scholarly journals Activities of enzymes of ketone-body utilization in brain and other tissues of suckling rats

1971 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ann Page ◽  
H. A. Krebs ◽  
D. H. Williamson

1. The activities of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase in rat brain at birth were found to be about two-thirds of those of adult rat brain, expressed per g wet wt. The activities rose throughout the suckling period and at the time of weaning reached values about three times higher than those for adult brain. Later they gradually declined. 2. At birth the activity of acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase in rat brain was about 60% higher than in the adult. During the suckling period there was no significant change in activity. 3. In rat kidney the activities of the three enzymes at birth were less than one-third of those at maturity. They gradually rose and after 5 weeks approached the adult value. Similar results were obtained with rat heart. 4. The activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (a mitochondrial enzyme like 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase) also rose in brain and kidney during the suckling period, but at no stage did it exceed the adult value. 5. Throughout the suckling period the total ketone-body concentration in the blood was about six times higher than in adult fed rats, and the concentration of free fatty acids in the blood was three to four times higher. 6. It is concluded that the rate of ketone-body utilization in brains of suckling rats is determined by both the greater amounts of the key enzymes in the tissue and the high concentrations of ketone bodies in the blood. In addition, the low activities of the relevant enzymes in kidney and heart of suckling rats may make available more ketone bodies for the brain.

1987 ◽  
Vol 248 (3) ◽  
pp. 853-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
M K Ganapathi ◽  
M Kwon ◽  
P M Haney ◽  
C McTiernan ◽  
A A Javed ◽  
...  

3-Oxoacid CoA-transferase, which catalyses the first committed step in the oxidation of ketone bodies, is uniquely regulated in developing rat brain. Changes in 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase activity in rat brain during the postnatal period are due to changes in the relative rate of synthesis of the enzyme. To study the regulation of this enzyme, we identified, with a specific polyclonal rabbit anti-(rat 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase), two positive cDNA clones (approx. 800 bp) in a lambda gtll expression library, constructed from poly(A)+ RNA from brains of 12-day-old rats. One of these clones (lambda CoA3) was subcloned into M13mp18 and subjected to further characterization. Labelled single-stranded probes prepared by primer extension of the M13mp18 recombinant hybridized to a 3.6 kb mRNA. Rat brain mRNA enriched by polysome immunoadsorption for a single protein of size 60 kDa which corresponds to the precursor form of 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase was also found to be similarly enriched for the hybridizable 3.6 kb mRNA complementary to lambda CoA3. Affinity-selected antibody to the lambda CoA3 fusion protein inhibited 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase activity present in rat brain mitochondrial extracts. The 3.6 kb mRNA for 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase was present in relative abundance in rat kidney and heart, to a lesser extent in suckling brain and mammary gland and negligible in the liver. The specific mRNA was also found to be 3-fold more abundant in the brain from 12-day-old rats as compared with 18-day-old foetuses and adult rats, corresponding to the enzyme activity and relative rate of synthesis profile during development. These data suggest that 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase enzyme activity is regulated at a pretranslational level.


1971 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Williamson ◽  
Margaret W. Bates ◽  
M. Ann Page ◽  
H. A. Krebs

1. The activities in rat tissues of 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase (the first enzyme involved in acetoacetate utilization) were found to be highest in kidney and heart. In submaxillary and adrenal glands the activities were about one-quarter of those in kidney and heart. In brain it was about one-tenth and was less in lung, spleen, skeletal muscle and epididymal fat. No activity was detectable in liver. 2. The activities of acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase were found roughly to parallel those of the transferase except for liver and adrenal glands. The high activity in the latter two tissues may be explained by additional roles of thiolase, namely, the production of acetyl-CoA from fatty acids. 3. The activities of the two enzymes in tissues of mouse, gerbil, golden hamster, guinea pig and sheep were similar to those of rat tissues. The notable exception was the low activity of the transferase and thiolase in sheep heart and brain. 4. The activities of the transferase in rat tissues did not change appreciably in starvation, alloxan-diabetes or on fat-feeding, where the rates of ketone-body utilization are increased. Thiolase activity increased in kidney and heart on fat-feeding. 5. The activity of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase did not change in rat brain during starvation. 6. The factors controlling the rate of ketone-body utilization are discussed. It is concluded that the activities of the relevant enzymes in the adult rat do not control the variations in the rate of ketone-body utilization that occur in starvation or alloxan-diabetes. The controlling factor in these situations is the concentration of the ketone bodies in plasma and tissues.


