scholarly journals Fate of glutamate carbon and nitrogen in isolated guinea-pig kidney-cortex tubules. Evidence for involvement of glutamate dehydrogenase in glutamine sythesis from glutamate

1980 ◽  
Vol 188 (3) ◽  
pp. 873-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Baverel ◽  
C Genoux ◽  
M Forissier ◽  
M Pellet

1. The pathways and the fate of glutamate carbon and nitrogen were investigated in isolated guinea-pig kidney-cortex tubules. 2. At low glutamate concentration (1 mM), the glutamate carbon skeleton was either completely oxidized or converted into glutamine. At high glutamate concentration (5 mM), glucose, lactate and alanine were additional products of glutamate metabolism. 3. At neither concentration of glutamate was there accumulation of ammonia. 4. Nitrogen-balance calculations and the release of 14CO2 from L-[1-14C]glutamate (which gives an estimation of the flux of glutamate carbon skeleton through alpha-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase) clearly indicated that, despite the absence of ammonia accumulation, glutamate metabolism was initiated by the action of glutamate dehydrogenase and not by transamination reactions as suggested by Klahr, Schoolwerth & Bourgoignie [(1972) Am. J. Physiol. 222, 813-820] and Preuss [(1972) Am. J. Physiol. 222, 1395-1397]. Additional evidence for this was obtained by the use of (i) amino-oxyacetate, an inhibitor of transaminases, which did not decrease glutamate removal, or (ii) L-methionine DL-sulphoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, which caused an accumulation of ammonia from glutamate. 5. Addition of NH4Cl plus glutamate caused an increase in both glutamate removal and glutamine synthesis, demonstrating that the supply of ammonia via glutamate dehydrogenase is the rate-limiting step in glutamine formation from glutamate. NH4Cl also inhibited the flux of glutamate through glutamate dehydrogenase and the formation of glucose, alanine and lactate. 6. The activities of enzymes possibly involved in the glutamate conversion into pyruvate were measured in guinea-pig renal cortex. 7. Renal arteriovenous-difference measurements revealed that in vivo the guinea-pig kidney adds glutamine and alanine to the circulating blood.

1994 ◽  
Vol 297 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Michoudet ◽  
M F Chauvin ◽  
G Baverel

1. At a physiological concentration (5 mM), glucose was found to be metabolized by isolated kidney cortex tubules prepared from fed guinea pigs. 2. The release of 14CO2 from [U-14C]glucose indicated that oxidation of the glucose carbon skeleton represented about 50% of the glucose removed; significant amounts of lactate and glutamine also accumulated. 3. Addition of 0.1-10 mM NH4Cl led to a dose-dependent stimulation of glucose metabolism which was accompanied by a large increase in lactate and glutamine accumulation and, to a lesser extent, in glucose oxidation. 4. Comparison of the release of 14CO2 from [1-14C]- and [6-14C]glucose indicates that, in both the absence and the presence of NH4Cl, the pentose phosphate shunt was only a minor pathway of glucose metabolism. 5. The central role of pyruvate carboxylase in the conversion of glucose carbon into glutamine carbon was demonstrated by using a bicarbonate-free medium and measuring the fixation of 14CO2 from [14C]bicarbonate, which was recovered mostly at C-1 of glutamine plus glutamate. 6. The NH4Cl-induced stimulation of glucose removal was secondary not only to increased glutamine synthesis, as shown by the effect of methionine sulphoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, but also to the stimulation of phosphofructokinase activity by NH4Cl. 7. Renal arterio-venous difference measurements revealed that, in vivo, the guinea-pig kidney removed glucose from the circulating blood, which suggests that glucose carbon may contribute to the carbon skeleton of the glutamine released by this organ.


1990 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Hoop ◽  
M. R. Masjedi ◽  
V. E. Shih ◽  
H. Kazemi

Glutamate stimulates resting ventilation by altering neural excitability centrally. Hypoxia increases central ventilatory drive through peripheral chemoreceptor stimulation and may also alter cerebral perfusion and glutamate metabolism locally. Therefore the effect of hypoxia and peripheral chemodenervation on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) transfer rate of in vivo tracer amidated central nervous system glutamate was studied in intact and chemodenervated pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs during normoxia and after 1 h of hypoxia induced with 10 or 12% O2 in N2 breathing at constant expired ventilation and arterial CO2 tension. Chemodenervation was performed by bilateral sectioning of the carotid body nerves and cervical vagi. CSF transfer rates of radiotracer 13NH4+ and [13N]glutamine synthesized via the reaction, glutamate + NH4(+)----glutamine, in brain glia were measured during normoxia and after 1 h of hypoxia. At normoxia, maximal glial glutamine efflux rate jm = 103.3 +/- 11.2 (SE) mumol.l-1.min-1 in all animals. After 1 h of hypoxia in intact animals, jm = 78.4 +/- 10.0 mumol.l-1.min-1. In denervated animals, jm was decreased to 46.3 +/- 4.3 mumol.l-1.min-1. During hypoxia, mean cerebral cortical glutamate concentration was higher in denervated animals (9.98 +/- 1.43 mumol/g brain tissue) than in intact animals (7.63 +/- 1.82 mumol/g brain tissue) and corresponding medullary glutamate concentration tended to be higher in denervated animals. There were no differences between mean glutamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1988 ◽  
Vol 253 (3) ◽  
pp. 819-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Pawelczyk ◽  
R A Easom ◽  
M S Olson

The activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) purified from pig kidney cortex was found to be affected by various uni- and bi-valent ions. At a constant strength of 0.13 M at pH 7.8, K+, Na+, Cl-, HCO3- and HPO4(2-) had significant effects on the activity of PDC: Na+, K+ and HPO4(2-) stimulated, but HCO3- and Cl- inhibited. The stimulatory effect of Na+ was mediated by a change in the Vmax. of PDC only, whereas K+ produced an increase in Vmax. and a change in the Hill coefficient (h). The extent of stimulation produced by HPO4(2-)4 on the activity of PDC was dependent on the concentrations of K+ and Na+. Both cations at concentrations higher than 40 mM partially prevented the effect of HPO4(2-)4. Cl- and HCO3- anions decreased the Vmax. of the enzyme and increased the S0.5 for pyruvate. The effects of Na+, K+, Cl-, HPO4(2-) and HCO3- on the activity of PDC were additive. In the presence of 80 mM-K+, 20 mM-Na+, 10 mM-HPO4(2-), 20 mM-Cl- and 20 mM-HCO3- the activity of PDC was increased by 30%, the S0.5 for pyruvate was increased from 75 to 158 microM and h was decreased from 1.3 to 1.1. Under these conditions and at 1.0 mM-pyruvate, the activity of PDC was 80% of the maximal activity achieved in the presence of these ions and 4.5 mM-pyruvate. The present study suggests that PDC may operate under non-saturating concentrations for substrate in vivo.


1990 ◽  
Vol 268 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Baverel ◽  
G Martin ◽  
C Michoudet

1. Glutamine was found to be the main carbon and nitrogen product of the metabolism of aspartate in isolated guinea-pig kidney-cortex tubules. Glutamate, ammonia and alanine were only minor products. 2. Carbon-balance calculations and the release of 14CO2 from [U-14C]aspartate indicate that oxidation of the aspartate carbon skeleton occurred. 3. A pathway involving aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, glutamine synthetase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, pyruvate kinase, pyruvate dehydrogenase and enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle is proposed for the conversion of aspartate into glutamine. 4. Evidence for this pathway was obtained by: (i) inhibiting aspartate removal by amino-oxyacetate, an inhibitor of transaminases, (ii) the use of methionine sulphoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, which induced a large increase in ammonia release from aspartate, (iii) the use of quinolinate, an inhibitor of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, which inhibited glutamine synthesis from aspartate, (iv) the use of alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate, an inhibitor of the mitochondrial transport of pyruvate, which caused an accumulation of pyruvate from aspartate, and (v) the use of fluoroacetate, an inhibitor of aconitase, which inhibited glutamine synthesis with concomitant accumulation of citrate from aspartate.


1992 ◽  
Vol 284 (3) ◽  
pp. 697-703
Author(s):  
G Martin ◽  
C Michoudet ◽  
N Vincent ◽  
G Baverel

1. The metabolism of L-[U-14C]aspartate, L-[1-14C]aspartate and L-[4-14C]aspartate was studied in isolated guinea-pig kidney tubules. 2. Oxidation of C-1 plus that of C-4 of aspartate accounted for 90-92% of the CO2 released from aspartate, whereas oxidation of the inner carbon atoms of aspartate (which occurs beyond the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase step) represented only 8-10% of aspartate carbon oxidation. 3. The formation of [1-14C]glutamine and [1-14C]glutamate from [1-14C]aspartate and [4-14C]aspartate indicated that about one-third of the oxaloacetate synthesized from aspartate underwent randomization at the level of fumarate. 4. With [U-14C]aspartate as substrate, the percentage of the C-1 of glutamate and glutamine found radiolabelled after 60 min of incubation was 92.7% and 47.5% in the absence and the presence of bicarbonate respectively. 5. That CO2 fixation occurred at high rates in the presence of bicarbonate was demonstrated by incubating tubules with aspartate plus [14C]bicarbonate; under this condition, the label fixed was found in C-1 of glutamate, glutamine and aspartate, as well as in C-4 of aspartate, demonstrating not only randomization of aspartate carbon but also aspartate resynthesis secondary to oxaloacetate cycling via phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, pyruvate kinase and pyruvate carboxylase. 6. The importance of CO2 fixation in glutamine synthesis from aspartate is discussed in relation to the possible role of the guinea-pig kidney in systemic acid-base regulation in vivo.


