events can act as switches to control cellular genetic expression resulting in cellular proliferation, differentiation or hormonal secretion of growth factors (Scheme I). Examples of nucleosides and nucleotides which appear to exert their therapeutic effects via G protein control of cellular proliferation resulting in differentiation are tiazofurin, selenazofurin, and 8-chloro-cAMP which have been synthesized and studied in our laboratories. The clinical application of these nucleosides in cancer treatment is presently underway and offers a viable alternative to chemotherapy with highly cytotoxic agents. The use of these derivatives result in down-regulation of the G protein regulatory pathways responsible for rapid cell division. Alternatively, a series of guanosine analogs prepared in our laboratories, 8-bromoguanosine, 8-mercaptoguanosine, 7-methyl-8-oxoguanosine and 7-thia-8-oxoguanosine, all activate various aspects of the immune response by up-regulation of G protein regulatory pathways in various lymphocyte derived cells. Guanosine-like nucleosides which function in this manner could have major clinical application as antitumor, antiviral and antimetastatic agents providing the desired specificity can be achieved. Specific immune enhancement of the aged might be an attainable goal if suitable orally active guanosine derivatives with high specificity can be achieved. The G protein regulatory pathways for modulation of genetic expression in specific cell types provide a major modern approach to new chemotherapeutic agents.

Tiazofurin and selenazofurin induce depression of cGMP and phosphatidylinositol pathway in L1210 leukemia cells

The synthetic nucleoside tiazofurin(2-beta-ribofuranosylthiazole-4-carboxyamide) and its selenium analog selenazofurin inhibited the growth of L1210 leukemia cell culture in a dose dependent manner with IC50 value of 2.0 and 0.2 Um respectively. The GTP/ATP ratio was diminished 4-6 fold as measured by HPLC, while IMP/ATP increased 6-8 fold. The decreased guanylate pools may explain the 30% reduction in cyclic GMP levels and GTPase activity measured after the treatment with the nucleosides. Inhibition of phospholipase C activity is suggested since diacylglycerol content, protein kinase C activity and phorbol ester binding of the membrane fraction were also reduced 20-40%. These results reveal a novel aspect in the action of these compounds which may play a role in their therapeutic action and selectivity.

The effect of temperature on the activity of the adenylate cyclase system of liver plasma membranes

Abstract The rat liver adenylate cyclase system shows a discontinuity in the Arrhenius plots at 20°C in the nonstimulated activity (basal) with activation energies of 16 and 28 Kcal/mole. The discontinuity disappears when the enzyme is stimulated either by glucagon, sodium fluoride, 5′ guanylyl-imidodiphosphate or glucagon plus 5′ guanylyl-imidodiphosphate and the energy of activation was the same with all the compounds tested. If the activator was initially in contact with the membranes at 0°C the energy of activation was similar to that observed below the break (26 Kcal/mole) but it changed to that above the break if the compound contacted the membranes at temperatures above the break (22–24°C). We discuss the possibility of two different conformations of the enzyme; both conformations can be “frozen” by any of the compounds tested, “isolating” the enzyme from any subsequent physical change of the membrane due to temperature.

Some enzyme and hormonal attributes of hepatoma cell membranes

Adenylate cyclase activity was measured in plasma membranes isolated form Morris Hepatomas (44 and 47C) and from their host livers. We found that the enzyme activity in the tumours was very low, approx. 5% of the level in control and host livers. The amount of cAMP and cGMP in the tumours was also lower than in the host livers but the ratio of cGMP to cAMP in the tumours was increased by a factor of 4-5. The membrane binding capacities for the pancreatic hormones insulin and glucagon were measured. Hepatoma membranes bound less glucagon than those of livers. A decrease in the number of the glucagon receptors was found but there were no changes in the affinity constant. For insulin, we found the same binding capacity as the host and control livers; thus there was an increase in the ratio of insulin bound/glucagon bound in tumours as compared to controls. The plasma levels of insulin in the tumour bearing animals were approximately half of those in control, whereas the glucagon levels in plasma were 60-62% higher in tumour bearing animals. These results are discussed in terms of the characterization of normal, foetal and regenerating liver, in comparison with slow growing hepatomas. The levels of cAMP and cGMP are discussed with respect to control mechanisms of cell proliferation.

Stimulation of phosphoinositide signaling pathway in murine B lymphocytes by a novel guanosine analog, 7-thia-8-oxoguanosine.

A novel guanosine analog, 7-thia-8-oxoguanosine, is shown to induce proliferation in nude mouse splenic lymphocytes in vitro as measured by increased DNA synthesis. Determination of the levels of sn-1,2-diacylglycerol and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in the 7-thia-8-oxoguanosine-treated B lymphocyte cultures revealed an enhanced formation of these second messengers leading to the activation and possible de novo synthesis of protein kinase C. The relevance of these results are discussed in regard to the transduction mechanism linking these guanosine analog generated signals with subsequent B lymphocyte activation events.

Proteolytic activity in the insulin receptor

When a highly purified preparation of rat liver insulin receptor is incubated with trypsin, the receptor develops hydrolytic activity towards N alpha-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester, N alpha-p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester, and N alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide, (compounds which are synthetic substrates of trypsin). The activity toward N alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide is inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor but not by N alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysil chloromethyl ketone. These data are consistent with the presence of proteolytic activity in the insulin receptor specific for the bonds whose carbonyl functions are provided by arginine but not by lysine. Furthermore we found that the esterase activity toward N alpha-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester in the presence of trypsin is enhanced by insulin, and that the concentration of insulin that produced the half maximum stimulation is of the same magnitude as the dissociation constant for the soluble receptor. These data suggest that the insulin receptor is a zymogen, activated by trypsin, and based on its specific activity, may be the protease which releases a peptide chemical mediator of intracellular action of insulin.