1976 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Benavides ◽  
C Gimenez ◽  
F Valdivieso ◽  
F Mayor

1. The effects of phenylalanine and its metabolites (phenylacetate, phenethylamine, phenyl-lactate, o-hydroxyphenylacetate and phenylpyruvate) on the activity of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.30) 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase (EC 2.8.3.5) and acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase (EC 2.3.1.9) in brain of suckling rats were investigated. 2. The 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase from the brain of suckling rats had a Km for 3-hydroxybutyrate of 1.2 mM. Phenylpyruvate, phenylacetate and o-hydroxyphenylacetate inhibited the enzyme activity with Ki values of 0.5, 1.3 and 4.7 mM respectively. 3. The suckling-rat brain 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase activity had a Km for acetoacetate of 0.665 mM and for succinyl (3-carboxypropionyl)-CoA of 0.038 mM. The enzyme was inhibited with respect to acetoacetate by phenylpyruvate (Ki equals 1.3 mM) and o-hydroxyphenylacetate (Ki equals 4.5 mM). The reaction in the direction of acetoacetate was also inhibited by phenylpyruvate (Ki equals 1.6 mM) and o-hydroxyphenylacetate (Ki equals 4.5 mM). 4. Phenylpyruvate inhibited with respect to acetoacetyl-CoA both the mitochondrial (Ki equals 3.2 mM) and cytoplasmic (Ki equals 5.2 mM) acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase activities. 5. The results suggest that inhibition of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase activities may impair ketone-body utilization and hence lipid synthesis in the developing brain. This suggestion is discussed with reference to the pathogenesis of mental retardation in phenylketonuria.


1971 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Hawkins ◽  
D. H. Williamson ◽  
H. A. Krebs

1. Ketone-body utilization in fed and starved adult and suckling rats has been investigated by measuring arterio-venous differences across the brain. Venous blood was collected from the confluence of sinuses and arterial blood from the femoral artery in adult rats and by cardiac puncture in suckling rats. 2. During starvation the arterio-venous difference of ketone bodies increased in proportion to their concentrations in the blood and reached a value of 0.16mm at 48h. At a given concentration of the respective ketone bodies the arterio-venous differences of acetoacetate were about twice those of 3-hydroxybutyrate. 3. Fed rats in which the concentrations of ketone bodies were raised by intravenous infusion of sodium acetoacetate had the same arterio-venous differences as starved rats at corresponding ketone-body concentrations. Thus the ability of the rat brain to utilize ketone bodies is independent of the nutritional state. 4. The concentrations of glucose, acetoacetate and 3-hydroxybutyrate were much lower in the brain than in the arterial blood. The measured (blood concentration)/(brain concentration) ratio was 4.4 for glucose, 4.5 for acetoacetate and 8.1 for 3-hydroxybutyrate in 48h-starved rats. 5. The mean arterio-venous difference of glucose across the brain was 0.51mm in fed rats and 0.43mm in 96h-starved rats. 6. Conversion of glucose into lactate rose from negligible values in the fed state to 0.2mm after 48h starvation and decreased to zero after 96h starvation. 7. In 16–22-day-old suckling rats the arterio-venous differences of ketone bodies across the brain were also proportional to the ketone-body concentration, but they were about 3–4 times greater than in adult rats at the same blood ketone-body concentration. 8. Arterio-venous differences of glucose were about the same in adult and suckling rats. 9. The brain of fed suckling rats formed more lactate from glucose than fed adult rats. 10. The results indicate that ketone bodies are major metabolic fuels of the brain of the suckling rat under normal conditions.


