Glucagon and α-adrenergic-induced glycog enolysis is realized via the agonist/adenylyl cyclase/cAMP/protein kinase signaling pathway or via the activation of phosphorylase kinase by the mobilized calcium that supports the inhibition of glycogen synthase, respectively. The role of nitric oxide (NO) in this process has not been extensively studied. The present work was directed to the question whether NO is produced during glucagon-induced glycogenolysis in rat hepatocyte in a similar way like α-adrenoceptor stimulation. Glycogen-rich hepatocyte cultures were used. NO production (NO2-) was assessed under the influence of glucagon, dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP), forskolin, the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and aminoguanidine, and the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP). Inducible NOS (iNOS) mRNA was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Glycogenolysis was followed up by estimation of medium glucose levels. The amount of glucose and NO2- released by glycogen-rich hepatocytes was increased as a result of glucagon, db-cAMP, forskolin and SNAP treatments. iNOS gene expression was upregulated by glucagon. Glycogenolysis that occurs through glucagon receptor stimulation involves NO production downstream of transduction pathways through an isoform of NO synthase. The present and previous studies document possible involvement of NO signaling in glycogenolytic response to glucagon and adrenergic agonists in hepatocytes., H. Farghali, J. Hodis, N. Kutinová-Canová, P. Potměšil, E. Kmoníčková, Z. Zídek., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The total content of rat liver microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) significantly decreased after repeated i.p. administration of the antiviral agent tenofovir ((R)-9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl] adenine) and tenofovir disoproxil at a daily dose 25 mg/kg, although the content of liver microsomal protein did not change. The decrease of the CYP content was accompanied by concomitant increase of the amount of inactive CYP form, cytochrome P420. This effect was confirmed by a parallel study of the activities of selected CYP forms, CYP2E1 (p-nitrophenol hydroxylation) and CYP1A2 (7-ethoxyresorufin deethylation). The activity (expressed relatively to the protein content) of both CYP forms decreased significantly following the decrease of the total CYP. On the other hand, the CYP2E1 activity expressed relatively to the decreasing total CYP content remained unchanged. However, CYP1A2 activity also decreased when calculated relatively to the total native CYP content indicating lower stability of this form. Semiquantitative RT-PCR showed no significant changes in expression of major rat liver microsomal CYP forms after tenofovir treatment. In conclusion, repeated administration of tenofovir in higher doses led to significant decrease of the relative proportion of active liver microsomal CYPs accompanied by a conversion of these enzymes to the inactive form (CYP420) maintaining the sum of CYP proteins unchanged., E. Anzenbacherová, P. Anzenbacher, Z. Zídek, E. Buchar, E. Kmoníčková, P. Potměšil, J. Nekvindová, A. Veinlichová, A. Holý., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Neonatal exposure to hyperoxia alters lung development in mice. We tested if retinoic acid (RA) treatment is capable to affect lung development after hyperoxic injury and to maintain structural integrity of lung. The gene of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is one of the RA-responsive genes. Newborn BALB/c mice were exposed to room air, 40 % or 80 % hyperoxia for 7 days. One half of animals in each group received 500 mg/kg retinoic acid from day 3 to day 7 of the experiment. At the end of experiment we assessed body weight (BW), lung wet weight (LW), the wet-to-dry lung weight ratio (W/D) and the expression of mRNA for VEGF-A and G3PDH genes. On day 7 the hyperoxia-exposed sham-treated mice (group 80) weighed 20 % less than the room air-exposed group, whereas the 80 % hyperoxic group treated with RA weighed only 13 % less than the normoxic group. W/D values in 80 and 80A groups did not differ, although they both differed from the control group and from 40 groups. There was a significant difference between 40 and 40A groups, but the control group was different from 40 group but not from 40A groups. The 80 and 80A groups had mRNA VEGF-A expression lowered to 64 % and 41 % of the control group. RA treatment of normoxic and mild hyperoxic groups increased mRNA VEGF-A expression by about 50 %. We conclude that the retinoic acid treatment of newborn BALB/c mice exposed for 7 days to 80 % hyperoxia reduced the growth retardation in the 80 % hyperoxic group, reduced the W/D ratio in the 40 % but not in the 80 % hyperoxic group. Higher VEGF-A mRNA expression in the 80 % hyperoxic group treated with RA was not significant compared to the 80 % hyperoxic group., M. Zimová-Herknerová, J. Mysliveček, P. Potměšil., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Certain liver metabolic diseases point to the presence of disturbances in glycogen deposition. Epinephrine raises the cAMP level that activates protein kinase A leading to the activation of phosphorylase and glycogen breakdown. In the present report, we sought to investigate whether NO is produced during adrenoceptor agonist-induced glycogenolysis in rat hepatocytes in cultures. Isolated glycogen rich rat hepatocytes in cultures were used. NO production (NO2-) was assessed under the effect of adrenergic agonists and adrenergic agonist/antagonist pairs, dibutyryl cyclic AMP sodium-potassium salt (db-cAMP), NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), aminoguanidine (AG) and the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP) . The inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA was examined by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Glycogenolysis was quantified by glucose levels released into medium. The amount of glucose and NO2- released by hepatocytes was increased as a result of epinephrine, phenylephrine or db-cAMP treatments. The increase in glucose and NO2- released by epinephrine or phenylephrine was blocked or reduced by prazosin pretreatment and by NOS inhibitors aminoguanidine and L-NAME. iNOS gene expression was up-regulated by epinephrine. It can be concluded that glycogenolysis occurs through α adrenoceptor stimulation and a signaling cascade may involve NO production., J. Hodis, N. Kutinová-Canová, P. Potměšil, L. Kameníková, E. Kmoníčková, Z. Zídek, H. Farghali., and Obsahuje biblografii a bibliografické odkazy