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ABSTRACT
Primary cultures of ovine pars tuberalis (PT) cells of the pituitary were established to investigate the mode of action of melatonin. The heterogeneous population of cells was shown to bind the radioligand 2-[125I]-melatonin over 72 h in culture, although there was a progressive decline in specific binding with time. In cells cultured for 24 h, forskolin (1 μmol/l) was found to stimulate a 12-fold increase in cyclic AMP accumulation. This response could be inhibited by melatonin in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 of approx. 6 pmol/l. However, melatonin did not inhibit basal levels of cyclic AMP.
In homogenates of ovine PT, forskolin stimulated a dose-dependent increase in cyclic AMP, although the magnitude of this response was found to be lower than that observed in cells. This response was not inhibited by either 10 nmol or 1 μmol melatonin/l, and was also unaffected by GTP.
These results provide the first evidence that the melatonin-binding site on ovine PT, recently characterized using the radioligand 2-[125I]-melatonin, functions as a physiological receptor.
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ABSTRACT
The effect of aluminium fluoride (AlF4 −) has been studied on inositol phosphate accumulation, calcium mobilization, cyclic AMP production and [2-125I]iodomelatonin binding in ovine pars tuberalis cells. These cells have high-affinity receptors for, and respond to, melatonin through inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase. In the presence of 10 mm LiCl, AlF4 − stimulated the net accumulation of inositol monophosphate and inositol bisphosphate. Consistent with these findings, AlF4 − increased intracellular calcium; although this response was attenuated in calcium-depleted medium, indicating that the calcium response comprises both intracellular and extracellular components. Melatonin was ineffective on either basal or AlF4 −-stimulated turnover of inositol phosphates. In concordance with the inositol phosphate response, melatonin had no effect on either the AlF4 −-stimulated or the basal calcium levels. AlF4 − blocked the increase in cyclic AMP stimulation by l μm forskolin, being as effective as melatonin, achieving approximately 90% inhibition. AlF4 − also attenuated the binding of [2-125I]iodomelatonin to ovine pars tuberalis membranes by 15%. At the concentration used, these results are consistent with the interpretation that AlF4 − activates many G protein-mediated responses, and thus imply that the inhibitory pathway for cyclic AMP predominates over the stimulatory arm, whereas there can only be a stimulatory pathway linked to phosphoinositide metabolism in ovine pars tuberalis cells.
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ABSTRACT
The selective β2-adrenergic agonist clenbuterol was ineffective as a stimulus for insulin secretion when isolated rat pancreatic islets were incubated with glucose at concentrations between 4 and 20 mM. Inclusion of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine led to potentiation of glucose-induced insulin secretion, but did not facilitate stimulation by clenbuterol. Furthermore, maintenance of isolated rat islets for up to 3 days in tissue culture also failed to result in the appearance of a secretory response to β-agonists. By contrast, clenbuterol induced a dose-dependent increase in insulin release from isolated human islets incubated with 20 mm glucose. Clenbuterol did not increase the basal rate of insulin secretion (4 mm glucose) in human islets. Under perifusion conditions, the secretory response of human islets to clenbuterol was rapid, of similar magnitude to that seen under static incubation conditions and could be sustained for at least 30 min. The increase in insulin secretion induced by clenbuterol was inhibited by propranolol, indicating that the response was mediated by activation of β-receptors. In support of this, a similar enhancement of glucose-induced insulin secretion was elicited by a different β2-agonist, salbutamol, in human islets. The results indicate that the B cells of isolated rat islets are unresponsive to β-agonists, whereas those of human islets are equipped with functional β-receptors which can directly influence the rate of insulin secretion.
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ABSTRACT
Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is thought to be a major growth factor during fetal and neonatal development. Levels of IGF-II mRNA fall dramatically in the liver - the major site of endocrine production - between 18 and 20 days post-natally. No information concerning the control of gene expression post-natally has hitherto been available. Using Northern blotting and in-situ hybridization, we show here that cortisone acetate rapidly extinguishes IGF-II mRNA expression in the neonatal rat liver. The effect at putative autocrine/paracrine locations such as skeletal muscle and choroid plexus is much less marked or absent. The repression by cortisone acetate is discussed in the light of the available IGF-II gene sequence.
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University of Melbourne and Baker HDI Department of Cardiometabolic Health and Disease, Melbourne, Australia
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The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates cardiorenal physiology and disease. Ligand-dependent MR transactivation involves a conformational change in the MR and recruitment of coregulatory proteins to form a unique DNA-binding complex at the hormone response element in target gene promoters. Differences in the recruitment of coregulatory proteins can promote tissue-, ligand- or gene-specific transcriptional outputs. The goal of this study was to evaluate the circadian protein TIMELESS as a selective regulator of MR transactivation. TIMELESS has an established role in cell cycle regulation and DNA repair. TIMELESS may not be central to mammalian clock function and does not bind DNA; however, RNA and protein levels oscillate over 24 h. Co-expression of TIMELESS down-regulated MR transactivation of an MR-responsive reporter in HEK293 cells, yet enhanced transactivation mediated by other steroid receptors. TIMELESS markedly inhibited MR transactivation of synthetic and native gene promoters and expression of MR target genes in H9c2 cardiac myoblasts. Immunofluorescence showed aldosterone induces colocalisation of TIMELESS and MR, although a direct interaction was not confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. Potential regulation of circadian clock targets cryptochrome 1 and 2 by TIMELESS was not detected. However, our data suggest that these effects may involve TIMELESS coactivation of oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα). Taken together, these data suggest that TIMELESS may contribute to MR transcriptional outputs via enhancing ERα inhibitory actions on MR transactivation. Given the variable expression of TIMELESS in different cell types, these data offer new opportunities for the development of MR modulators with selective actions.
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Long-chain saturated fatty acids are lipotoxic to pancreatic β-cells, whereas most unsaturates are better tolerated and some may even be cytoprotective. Fatty acids alter autophagy in β-cells and there is increasing evidence that such alterations can impact directly on the regulation of viability. Accordingly, we have compared the effects of palmitate (C16:0) and palmitoleate (C16:1) on autophagy in cultured β-cells and human islets. Treatment of BRIN-BD11 β-cells with palmitate led to enhanced autophagic activity, as judged by cleavage of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-I (LC3-I) and this correlated with a marked loss of cell viability in the cells. In addition, transfection of these cells with an mCherry-YFP-LC3 reporter construct revealed the accumulation of autophagosomes in palmitate-treated cells, indicating an impairment of autophagosome-lysosome fusion. This was also seen upon addition of the vacuolar ATPase inhibitor, bafilomycin A1. Exposure of BRIN-BD11 cells to palmitoleate (C16:1) did not lead directly to changes in autophagic activity or flux, but it antagonised the actions of palmitate. In parallel, palmitoleate also improved the viability of palmitate-treated BRIN-BD11 cells. Equivalent responses were observed in INS-1E cells and in isolated human islets. Taken together, these data suggest that palmitate may cause an impairment of autophagosome-lysosome fusion. These effects were not reproduced by palmitoleate which, instead, antagonised the responses mediated by palmitate suggesting that attenuation of β-cell stress may contribute to the improvement in cell viability caused by the mono-unsaturated fatty acid.