1971 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 249-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Lockwood ◽  
E. Bailey

1. The highest blood concentrations of ketone bodies were found at 5 days of age, after which time the concentration fell to reach the adult value by 30 days of age. 2. Both mitochondrial and cytoplasmic hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase activities were detected, with highest activities being found in the mitochondria at all stages of development. Activity of the mitochondrial enzyme increases rapidly immediately after birth, showing a maximum at 15 days of age, thereafter falling to adult values. The cytoplasmic enzyme, on the other hand, increased steadily in activity after birth to reach a maximum at 40 days of age, after which time activity fell to adult values. 3. Both mitochondrial and cytoplasmic aceto-acetyl-CoA thiolase activities were detected, with the mitochondrial enzyme having considerably higher activities at all stages of development. The developmental patterns for both enzymes were very similar to those for the corresponding hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthases. 4. The activity of heart acetoacetyl-CoA transferase remains constant from late foetal life until the end of the suckling period, after which time there is a gradual threefold increase in activity to reach the adult values. The activity of brain 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase increases steadily after birth, reaching a maximum at 30 days of age, thereafter decreasing to adult values, which are similar to foetal activities. Although at all stages of development the specific activity of the heart enzyme is higher than that of brain, the total enzymic capacity of the brain is higher than that of the heart during the suckling period.


2008 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 581-591
Author(s):  
Sanja Dacic ◽  
Sanja Pekovic ◽  
Maja Stojiljkovic ◽  
Irena Lavrnja ◽  
Danijela Stojkov ◽  
...  

The central nervous system has a limited capacity for self-repair after damage. However, the neonatal brain has agreater capacity for recovery than the adult brain. These differences in the regenerative capability depend on local environmental factors and the maturational stage of growing axons. Among molecules which have both growth-promoting and growth-inhibiting activities is the heterogeneous class of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). In this paper, we investigated the chondroitin-4 and chondroitin-6 sulfate proteoglycan expression profile after left sensorimotor cortex ablation of the neonatal and adult rat brain. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that compared to the normal uninjured cortex, lesion provoked up regulation of CSPGs showing a different pattern of expression in the neonatal vs. the adult brain. Punctuate and membrane-bound labeling was predominate after neonatal lesion, where as heavy deposition of staining in the extracellular matrix was observed after adult lesion. Heavy deposition of CSPG immunoreactivity around the lesionsite in adult rats, in contrast to a less CSPG-rich environment in neonatal rats, indicated that enhancement of the recovery process after neonatal injury is due to amore permissive environment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Zweck ◽  
V Burkart ◽  
C Wessel ◽  
D Scheiber ◽  
K H M Leung ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Impairment of myocardial mitochondrial function is regarded as an established pathomechanism in heart failure. Enhanced oxidation of ketone bodies may potentially exert protective effects on myocardial function. High-resolution respirometry (HRR) resembles a gold-standard methodology to determine myocardial mitochondrial metabolism and oxidative function but has not been validated for ketone substrates yet. Purpose We hypothesized that (1) quantification of ketone body oxidative capacity (OC) in myocardium utilizing ex-vivo HRR is feasible and that (2) ketone-associated OC is elevated after fasting and under conditions of chronic mechanical ventricular unloading. Methods We established new HRR (Oxygraph-2k) protocols, measuring oxygen flux generated by oxidation of the ketone substrates beta-hydroxybutyrate (HBA) and acetoacetate (ACA). Ketone protocols were then applied to twelve C57BL/6 mice' (of which six were fasted for 16h) left ventricular and right liver lobe tissue, as well as to eleven terminal heart failure patients' left ventricular tissue, harvested at heart transplantation. Heart transplant recipients were subdivided into patients with left ventricular assist device prior to transplantation (LVAD group, n=6) or no unloading prior to transplantation (HTX group, n=5). Results In non-fasted rodent hearts, HBA yielded an OC of 25±4 pmol/(s*mg tissue) above basal respiration, when applied as sole substrate (21±11 pmol/(s*mg) in liver). ACA alone did not induce oxygen flux, but ACA+succinate yielded 229% higher oxygen flux than succinate alone in state III (146±32 vs 44±12 pmol/(s*mg); p=0.0003). When titrated after succinate, ACA increased OC by 93±25 pmol/(s*mg) (p=0.0003). In 16h-fasted rodent hearts, HBA-supported OC was 27% higher (41±3 vs 52±9 pmol/(s*mg); p=0.04), while OC with ACA+succinate was unchanged (p=0.60). In rodent liver, no oxygen flux was induced by ACA, reflecting absence of 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase. However, HBA-supported OC was 118% higher in fasted liver (37±13 vs 57±13 pmol/(s*mg); p=0.03). In humans, left ventricular unloading was not associated with altered myocardial OC for fatty acids and glycolytic substrates (standard protocol, p=0.13), but HBA-supported OC was 39% higher in the LVAD group compared to the HTX group (54±12 vs 39±9 pmol/(s*mg), p=0.04). Conclusion Quantification of ketone body OC with HRR is feasible in permeabilized myocardial fibers. Applying this novel method revealed increased HBA-supported myocardial mitochondrial respiration after fasting and chronic left ventricular unloading. These data support a concept of enhanced ketone oxidation following ventricular unloading in myocardial mitochondria. Our findings facilitate new studies on myocardial ketone turnover and the interaction of mitochondrial ketone metabolism with cardiac performance. Acknowledgement/Funding CRC 1116, Research commission of the University Hospital Düsseldorf