1994 ◽  
Vol 303 (3) ◽  
pp. 901-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
D A Griffith ◽  
S M Jarvis

The characteristics of hypoxanthine transport were examined in purified brush-border membrane vesicles isolated from guinea-pig kidney. Hypoxanthine uptake in the vesicles was specifically stimulated by both Na+ and an inside-negative potential, resulting in a transient accumulation of intravesicular hypoxanthine. Na(+)-dependent hypoxanthine influx was saturable (apparent Km 4.4 +/- 2.1 microM, Vmax. 128 +/- 29 pmol/min per mg of protein at 100 mM NaCl and 22 degrees C). Guanine, thymine, 5-fluorouracil and uracil inhibited hypoxanthine uptake (Ki values 1-30 microM), but adenine and the nucleosides inosine and thymidine were without effect. Guanine competitively inhibited Na(+)-dependent hypoxanthine influx, suggesting that it was a substrate for the active nucleobase transporter in guinea-pig renal membrane vesicles. A sigmoidal dependence between hypoxanthine influx and Na+ concentration was obtained (KNa 13 +/- 2 mM; Hill coefficient, h, 2.13 +/- 0.14), suggesting that at least two Na+ ions are transported per hypoxanthine molecule. This system differs from the Na(+)-nucleobase carrier in cultured LLC-PK1 renal cells, which has a stoichiometric coupling ratio of 1:1. These results represent the first demonstration of an active electrogenic nucleobase carrier in renal apical membrane vesicles.


1992 ◽  
Vol 288 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Pawelczyk ◽  
M S Olson

The activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) kinase in the purified PDH complex from pig kidney is sensitive to changes in ionic strength. The enzyme has optimum activity within a small range of ionic strength (0.03-0.05 M). An increase in ionic strength from 0.04 M to 0.2 M lowers the activity of PDH kinase by 32% and decreases the Km for ATP from 25 microM to 10 microM. At constant ionic strength (0.15 M) the enzyme has optimum activity over a broad pH range (7.2-8.0). The PDH kinase is stimulated 2.2-fold by 20 mM-K+, whereas Na+ even at high concentration (80 mM) has no effect on the enzyme activity. The stimulation of PDH kinase by K+ is not dependent on pH and ionic strength. PDH kinase is inhibited by HPO4(2-) in the presence of K+, whereas HPO4(2-) has no effect on the activity of this enzyme in the absence of K+. HPO4(2-) at concentrations of 2 and 10 mM inhibits PDH kinase by 28% and 55% respectively. The magnitude of this inhibition is not dependent on the ATP/ADP ratio. Inhibition by HPO4(2-) in the concentration range 0-10 mM is non-competitive with respect to ATP, and becomes mixed-type at concentrations over 10 mM. The Ki for HPO4(2-) is 10 mM. When HPO4(2-) is replaced by SO4(2-), the same effects on the activity of PDH kinase are observed. PDH kinase is also inhibited by Cl-. In the presence of 80 mM-Cl- the PDH kinase is inhibited by 40%. The inhibition by Cl- is not dependent on K+. In conclusion, we postulate that changes in phosphate concentrations may play a significant role in the regulation of PDH kinase activity in vivo.


1980 ◽  
Vol 188 (3) ◽  
pp. 741-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Watford ◽  
P Vinay ◽  
G Lemieux ◽  
A Gougoux

The suppression by 3-mercaptopicolinate of gluconeogenesis from glutamine or 2-oxoglutarate in rat or dog kidney tubules did not affect the amount of these substrates undergoing complete oxidation. Furthermore, 3-mercaptopicolinate caused an accumulation of lactate in dog tubules. 3-Mercaptopicolinate abolished both gluconeogenesis and substrate oxidation in tubules from rabbit and guinea-pig kidney. These results imply the presence of an alternative pathway to phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase/pyruvate kinase for the production of pyruvate from citric-acid-cycle intermediates in the kidney cortex of rats and dogs but not in that of rabbits or guinea pigs. Oxaloacetate decarboxylase (present in the kidney cortex of all four species) or ‘malic’ enzyme (present in rat and dog but absent in rabbit and guinea-pig kidney cortex) could function in this role. Our observations indicate that ‘malic’ enzyme is probably implicated in this phenomenon. The lactate production observed in dog tubules in the presence of 3-mercaptopicolinate can be suppressed when aspartate formation is inhibited by 2-amino-4-methoxy-trans-but-3-enoic acid. This suggests that the provision of cytosolic NADH from citric-acid-cycle intermediates is facilitated by accumulation of aspartate acting as a ‘sink’ for cytosolic oxaloacetate.


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