1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 1089-1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Cammer ◽  
M Downing ◽  
W Clarke ◽  
J B Schenkman

We used immunocytochemical staining to localize the RLM6 form of cytochrome P-450 in rat brain. Immunofluorescence staining in vibratome sections was positive in cells that resembled oligodendrocytes, which are the cells that synthesize and maintain myelin. Double immunofluorescence staining with anti-RLM6, plus mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide-3'-phosphohydrolase or galactocerebrosides, showed localization of each of these oligodendrocyte "markers" in the same cells as RLM6. In vibratome sections from brains of adult rats there was faint RLM6 immunostaining in some of the myelinated fibers as well as in oligodendrocytes. In paraffin sections from adult rat brains, myelinated tracts were RLM6 positive, as were oligodendrocytes and myelinated fibers in the gray matter. Oligodendrocytes were also shown to contain glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. We suggest that RLM6, which is constitutive to liver, is also constitutive to brain and, via the acetone monooxygenase reaction, which also utilizes NADPH, may contribute to the conversion of ketone bodies to substrates that could provide energy for the synthesis and maintenance of myelin.


1976 ◽  
Vol 154 (2) ◽  
pp. 559-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
M M. Sudjic ◽  
R Booth

Rat brain contains 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity, but this enzyme is far more active in 7-day-old brain than in adult brain. This difference may partly explain why cholesterol biosynthesis is more rapid in growing than in adult rat brain.


2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (5) ◽  
pp. E1127-E1134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Vannucci ◽  
Ian A. Simpson

Normal development of both human and rat brain is associated with a switch in metabolic fuel from a combination of glucose and ketone bodies in the immature brain to a nearly total reliance on glucose in the adult. The delivery of glucose, lactate, and ketone bodies from the blood to the brain requires specific transporter proteins, glucose and monocarboxylic acid transporter proteins (GLUTs and MCTs), respectively. Developmental expression of the GLUTs in rat brain, i.e., 55-kDa GLUT1 in the blood-brain barrier (BBB), 45-kDa GLUT1 and GLUT3 in vascular-free brain, corresponds to maturational increases in cerebral glucose uptake and utilization. It has been suggested that MCT expression peaks during suckling and sharply declines thereafter, although a comparable detailed study has not been done. This study investigated the temporal and regional expression of MCT1 and MCT2 mRNA and protein in the BBB and the nonvascular brain during postnatal development in the rat. The results confirmed maximal MCT1 mRNA and protein expression in the BBB during suckling and a decline with maturation, coincident with the switch to glucose as the predominant cerebral fuel. However, nonvascular MCT1 and MCT2 levels do not reflect changes in cerebral energy metabolism, suggesting a more complex regulation. Although MCT1 assumes a predominantly glial expression in postweanling brain, the concentration remains fairly constant, as does that of MCT2 in neurons. The maintenance of nonvascular MCT levels in the adult brain implies a major role for these proteins, in concert with the GLUTs in both neurons and astrocytes, to transfer glycolytic intermediates during cerebral energy metabolism.


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